New Honda City unveiled, boasts of more features and space

The new fourth generation Honda City has just been unveiled by Honda. It will come in both petrol and diesel-engined variants. The official launch of the car will take place only in January 2014, and prices will be announced then. The new Honda City has been one of Honda’s best-kept secrets, with very little details of the car trickling out, leading to a whole lot of speculation.

Want to track Honda City breaking news from other Indian car sites? Find it all on CarToq News Hub! 

Design and looks

The fourth-generation Honda City builds on Honda’s man-maximum, machine minimum philosophy – the H design. It is being positioned as a “cool stunner” that is “one . The styling concept is referred to as “sleek crossmotion” (an extension of the arrow-design of the earlier City). It is based on the same platform as the Honda Jazz, and at first glance it looks almost like the older City. You need to look closely to be make out that it’s actually a different car.

It comes with new twin barrel, four-lamp front headlamps. At the rear the tail-lamps are narrow and wrap around the boot lid. The car looks squat and wide. It boasts of a long wheelbase, freeing up more legroom inside.

The length of the car is 4440 mm, exactly the same as the current car. It has a wheelbase of 2600 mm, an increase of 50mm over the current City. It is 1695 mm wide (same as the existing City). And it is 1495 mm tall. It has 40 mm more shoulder room than the current City, 60 mm more legroom and 70 mm more knee-room. It has a ground clearance of 165 mm, the same as the existing car and with 15-inch wheels with a different alloy design.

Honda hasn’t shared what variants the City will come in, but key features of the top variant are listed below.

Key features

On the interiors, the cockpit gets a layered, floating effect. It comes with a touch screen music system, and analogue gauges in the instrument panel with blue backlighting. The combination meter shows fuel efficiency, temperature and trip meters. It also sports rear AC vents. It has a keyless entry, push-button ignition, touch-screen climate control panel and a sun-roof.

The rear has a low floor, which makes it decently comfortable for a fifth passenger as well. It will have Bluetooth, reverse camera and sensors, and handsfree phone system. It has eight speakers for the audio system. There are a total of four power outlets in the car.

Engine specifications

The car will come with a 1.5 litre iVtec petrol engine that has been improved and Honda’s 1.5 litre idtec diesel engine that is also in the Amaze. Honda hopes the combination of the car being available in both petrol and diesel engine variants will help it regain its leadership position in the C-segment, a position it sacrificed to cars like the Hyundai Verna once demand for diesel cars picked up two years ago. Both engines come with a five-speed manual transmission, while the petrol will also feature a five-speed automatic as well.

Fuel efficiency will be best in class, at over 25.8 kmpl from the diesel engine. The nearest competitor is the Hyundai Verna at 23 kmpl. It comes with a McPherson front suspension strut design and H-twist beam rear suspension. It will have electronic power steering.

What we think

The fourth generation Honda City carries on Honda’s design philosophy of man maximum, machine minimum, and is a driver oriented car. It will be a car that will please enthusiasts, as well as those looking for a family sedan that’s cost-efficient to run, especially the diesel variants. A third shift has started at Greater Noida from November 2013 to speed up delivery of the Amaze and the new Honda City.

Honda saw 63% growth in April to October 2013 thanks to huge bookings for the Honda Amaze, taking up most of its production. Honda has so far sold 4.3 lakh units of the Honda City in India, since its launch of the first-generation City in 1998. The car will be available in 55 countries. Worldwide 2.2 million Honda City cars have been sold till date.

Honda City sales

1998 – First generation sold 59,000 units in India

2003 – Second generation sold 1,78,000 units

2008 – Third generation sold 1,93,000 units

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All-new Endeavor is coming: Indian version to have a 2.2 litre turbo diesel engine

While Toyota has been laughing all the way to the bank ever since the Fortuner was launched, all the other manufacturers in the 25-30 lac rupee SUV space have had little sales to speak of. In fact, the first “phoren” SUV in that segment, the Ford Endeavor had developed a reasonable fan following for its macho looks, indestructible build and go anywhere attitude. However, it has remained largely unchanged over the years which resulted in its sales steadily slipping and this American hulk managed a lowly figure of 57 units going off the showroom floor in September 2013 while the segment leader Toyota Fortuner found an impressive 1518 new homes for itself.

However, with the new Ford Endeavor just around the corner, all that seems set to change. The All New Ford Endeavor will be based on the Ford’s highly successful Ranger’s platform. As can be seen by the pictures below, there is nothing similar between the existing Endeavor and the All New vehicle.

The front has become very aggressive, the sides have lost that excess flab which make the current Endy look like a bus.The rear has a tapered quarter glass like the Fortuner and a split tailgate, much like the Range Rover making it far more practical and easy to operate. In fact, the new Endeavor, caught testing in Australia where Ford has a development centre, looks a lot the Land Rover Freelander 2 from the sides, especially till the C pillar after which the Fortuner like quarter glass seems to take over.

The Endeavor will most likely be launched with a 2.2 litre turbo diesel engine mated to 6 speed manual and/or a 6 speed automatic transmission. Power figures are likely to be around 180BHP with 370NM of torque. Also, going by what Ford has been offering with the Endy, it will most likely have an AWD/4WD variant.

While the engine and the torque figures are at par with the rest of the segment, what is exciting is the possibility of the new Endeavor coming with features like a terrain selector (found on Land Rovers) which allow the vehicle to change its suspension, engine and braking parameters depending on the terrain that it travels on.

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Spied – Mahindra Scorpio facelift spotted testing, again

The Mahindra Scorpio facelift has been caught testing once again, and this image comes from our friends at Motorbeam who spotted the mule in Karjat, Maharashtra. While we have shown you plenty of spy images of the refreshed Scorpio testing, this spyshot is a bit weird.

As you would have figured out by now, this Scorpio is sporting the front bumper from the Mahindra Xylo! No, we don’t think Mahindra are really considering launching a Scorpio with a Xylo’s bumper and calling it a ‘facelift’. The Xylo bumper is a donor part or organ used on the prototype. You may see it until the design of the facelift’s bumper is finalized and is ready for tests.

What continues to be consistent though is the camouflage on the bonnet and the lack of the headlight cluster. This leads us to believe that Mahindra is still working on the design of these components. In certain Scoprio test mules, we have also seen thebootlid completely camouflaged and this could be another difference in the refresh.

The renewed Scorpio is expected to launch next year. As recent sales figures suggest, Mahindra need not necessarily update the Scorpio given that 4,345 units were sold in the month of September and an average of 4,135 units were sold every month in the period of January to September 2013.

Mahindra also launched the Scoprio special edition recently priced at INR 11.88 lakhs.

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2014 Tata Vista without ‘christmas tree’ taillights rendered

Regular readers would be aware that Tata Motors has commenced testing the 2014 Tata Vista. As part of their Horizonext strategy, Tata would be introducing a comprehensively refreshed Vista next year. We have seen camouflaged test mules on Pune roads and we have also shown you a spy shot of what could be the new front design of the hatchback.

Team BHP member AntlerRoad has now rendered the rear of the 2014 Vista. The major change happens to the taillights, which will no longer sport the ‘christmas-tree’ like arrangement, a design highlight that has been present on the Indica and Vista since their inceptions.

Rear of the current Tata Vista added for comparison.

Instead, the lights are now grouped to the lower portion of the bootlid, which also sees a complete makeover. As for the space on either side of the rear windshield, which earlier had the brake lights, two blackened pillars have been placed.

The number plate holder has also been moved up from the bumper to the bootlid. To compensate for the extra space, the reflectors on the bumper seem newly designed. Based on the rendering here, it seems there are going to be extensive sheet metal changes in the refreshed Vista.

This could be the front of the new 2014 Vista.

However mechanically, the Vista will continue with the same set of engines – the 1.3-liter MultiJet engine in two states of tuning, a 1.2-liter petrol and maybe an upgraded BS4 compliant CR4 engine. Will Tata show the updated Vista at the 2014 Auto Expo in February next year?

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Nissan Terrano to be launched on the Ninth of October?

NISSAN had announced during the unveiling of the Terrano that it would be launched during the first week of October and now word has spread on the interweb that October 9 will most likely be the launch date. We have already driven the car and have a written review as well as video both of which you can find at the bottom of this story.

The Nissan Terrano was unveiled for the Indian market on August 20 and is based on the Renault Duster.  It shares a common overall design with the Duster but gets new front end as well as rear end to help differentiate between both cars. Nissan has also given the Terrano different style alloy wheels on the top spec variant and wheel covers in the lower spec variants.

It gets interiors similar to that of the Renault Duster but with a different colour scheme and obviously a whole host of Nissan badges. The most major change is the new  music system and design of the AC Vents.  This also means that the car will be extremely spacious and very comfortable for five people to travel comfortably. The car will be offered in six colours; red, white, black, red, grey and silver.

We expect that Nissan will price the Terrano Rs 50, 000 more than the equivalent variant of the Renault Duster. When launched, the Nissan Terrano will compete with the Ford EcoSport, Renault Duster and the Mahindra Quanto. We will bring you live coverage from the launch as it happens so stay tuned to torque-tuno for all the details.  

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Mahindra Scorpio Special Edition launched

India's leading SUV maker Mahindra & Mahindra that teased the Scorpio special edition on its Facebook fan page a couple of days back, has now finally launched it. Mahindra Scorpio which is now 10 years old is undoubtedly one of the best selling Sports Utility Vehicles in the country, but the entry of several compact SUVs in the market has certainly affected its sales. So to counter the likes of Renault Duster and Ford EcoSport, Mahindra launched the special edition, which looks very similar to the special edition rolled out by the company back in 2010. This time only 500 units of the Special Edition will be sold across the nation.

Though the changes are limited, Scorpio Special Edition certainly looks refreshed with several new features including European leather interiors in beige and tan shades, leather-wrapped gear knob and gear shift, Integrated roof-mounted DVD player with 9" screen, Leather wrapped steering wheel, Alloy wheels with signature chrome finish, Dual front SRS airbags and a high-gloss wood finished central bezel.

The Scorpio Special Edition has been offered in the VLX trim, which is powered by a 2.2-litre mHawk diesel engine, which churns out the maximum power output of 120bhp at 4000rpm and 290Nm of peak torque. The company hasn't said anything on the pricing, however we expect the prices to be similar to that of the regular VLX trim. 

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Indonesia – Low-cost Honda Brio Satya to launch this week

courtesy- indianautosblog

A few weeks back, our readers were briefed about a low-cost Honda Brio Satya that was being tailor-made for the Indonesian market. Oto.detik now reports that the Brio Satya would be launched this week.

If you’re just tuning in now, you may ask “What is the Brio Satya?…Is it a Brio that speaks nothing but the truth??”.

The ‘Satya’ is the 1.2-liter engined Brio, made to comply with LCGC legislations.

While PT Honda Prospect Motor’s (Honda’s Indonesian subsidy) marketing director, Mr. Jonfis Fandy may say that “Satya is a word that accompanies loyal customer focus and anywhere he goes, so we called it Satya”, the truth is (pun intended) that this Brio has been made to meet the Indonesian LCGC (Low Cost Green Car) guidelines.

The LCGC program provides tax exemptions to small cars that are locally made in Indonesia (with a stipulated proportion of local content) displacing 1.2-liters or less and with their fuel economy not exceeding 20km/l. Since the Indonesian Brio is currently powered by a 1.3-liter engine, the Satya variant will get the 1.2-liter i-VTEC that is seen on the Indian Brio. Whether Honda Cars India would supply the powertrain for the Satya is still unknown though.

While other LCGC competitors such as the Toyota Agya and the Suzuki Wagon R feature a 1.0-liter engine, Honda has zeroed in on the 1.2-liter for performance reasons.

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Toyota sells 40 million Corollas in 47 years

Courtesy- indianautosblog

Toyota Motor Corporation has announced that worldwide sales of the Toyota Corolla has surpassed 40 million as on July 31, 2013. Toyota estimates to have sold 40.013 million units of the car since the launch.

This is the first generation Toyota Corolla which commenced production in 1966.

The Corolla, which was launched in 1966, hit the 1 million mark after being on the market for 4 years. Comparatively, Toyota sold approximately 1.161 million units of the Corolla, in 2012 alone! The current statistic is that 3,180 Corolla’s are sold on an average, daily, globally.

The Corolla is currently made in 14 worldwide locations such as Japan, Thailand, South Africa, Canada, Pakistan, India, etc. Production of the next generation Corolla (US spec model) began in Mississippi recently, while that of the Euro and ASEAN model commenced in Turkey.

2014 Toyota Corolla (Euro-spec) entered production in Turkey in July.

Mr. Hiroshi Nakagawa, MD and CEO, Toyota Kirloskar Motor -

We are delighted to celebrate this important milestone in the 46 year history of Corolla sales across the globe. This milestone stands testimony to Corolla’s popularity and worldwide acceptance. We are glad that we introduced this flagship model of Toyota in India in the year 2003.

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Mahindra Scorpio sells more than Renault Duster in August

The fight between the Mahindra Scorpio and Renault Duster is neck and neck in terms of sales in the recent past. For seven consecutive months (January to July 2013), the Renault Duster was ruling the roost in the entry level SUV segment. Just after the launch of the Ford EcoSport with an aggressive price tag, the Renault Duster saw significant decline in sales. The urban audience started shifting their tastes towards the EcoSport and the countryside’s favourite SUV Mahindra Scorpio also saw a slight decline in demand.

Mahindra managed to sell over 3356 units of the Scorpio in August 2013 against 2967 units of Renault Duster. In July, Mahindra sold 3256 units of Scorpio versus Duster’s 3089 units. If you notice the number of units sold by Mahindra, it remains more or less at the same place. The reason behind the dwindling sales of the Duster is the Ford EcoSport that sold 5372 units in August. Despite the increasing competition, Mahindra managed to collect brownie points for the Scorpio, which has a relatively stronger network in the rural markets.

Mahindra Scorpio’s key selling facts also includes the bigger size (7-seats against 5-seats) and more features the customers are getting at the same price compared to the Renault Duster. The basic Renault Duster RxE 85 PS diesel variants retails at Rs. 8.73 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi), while the Mahindra Scorpio EX is priced at Rs. 8 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). According to Pravin Shah (chief executive automotive, Mahindra) the Scorpio is churning out respectable volumes for the company and in the near future they will further update the Scorpio with facelifts, refreshes and addition of more features.

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Ford EcoSport bookings cross the 40,000 mark

news courtsey:-www.indianautosblog.com
Ford India says that the EcoSport has gathered over 40,000 bookings since its launch on June 26th this year. The compact crossover, which was launched with prices starting from INR 5.59 lakhs, has given sleepless nights to many manufacturers even as its waiting list continues to stretch to 1 year!

That’s right, some readers inform us that they are being asked to wait for a year for the EcoSport 1.5-liter AT model. Bookings for the 1.0-liter EcoBoost and the 1.5-liter petrol MT have been halted temporarily. The top-end diesel variant on the other hand, though it continues to be available for booking, will not reach your home for another 9 months at least!

Exports of the Chennai-made Ford EcoSport has already commenced with South Africa being the first market. Ford India has announced today that they will increase their exports to “meet rising demand” and to adapt to the country’s changing market conditions.

Waiting period for the EcoSport 1.5 AT stretches to a year!

Dave Schoch, Ford group vice president and president of Asia Pacific, said -

Despite current macroeconomic factors and ongoing market challenges, India is a big part of our global strategy. Exports from India have always been an integral part of that strategy and will help us to stay on track for turbocharged growth in the region, while going further to provide our customers with the vehicles that they want and value.

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ALL NEW SKODA OCTAVIA REVIEWED BY AUTO EXPRESS

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New Audi A4 177PS diesel with Drive Select launched in India at Rs 31.74 lakh

news courtsey:- www.motorbeam.com

Audi has launched a more powerful version of the A4 in India. The 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine has been given a bump in power and now produces 177 BHP of power at 4200 RPM and 380 Nm of torque between 1750-2500 RPM. The same engine was earlier producing 141 BHP and 320 Nm in the Audi A4. The car continues to use the same Multitronic transmission. The entry-level luxury sedan also gets Audi Drive Select as standard, which offers Comfort, Dynamic, Auto and Individual modes. The German automaker has priced the more powerful Audi A4 at Rs. 31.74 lakhs (ex-showroom, Mumbai).

The Audi A4 is the only car in its segment which uses a front-wheel drive layout (quattro variants are also available), whereas competitors like the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class are rear-wheel driven. The more powerful diesel Audi A4 takes 7.9 seconds to sprint from 0-100 km/hr against 9.1 seconds taken by its predecessor. The claimed mileage is 17.11 km/l, a 3% improvement over the engine it replaces. The Audi A4 has sold more than 10 million units since its launch in 1972, making it a very successful model for the Ingolstadt automaker.

Audi is also offering step up finance schemes on the A4 sedan. Under this loan plan, the customer pays an EMI of Rs. 29,000/- per month for the first two years, which increases to Rs. 49,000/- per month for the third and fourth year, peaking in at Rs. 59,000/- for the last year. The company has 27 dealerships in India which will be expanded to 35 outlets by the end of this year. Joe King has replaced Michael Perschke as the head of Audi India. The brand with the four rings has seen tremendous growth under the leadership of Perschke, who has now headed back to Audi Germany.

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Japan – 2014 Honda Jazz (Fit) in images

news courtsey:- www.indianautosblog.com
The 2014 Honda Jazz (2014 Honda Fit) has been launched in Japan today with three engine options – a 1.3-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine (available with a CVT or a 5-speed manual transmission), a 1.5-liter DOHC (available with a CVT or a 6-speed manual) and a 1.5-liter hybrid (with a 7-speed DCT). All variants are available with 2WD or 4WD.

New Jazz is available in 11 exterior shades.

Jazz RS will cater to the performance enthusiasts. There is also a Mugen variant on offer.

All variants get these standard split-layout for the taillights.

Top-end variants get LED headlights as standard.

1.5-liter petrol gets a 6-speed manual transmission while the 1.3-liter gets a 5-speed. CVTs are available across the range.

Optional navigation system lets you ‘pinch to zoom’, just like your touchscreen phone.

Climate control will be offered on the top-end variants.

Console on extreme right gives you information about your trip, fuel economy, temperature and also promotes ‘eco’ driving.

Even base variants get a dual-tone interior as seen on this black-ivory trim.

Flat floor and an added 16mm of legroom translate to a sedan rivaling rear seat experience.

Flexible Magic Seats mean that your surfboard can be carried inside the car!

Front passenger seat swivels, so that elderly people do not have a problem getting in or out.

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Kawasaki launches ZX10R & ZX14 R priced from 15.7 lacs

 Kawasaki has announced the launch of two superbikes in India, the Ninja ZX-10R and Ninja ZX-14R. Kawasaki set up its solo India operations in July 2010 and has one engine assembly line at Chakan. The company is aiming to sell 400 bikes a year in India. Kawasaki India has an annual capacity of 5000 bikes. Every year around 400 units are sold in the 1000-1600cc segment and growth is 30%. The Japanese automaker will sell the Ninja ZX-10R and Ninja ZX-14R through a separate dealership network and these super fast machines will not be retailed through pro-biking showrooms. Kawasaki will sell their 1000cc and above machines on their own in India. Now we know why the company dropped the R tag from the Ninja 300 and Ninja 650 as it was planning to get the really R machines to our shores.

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R Price – Rs. 15.70 lakhs
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R Price – Rs. 16.90 lakhs

Superbike Competition Check –

* Suzuki GSX-R1000 Price – Rs. 15 lakhs
* Suzuki Hayabusa Price – Rs. 15 lakhs
* Yamaha R1 Price – 15.6 lakhs
* Aprilia RSV4 R APRC Price – Rs. 15.68 lakhs
* Honda CBR1000RR Price – Rs. 16.59 lakhs
* BMW S1000RR Price Price – 20.93 lakhs
* Ducati 1199 Panigale Price – Rs. 21.60 lakhs

(all prices mentioned here are ex-showroom).

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R is the flagship bike from the company’s stable. It is not exactly a superbike as hyperbike is a more apt word for this machine (Kawasaki calls it Supersport). Powering the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R is a 1.4-litre inline-four motor which churns our 195 BHP of power and 155 Nm of torque. The ZX-14R is also known as the ZZR1400, the bike which has dethroned the Suzuki Hayabusa as the fastest bike in the world. It is the replacement for the ZX-12R.

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R accelerates from 0-100 km/hr in 2.9 seconds, 0-200 km/hr in 7.6 seconds, 0-250 km/hr in 12.5 seconds and 0-280 km/hr in 18.5 seconds (all the above figures are not claimed but tested ones from Motorrad magazine of Germany, the claimed figures will be even lesser). Top speed is limited to 299 km/hr but without the limiter, the Ninja ZX-14R can easily break the 350 km/hr speed barrier. The motorcycle comes with 3 traction control modes (2 for higher acceleration and third for higher top speed). It has a long swing arm with improved damping, lighter wheels and improved heat dissipation away from the rider.

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is powered by an inline-four, 998cc powerplant which thrusts out 194 BHP of power and 112 Nm of torque. This Ninja takes 2.8 seconds to whizz past 100 km/hr from a standstill while 160 km/hr comes up in a mere 5.5 seconds. 0-240 km/hr takes 10 seconds while 290 km/hr takes 18 seconds. Top speed is limited to 299 km/hr. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10Rgets power mode selection and is equipped with Sports-Kawasaki Traction Control (SKTRC) which has 3 modes along with an off mode. The bike has power modes to make it easy to ride – Full (100% power), Middle (75% power), Low (50-60% power). Supersport type ABS is optional.

The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R gets Kawasaki Intelligent ABS (KIBS) as standard which reduces rear lift which braking and takes into account engine braking. It has a single shaft secondary balancer and cassette type transmission. The engine uses an idle speed control valve with larger bore exhaust. There is an economy model indicator and the bike uses an aluminium twin spar frame. The all LED tachometer looks super cool and the Ninja ZX-10R has a 17-litre fuel tank. In short the 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R is new inside-out.

Kawasaki will sell parts made in India and export it to other countries. Quality parts are available in India and poor quality in India is a myth. Indicators, headlight, tail light, mirrors, suspension will be exported to other factories which will give them 30% price benefit. 30-40% parts are made in India which are also used in the Ninja 300 and Ninja 650. Currently Kawasaki will be selling their superbikes through only one showroom in Pune which will start operations from 7th September, with deliveries commencing from end of the month. The company is aiming for 20% market share in the superbike segment by 2015.

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