Renault reveals all-new Pulse hatchback

Renault took a big step towards becoming a serious player in the small car market by revealing it's all new hatchback for India. Known as the Pulse, this car is basically a mildly altered version of Nissan's rather clever Micra.

Under the skin, the two are basically the same. They share the same lightweight  V platform chassis, the same basic suspension, the same gearbox and the same set if engines as well. These include a 1.2 three cylinder petrol and a 1.5 turbo diesel.

What Renault has altered however are the looks. While the basic architecture of the car, with it's large arched roof and big cabin, remains Renault has changed the nose dramatically. The front end is now much sharper looking, with its raised crisply styled lights, almost Hyundai like hexagonal grille and a typical Renault matt black center section.  The car has a much stronger chin than the Micra, the rear has been mildly altered and Renault say there could be an even sportier version of the car on the cards too. The interiors of the Pulse however are almost identical to those of the Micra, right down to colours and shades.

The Pulse (codename: B58)  will be the French car maker’s third offering in six months; the Fluence saloon and Koleos SUV being the earlier two. The Pulse will be built at Renault-Nissan’s Chennai plant alongside the Micra and Renault are expected to price it at a slight premium over the Nissan. One of the  big seling-points of the Pulse will be a unique 2+2 year warranty that will be offered on the Pulse. 

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Updated Audi A4 breaks cover

Audi has revealed a face-lifted version of its A4 saloon.

The updated A4 will be a key rival to the recently revealed, sixth-generation BMW 3-series and the recently-updated Mercedes-Benz C-class. The reworked A4 gains a host of detailed styling and changes to its interior – all of which are aimed at setting it apart from the current model.  Among the visual tweaks is a subtly altered front-end exterior styling which features more curvaceous headlamps assemblies with reworked LED running lamps now appear as a continuous band. There will also be Xenon main beam projector-style headlamps on higher variants.

Other changes include greater contouring to the bonnet, a new six-corner single-frame grille – which is painted grey on four-cylinder models and black on six-cylinders – as well as a re-rofiled bumper carrying trapezoidal shaped fog lamps. At the rear, there are new tail lamps with altered LED graphics and a new bumper.

Inside, Audi has attempted to provide the face-lifted A4 with higher perceived quality and greater ease of use. This is achieved through a new steering wheel design, higher quality dashboard and centre console trim applications, detailed design changes to the switchgear( something Autocar India had often been critical of) and alterations to the optional MMI (multi-media interface).  Engine options will be carried over from the current car and you can expect
the updated A4 to reach our shores in early 2012 

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Ducati 1199 Panigale revealed

Amongst the most important motorcycles in 2011, Ducati’s 1199 Panigale superbike will first be showcased at the EICMA motorshow, Milan on 10^th Nov. 2011. Autocar India’s Nov 2011 issue—on stands now—brings you all the details on this sizzling supersports machine, including a full version of the cropped image shown here of the bike. There’s also an in-depth, illustrated insight into its technology rich, ‘Superquadro’ powerhouse that develops a fire-breathing 195bhp, making this the world’s most powerful twin-cylinder motorcycle engine ever.

The 1199 Panigale breaks Ducati tradition to use an innovative monocoque type chassis, and enters showrooms around the world (including India) early in 2012. 

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Renault Pulse to be revealed on October 29

Renault is all-set to unveil the Pulse compact car for India, on 29^th October 2011.

The Pulse (codename: B58)  will be the French car maker’s third offering in six months; the Fluence saloon and Koleos SUV being the earlier two.

The Pulse is based on Renault-Nissan alliance’s V-platform that also underpins Nissan’s Micra hatchback and Sunny saloon and will be built at Renault-Nissan’s Chennai plant alongside the Micra.

The Pulse’s dimensions will be near-identical to the Micra and likewise should weigh less than a tonne which will reap huge dividends in the terms of fuel.  While the two cars will share many components including engines namely the 1.2 litre petrol and the 1.5 litre diesel, the Pulse will be easily identifiable as a Renault and willlook different from the Micra. The nose, headlights and grill will be very different and so will the shape of the rear hatch and tail lights included However, the two cars could share the dashboard design as tooling for a new dashboard entails considerable expense.

Apart from the Micra itself, the Pulse will compete with the likes of the Maruti Wagon R, Hyundai i10, Honda Brio and Maruti Swift and will be priced around Rs 4-5 lakh.

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Ferrari FF review by Autocar India.

Token : GA47YWH3NDUJ

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Ferrari 458 spider review, test drive

Why would you buy a convertible Ferrari 458 over the purer Italia coupé? The Spider weighs 50kg more than the Italia, is 0.5sec slower than the coupé around Fiorano and has a top-speed that’s 6kph slower, so you do lose a bit of the coupé’s edge. But what you get in exchange for this tiny performance loss is character, bags of it. That’s because roofless motoring in this car puts nothing between your eardrums and the hair-raising blare of the triple exhausts. It’s the extra intensity of this sound from the 4.5-litre V8 that makes the Spider so special. Every millimetre of throttle travel adds richness and body to the exhaust note – it starts with a muted growl at idle, a guttural bellow through the midrange and a high-intensity blare near the pant-wetting 9000rpm redline. It is insanely loud; even at 200kph, it is loud enough to be heard over the gale force wind rushing through the cabin. The cabin is calm enough at normal speeds for normal conversation though.

Mechanically, it is unchanged – the engine makes 562bhp, the car gets the same stability and traction control modes as the Italia, and Ferrari has left the springs and anti-roll bar unchanged to preserve the terrific steering response, lateral grip and cornering ability of the coupé. The aluminium roof and its folding mechanism weigh 25kg less than the cloth roof fitted to the F430 Spider, and motors from open to shut in just 14 seconds. It is also packaged very efficiently and doesn’t compromise the 458’s aerodynamics with the roof up. There’s even room behind the car’s seats for a small luggage shelf.

You no longer get to see the engine through the glass cover though. The Spider gets a painted cover with six air extractors, and the air intakes, located near the B-pillar on the coupé, have been shifted back to just ahead of the rear lights.

What all this does is enrich the 458 driving experience. Ferrari says the Spider is a bit softer than the coupé, but it’s hard to tell. The 562bhp is delivered to the rear wheels via what feel like small nuclear explosions, the steering is so quick and the turn-in so sharp, it’s comparable to a terrified rabbit. And the grip, ohhhh, the grip is simply unbelievable. Driving through the hills around Maranello, Italy, the heady combination of the exhaust note bouncing off the hillside, the engine’s mind-blowing rev-happiness and power delivery and the stunning handling make for a car that feels absolutely alive.
On demanding country roads it’s simply brilliant to drive, and yet is also very supple, especially when the least-extreme driver settings are used. And, unlike other coupés that lose their roofs, it’s hard to tell if the Spider has lost any rigidity over the coupé. There is some occasional shudder through the steering wheel, but that’s about it.

At a Rs 2.91 crore price tag (ex-showroom, Delhi), it’s obviously not for everyone. But as far as convertibles go, there’s nothing so pretty, so alive and so full of soul.   

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Mahindra Bolero ZLX review, test drive

There’s life in the Bolero yet. Mahindra has just upgraded India’s most popular MUV by giving it a low-cost common-rail system. There’s a minor facelift too, along with some interior updates.
The Bolero is powered by the same capacity 2523cc diesel engine as before. Only, now it comes with a common-rail motor to make it more efficient and to improve drivability. At 63bhp and 19.8kgm of torque, power output is the same as the old direct-injection engine, but there is a minor increase in peak torque. What you do get is peppy low-speed responses – the engine pulls cleanly from 1000rpm in third gear – and with surprising refinement. Yes, the diesel clatter is audible but it’s not like the old DI engine that would make your ears ring after a long journey.
Out on the highway, the engine runs out of steam pretty quickly, and it gets worse once loaded up with seven people. At just 100kph, you are getting close to the outer edges of the Bolero’s performance envelope, which means overtaking maneouvres need serious planning. Flat out, the Bolero hits 100kph in a yawning 25.61 seconds and, because of its limited power, takes ages to get to its 124kph top speed.
However, given its vintage, the Bolero’s road manners are much better than you would expect. The ride is quite level and absorbent over most surfaces, and only sharp bumps filtering through to the cabin. There’s not muchsteering feel though and the crisp handling typical of modern SUVs is just not there.
The redesigned dash looks like it’s been lifted straight out of Knight Rider. By modern car standards, the digital displays and voice messaging system are pretty cheesy, but we are sure it will have quite an effect in the rural areas, where the Bolero is popular. The digital gauges and trip computer do add some sophistication and the beige fabric brightens things
up a bit, but dashboard panel gaps and the general quality are well below par. The poor ergonomics, a time-honoured Bolero problem, persist. The front seats are flat, the steering is too big and too high and the pedals are painful to use after some time. It’s almost like Mahindra benchmarked tractors when finalising the driving position. Move over to the rear and you are greeted by cramped seats which don’t offer much legroom or good underthigh support.
The Bolero comes with a start-stop system which improves fuel effeciency. As a hardy and rugged vehicle for rural areas, the Bolero works well. As a personal car, it is too crude and too compromised. The ageing platform is not that good on safety either.  Priced at Rs 6.96 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the Bolero in its ZLX avatar is not cheap. It feels dated and it would make more sense to shell out Rs 50k more and go for the Xylo or Scorpio instead.

Fact File

Price Range (in lakhs)*

Ex-showroom price

6.96 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)

Engine

Fuel	Diesel
Installation	Front longitudinal, RWD
Type	2523cc
Power	2523cc
Torque	19.88kgm at 1400-2200rpm

Transmission

Gearbox

5-speed manual

Dimensions

Length	4107mm
Width	1745mm
Height	1880mm
Wheel base	2680mm
Ground clearance	180mm

Performance

0-20	1.60
0-40	4.34
0-60	8.67
0-80	14.97
0-100	25.61
0-120	52.56

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BMW's 330d convertible headed our way

Top-down motoring seems to be getting more and more popular these days, or at least this is what premium car manufacturers are expecting. BMW India has introduced its third convertible for India, the 330d. The 3-series convertible will join the Z4 (launched in 2009) and the new 6-series (March 2011) to round off their convertible range.

The 330d convertible features a folding metal hardtop and gets the same engine from the bigger 530d saloon. The 2993cc,straight-six diesel motor develops 243bhp and 55.1kgm of torque and that will mean that the light 3-series will perform like a scalded cat. The 330d will be imported to India as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) and will cost Rs 57 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), which is Rs 25 lakh more than the top-end 320d exclusive saloon.
There is no doubting the style quotient and exclusivity of the convertible, though and it will be the most affordable convertible in BMW's Indian range, priced nearly Rs 5 lakh lower than the Z4. It also has an added pair of seats, albeit suitable mostly for children and short trips, and it comes with an efficient diesel unit, which could be key to its success in India.
BMW India has already started taking bookings for the 330d convertible.  

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New, top-tech Bajaj Pulsar debuts in December

Bajaj Auto has announced they will unveil the latest Pulsar model in early December 2011. Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj has revealed “The new Pulsar will be 100 percent brand new and will come with technology better than the current DTS-i”. Importantly, he also added, “The new technology is the next level for motorcycles, not just the next level for Bajaj.” While refraining from divulging further detail on the new technology used by the new Pulsars, Rajiv Bajaj has said this will first debut on all the new Pulsars, after which the Discover products could benefit the same.
The runaway success Pulsar brand originally launched in November 2001, so next month marks its 10^th anniversary.
The second quarter of FY12 has been particularly good for Bajaj Auto, which sold a million motorcycles for the first time, a rise of 16 percent over the same period last year. Likewise, a 44 percent gain in exports has kept their sales numbers up to register an overall 17 percent gain.
Bajaj Auto’s exports contribute 36 percent towards total sales, their products being sold in over 50 countries, with Latin America accounting for 20 percent of this leading Indian bike maker’s international business.

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Maruti launches Alto Xplore

Maruti Suzuki has launched the Alto Xplore, a new variant of its best-selling hatchback, the Alto.

The Xplore, a limited edition, will be available in the 800cc Alto LXi and the Alto K10 models and comes in six colours. Features common to both 800cc and K10 versions are body-coloured bumpers, wing-mirrors, door handles, dual-tone leather seats, aluminium door sills and special body graphics.

In addition to the above, the Alto K10 Xplore gets a body-coloured roof-mounted spoiler,

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Skoda Rapid on sale this November

As you can see from our exclusive spy photo, the Rapid’s interiors borrow heavily from the Vento; bits like the dashboard, switches, gauges, buttons for the audio, climate control are shared with VW saloon; however the Rapid gets a four-spoke steering wheel similar to the Fabia and Laura. Like the Vento, the Rapid may also get the lever to adjust the front passenger seat from the rear.

As we’ve seen fr
om earlier pictures

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Swift vs Jazz

The Jazz had it all, but it never sold as well as it could have. Honda broke the cardinal rule for pricing and the Jazz found too few takers when it was launched at a saloon car price. That was then. Today however, it sits bang in Suzuki Swift territory. Problem is, the new Swift is substantially better than the car it replaced. So which one is it, brilliant Jazz or amazing Swift?

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Renault Koleos review, test drive

 

The face-lifted Renault Koleos made its world debut in India on September 8th, pipping the official launch in China by a few days. To be first in the world may not be of much significance to Indian customers but its a statement by the French car maker on the importance of the Indian market. With the Koleos, Renault wants to take its brand further upmarket with its fully loaded SUV but is it up to the job? A long drive from Bengaluru into the forest of Karnataka reveals the answers. 

The styling changes with the face-lift have yielded a smarter,

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Affordable Ducati Monster for India

EXCLUSIVE!

Ducati’s first serious bid to tap into the booming Indian market is to happen this month itself, with launch of an affordable new Monster, the world’s best-known naked motorcycle.

Dubbed the 795, this new Monster will be priced significantly lower than the Monster 796, which is already available in India. As suggested by the name, the 795 retains all the 796’s Monster DNA, tweaked to play its new role, so bringing the brand within closer reach of Indian power bikers.

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Eye Opener - 2011

September 2011: Who’s smiling wider —

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Killer Price For Mahindra XUV500

Mahindra has just revealed the shock prices of its exciting global SUV, the XUV500, with the base 2WD (W6) version priced at a stunning Rs 10.8 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), rising up to Rs 12.88 lakh for the top-end 4WD (W8) version.

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