Fortuner Facelift Spy Pics

Toyota’s very successful SUV the Fortuner, has been comfortably leading the Indian SUV market since its launch two years ago. The Japanese manufacturer however is planning to give it a facelift, as is evident from these leaked brochure pictures.The nose is now all-new and is designed to appear wider and more aggressive. It features new headlamps that are slightly stretched, a restyled and sculpted bonnet with a larger scoop for the air-intake, a re-profiled bumper and a wider redesigned chrome grille that makes it resemble the Toyota Land Cruiser.Toyota hasn’t changed the side profile of the Fortuner, but the rear now gets new clear-lens tail-lamps that have a different profile from the current ones. The roof-rack and scuff plate, as seen...

Read more »

Skoda Unveils Open-Top Fabia

Skoda has unveiled a dramatic open-top roadster version of its Fabia vRS S2000 rally car at Volkswagen Group’s GTI-Treffen tuning event in Worthersee. The one-off Skoda Fabia vRS S2000 design concept car has been designed and built specifically for the annual show. Skoda CEO Winfried Vahland told Autocar that the hand-built roadster had been created to “show what the company can do with a Fabia”. Designers were briefed to “create an original roadster pursuing a single goal – dynamism and the joy of sporting driving”. Power for the all-wheel drive roadster comes from a twin-turbocharged four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol engine that produces “over 200bhp”. It weighs around 1200kg and the tracks have been widened in excess of 120mm. The...

Read more »

Audi A7 3.0 TDI Review, Test Drive

The A7 turns heads. Everywhere. You would think that the metallic beige Audi isn’t unique enough to catch the jaded Mumbaikar’s eye, but that’s just what it does. Credit goes to its low, brooding stance and slit eyed headlamps, but where the A7 is racier than the regular German executive cars is with its Mustang-like fastback rear. We think it looks fantastic and other road users seem to unanimously agree.We like what’s under the skin too. The A7 shares its innards with the A6 and, indeed, the A4 and A8, all these models using Audi’s MLB platform. It may look like a coupé, but the car occupies quite a bit of real estate. At a shade under five metres long and almost two metres wide, it is longer and wider than an A6, but smaller than an A8. And,...

Read more »

Maruti’s RIII MPV

Here are exclusive images of Maruti's all-new RIII MPV, slated to be launched by the end of 2011, designed to accommodate the traditional large Indian family. Maruti has stretched the wheelbase to 2740mm which is 380mm more than that of the Ritz, and they have also added an additional rear overhang.The length of the RIII at 4265mm is well over the critical four-metre length, which means that the RIII won’t qualify for a small-car excise cut. Additionally, the people-mover will get an all-new 1372cc K14 petrol engine which churns out a decent 95bhp and produces 13kgm of torque. Also on the cards is the Fiat-designed, VGT-equipped 89bhp DDiS motor from the S...

Read more »

Toyota Liva Review, Test Drive

The made-for-India Etios Liva marks Toyota’s much-awaited foray into the hotly contested Indian small car segment where price and affordability are crucial. The cheapest Toyota yet will be up against some very capable rivals and hot sellers like the Ford Figo, Hyundai i20 and the reigning king of the segment — the Maruti Swift.The Liva is already a familiar face before it hits the road sometime later this month. It looks identical to its Etios saloon sibling till just after the B-pillar and this means no radical lines and conservative styling. Though the Liva’s design lacks the dynamism of a modern Honda or Hyundai, there are lots of nice touches which add a bit of flair.  The top-of-the-line VX variant comes with a chin spoiler, side...

Read more »