Mahindra 2 Wheelers' Auto Expo plans

Mahindra 2 Wheelers will showcase its 2012 Moto3 bike and launch the Duro DZ scooter in Delhi at the Auto Expo 2012.Mahindra racing ended third in the Constructors’ Championship in its debut 2011 season. It had taken the covers off its new 250cc Moto3 entry for the 2012 season earlier in Valencia. This will be the first time that the bike will be unveiled in India.Mahindra has already launched the Duro DZ in South India and this will be the official launch of the bike in the nation’s capital.Speaking on the upcoming Auto Expo, Anoop Mathur, President, Mahindra 2 Wheelers said, “The Delhi Auto Expo is the perfect platform to unveil Mahindra Racing’s new Moto3 challenger, the MPG30 (pronounced three-oh). Similarly at Mahindra Two Wheelers,...

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Skoda Fabia Scout pictures

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Peugeot to unveil future models

Feast your eyes on the 2011 championship-winning Peugeot 908 LMP1 Le Mans car. The blindingly quick Le Mans prototype weighs approximately 925kg and develops 550bhp from its 3.7-litre V8 diesel unit. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 908 grabbed three of the top four spots, coming second only to the Audi R18.Alongside the Le Mans racer will be Peugeot’s first car for India – the 508. This will be the French carmaker’s flagship model in India and Peugeot realises the importance of having a diesel variant, so the first engine will be a 1.6-litre diesel developing 112bhp. It will be interesting to see how Peugeot prices the 508, which needs to cost less than a Honda Accord to succeed in India. Styling-wise, Peugeot’s designs should abide well...

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Monte Carlo edition celebrates 110 years of Skoda's motorsport program.

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FIRST DRIVE New BMW 3-series review, test drive

Testing a mainstream production saloon on a Formula 1 race track doesn’t serve any real purpose except to tell you how quick you (and the car) really are. You don’t just cruise from apex to apex but end up driving the wheels off whatever you’re piloting. So the first couple of hot laps of the Catalunya circuit in Spain were enough to reveal how far forward BMW has taken the new 3-series’ driving dynamics and why it is still the master of the class.The incredible chassis balance and the sheer fluency with which the new 3-series handles makes you flip for it instantly. It’s the delightfully neutral attitude through corners that makes the 3-series feel so special. Turn-in is deliciously sharp and the complete lack of understeer is just astonishing....

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Tata Nano to get upgraded starter motor

Tata Motors has announced a ‘replacement exercise’ for all Nano models except the recently launched 2012 Nano.As part of this exercise, Tata Motors will replace the starter motor with the one that comes in the 2012 Nano.  This will be done free-of-cost and will affect about 1.40 lakh customers nationwide, and will cost Tata Motors about Rs 100 crore. According to Tata Motors, there is no formal safety hazard that has been associated with the old starter motor and the upgrade is being done to enhance the car’s realibili...

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New Hyundai Sonata launch at Expo

Hyundai’s striking design efforts of late should make the Korean carmaker’s hall a huge attraction. Treat yourself to the absolutely stunning Veloster coupe, another class example of Hyundai’s fluidic design language. Oodles of sex appeal aside, the Veloster has a 1.6-litre petrol engine developing 138bhp and a raft of safety features like ESC, ABS, TCS, Brake Assist and six airbags. The Veloster sports an unusual 1+2-door layout where the passenger side has an additional rear suicide door. Hyundai will also unveil a new concept car to the world called the HND-7. The company hasn’t revealed any information yet about it so you are in for a big surprise. The new Sonata that’s being geared up to replace the current-gen Transform gets the...

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XUV500 to be dearer by Rs 55,000

Three months after its launch, the Mahindra XUV 500 will see its first price revision from January 1, 2012. The quantum of hike will be Rs 30,000 for the base W6 variant, Rs 50,000 for the W8 2WD variant and Rs 55,000 for the W8 4WD variant.Currently, the XUV 500 W6 is priced at Rs 10.8 lakh, W8 2WD retails at Rs 11.95 and the top-end 4WD W8 variant is available for Rs 14.16 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi. For all the current bookings, for which deliveries have not been made, the increase would only be 50 percent of the announced price hike.M&M says the prices have to be increased as they were ‘introductory invitation price’ and there has also been a considerable impact of increase in raw material costs and the rupee depreciation with respect...

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Audi Q3 to be revealed at the Expo

Come January 2012, Audi will cater to every type of visitor with its wide range of models at the Auto Expo. At one end is theQ3, the affordable compact SUV, while at the other is the camera-magnet R8 Spyder.This will be the Q3’s Indian debut and it will first be launched in mid-2012 with Audi’s Quattro four-wheel-drive system. Two engines will be offered, a 2.0-litre TFSI turbo-petrol developing 211bhp and an entry-level 176bhp, 2.0-litre turbo-diesel which should form the bulk of sales in India.The brutish RS5 and the 5.2-litre V10 R8 Spyder will turn up the heat at the Audi stand so make sure you have your cameras ready. There’s even something for performance-seekers for whom a rakish coupe is grossly impractical – the new...

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New Toyota Camry, prius, innova, fortuner launch at the Expo

Toyota will reveal a completely new face at the Expo, quite literally. A facelifted Innova, Fortuner, Land Cruiser, Prius and an all-new Camry will be displayed in the Toyota hall.The bold new Camry will be launched at the Auto Expo. The Japanese carmaker plans to assemble it from CKD kits so prices should drop considerably. A more refined 2.5-litre 174bhp VVT-i petrol engine mated to new six-speed manual and automatic transmissions will be the other changes to the Camry.See images of the new Toyota CamryThe largest selling green car in the world too gets a facelift. Toyota will display the facelifted Prius that looks much sharper than the current model.  The front bumper gets a larger air dam and an extra set of fog lamps. The lamp...

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Ferrari pushing for F1 testing increase

Ferrari is pushing for an increase in testing in Formula 1, with its president Luca di Montezemolo claiming that it is crucial for the development of young drivers.From 2009-2011, in-season testing was banned outright with pre-season running heavily limited. In 2012, there will be one test at Mugello on May 1-3, following the early-season flyways. But there is no net increase in test days as these were taken from the usual pre-season allocation of 15.Di Montezmolo underlined that he is still in favour of test restrictions, but that the current limits are too harsh and prevent rising stars from being properly evaluated."I was in favour of reducing the number of tests because we went too far [before]," he said. "But there has to be something...

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Hyundai Eon vs Maruti Alto

The Maruti Alto is India’s best-selling car by far. An affordable price tag is just one of many reasons why, but the fact is the Alto gets the basics right. It’s fuel efficient, easy to use and requires minimal maintenance – with the comfort of knowing if anything does go wrong, a Maruti service station is never too far away. Last year’s K10 model only added cubic capacity and horsepower to the Alto’s cheap, cheerful and hassle-free charm.However, just one glance at the new Hyundai Eon will have even die-hard Alto fans raising an eyebrow. After all, the Eon is priced close to the Alto K10, with a similar promise of low running costs and service backup second only to Maruti’s. But does the Eon deliver where the Alto excels?It’s all in the...

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Tata to showcase Pixel at Expo 2012

Tata Motors will showcase the Pixel city car concept at the 11th Auto Expo in Delhi.The Pixel concept, which made its debut at the Geneva motor show in February this year, is based on the Nano, but has been developed mainly for European markets. It’s just over three metres long, and when it reaches India two years from now, will be up against the likes of the Maruti Alto. Like the Nano, the Pixel will be rear-engined, but will be powered by a three-cylinder petrol and a turbo-diesel.The design and engineering - the work of Tata’s in-house engineers - incorporates scissor doors and a large glass area, including a panoramic roof. It gets a unique rear-wheel counter-steering system that gives the Pixel a turning radius of just 2.6 metres. The...

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FIRST DRIVE New Fortuner Auto review, test drive

Come January, Toyota will widen the Fortuner line-up with the introduction of a pair of new two-wheel drive variants. We have just driven the automatic-transmission variant and can tell you there is much to get excited about. But before we get into how the SUV drives, lets take a look at what else is new. For starters, frontal styling gets a major revamp. The larger grille, angular headlights and restyled front bumper do their bit to make the Fortuner look even more Land Cruiser-like than before.  There is also a wider intake for the intercooler on the bonnet and new design for the alloy wheels. At the rear, you can identify the new Fortuner by its clear-lens tail lamps.Inside the cabin, the redesigned centre console now features...

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Mahindra to showcase SsangYong range, EVs

Mahindra & Mahindra is to display two models from its newly-acquired SsangYong brand – the Korando crossover and Rexton SUV – for the first time in India at the forthcoming Auto Expo.The Rexton is a typical old-school SUV based on the tried-and-tested mechanicals of the first-generation Mercedes M-class. It is powered by a 2.7-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel motor developing 162bhp and 34.8kgm of torque via a five-speed automatic gearbox. The Korando, a soft-roader built on a monocoque platform, is powered by a 173bhp 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine and comes with a six-speed automatic gearbox.Mahindra will also showcase the all-new Reva NXR electric car and will also have an electric version of its Verito saloon at its stall....

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Auto Expo launch for new BMW M5

EXCLUSIVE!BMW is all set to showcase its new M5 saloon at the 11th Auto Expo in January 2012.Like all previous M5s, the new car's styling is subtle but aggressive in its details, most notably the lower air intakes – three gaping ducts to flow cool air into the radiator, oil cooler and turbochargers. 19-inch alloy wheels come as standard fitment.The M5 features a twin-turbo, 4.4-litre V8 that offers 552bhp and 69.4kgm of max torque, and the sports saloon can hit 100kph in 4.4 seconds, and 200kph in 13sec (manufacturer’s claims).The new M5 gets a power boost of 10 percent and torque figures are up by 30 percent compared to the previous-generation, V10-powered E60 M5.The transmission is a seven-speed, dual-clutch unit with steering-wheel-mounted...

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FIRST DRIVE New Chevrolet Captiva review, test drive

With the new Captiva, which is a heavily face-lifted version of the original model, GM believes it now has muscle to steer buyers into its showrooms. Look at this refreshed SUV head-on and you will tend to agree. The massive new grille has completely transformed the car and perhaps addressed the Captiva’s biggest weakness – that it just didn’t look SUV enough. The two-part grille, split by a thick strip on which the Chevy bowtie sits, is the now-familiar signature of modern Chevys. The fog lamp housings look much neater too and the headlamps are more striking than before. Other interesting details are the re-shaped side air vents, a chrome strip for the window line and turn signals integrated into the mirrors. The muscular wheel arches with...

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