Review And First Ride Of New Honda Dream Neo

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India has just augmented its bike line up with the addition of the Dream Neo. Part of Honda’s Dream series, the Dream Neo is the manufacturer’s first motorcycle to get HET, or Honda Eco Technology. The Dream Neo is aimed at fuel efficiency conscious customers looking for a reliable daily commuter, & will sell alongside the Dream Yuga & CB Twister in the competitive 110cc commuter bike segment. True to a commuter bike, Honda’s Neo is conservatively styled, its angular headlamp housed in a simple bikini fairing. Instruments are likewise simple, showing the rider an analogue speedometer & fuel gauge, both of which are easily legible. Palm grips are soft & switchgear on the Neo is Honda...

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Hikes in Excise Duty Of Maruti SX4 , Honda Civic And Toyota Corolla

The government, in the Union Budget, had rised excise duty on SUVs with engine capacity of over 1500cc, length of more than four metres & ground clearance of 170mm or above, from 27percent to 30 percent. In our market, cars like the Toyota Corolla Altis & Maruti SX4 also fall under these parameters & hence, suffered the excise duty rise as well. Now, the Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC) has issued a statement of clarification saying, “It is clear that the afore cited motor vehicles (Maruti SX4, Honda Civic & Toyota Corolla Altis), which are known as Sedans, will attract the excise duty of 27 percent as applicable to large segment cars...

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New Skoda Octavia To Unveil On August 9

Skoda India has confirmed that the new Octavia will be officially unveiled here on August 9th by Skoda’s Chairman of Board of Directors of SKODA Auto, Dr. H.C. Winfried Vahland Built on VW’s new MQB variable platform that allows for variations in length, wheelbase & width, the new Octavia is 90mm longer & 45mm wider than the Laura. The wheelbase now stands at 2686mm, just shy of the VW Passat. The fit & finish on the inside has also been stepped up. Seams are almost invisible, the quality of plastics is improved for the most part, & the neat & simple design of the dash is quite appealing. Boot space stands at a generous 590 litres. The new Octavia will also come with a range of new safety features such as lane assistance,...

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Bentley Motors Confirmed To Launch An SUV In 2016

Bentley has confirmed that it is to build an SUV. The new model line will be built in Crewe & will go on sale in 2016. This move will create more than 1,000 jobs at Bentley’s Crewe plant. The upcoming model, which will become the firm’s fourth model line, will be a “thoroughbred” Bentley, which will represent the brand’s hallmarks of "luxury, performance, quality & craftsmanship”. Bentley claims it will be the most powerful SUV on the market. The announcement of a production SUV follows the Bentley EXP 9 F concept, which was shown at the 2012 Geneva motor show. It is likely to share its platform with the next generation Audi Q7 & Porsche Cayenne. David Cameron, who was present at the announcement said, “This £800 million...

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Automobile Company Maruti Set To Launch WagonR Stingray

Maruti is all set to launch a sportier looking WagonR here called the WagonR Stingray. The WagonR Stingray will sit above the current WagonR. The carmaker has taken this initiative in order to draw back attention to the brand. The Maruti WagonR Stingray will come with different styling up front & at the rear. The front gets a cleaner & sportier look with slim headlamps which may house projector beam units, a flat bonnet & a slimmer grille & an all new bumper with a bigger air dam. The side profile of the car is expected to remain the same as the current WagonR. The rear is unique to the Stingray in the form of slimmer tail lamps with clear lens units & an all new bumper that houses the number plate. The Stingray will...

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Indian Mototcycle Royal Enfield & Actor Farhan Akhtar Organised ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ contest

Royal Enfield & actor Farhan Akhtar held a contest for their fans, where in the winner was handed the keys to the very same Desert Storm ridden by the actor in his latest movie, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Participants had to share a life story that involved victory, passion, courage & hardships faced. Haminind Singh from Srinagar emerged victorious & took possession of this celebrity motorcycle.The Royal Enfield motorcycle used in this film is similar to the one actually used by Milkha Singh while serving in the Indian Army. Royal Enfield even removed the front disc brake on the Desert Storm & replaced it with a drum brake to make the bike look more authentic in the film.The campaign was made to showcase the spirit of memorable...

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Honda Motor Company Reveiled New 2014 Jazz

This is the new Honda Jazz, which will make its comeback to India sometime in mid 2014. The Jazz was always a great hatchback; in fact, Autocar India Magazinne rated it as the best in its class. But it was let down by its price tag, & even a steep price cut didn’t help boost sales, forcing Honda to discontinue the model. However, with this new Jazz, Honda is looking to correct that. The new Jazz will come powered by the 1.5 litre i DTEC ‘Earth Dreams’ diesel engine as well as a 1.2 litre petrol engine. It maintains the basic quasi MPV hatch proportions of the earlier car. The car you see here is the hybrid model powered by Honda’s 1.5 litre Atkinson cycle engine & Honda’s Sport Hybrid Intelligent Dual Clutch Drive (i DCD) gearbox...

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Honda Motor Company Reveiled It's Brio-based MPV

Honda motor company has just revealed the sketches of its new mini MPV (Codename: 2NH) in Indonesia. Known as a ‘low’ MPV or LMPV, the sketch clearly shows a car with a comparatively low slung roof & an elongated wheelbase. Imagine a Maruti Ertiga with a lower roof & you won’t be too far off the mark. The styling, however, is far more aggressive. The nose, especially the headlights & the grille, are clearly Brio like, but the car is sat on a block like base, put there in an effort to disguise the otherwise odd dimensions. Gaping large inlets are present in the front & rear bumper, the designers have used a kink in the window line to visually reduce the length of the car & big wheel arches have also been used...

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30,000 Ford Ecosport Booked Since Launching

Ford’s Duster killer has indeed proven to be the golden goose for the carmaker. The EcoSport has been flying off the shelves & according to reports, around 30,000 bookings have already been received. According to one dealer, “The EcoSport offers a great value proposition. It’s available in a price range that covers a variety of vehicles — premium hatches, entry level saloons & budget SUVs. People looking to buy the Maruti Swift or Dzire are now leaning towards this car.” Ford launched the EcoSport on June 26 at a starting price of Rs 5.59 lakh (ex showroom, Delhi) & in a range of variants with three engine options. It remains to be seen whether the carmaker’s move to recall the diesel version of the car has an impact on the...

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Italian Company Piaggio Is Launching New Vespa Scooter Soon

Italian two wheeler specialist Piaggio has confirmed they are working to bring India the Vespa S scooter. Piaggio has recognized a strong potential in the Indian two wheeler market for its premium scooters, to cash in on which they are gradually expanding their product portfolio in our market. After the LX125 automatic scooter arrived here last year, Piaggio recently introduced the Vespa VX, in essence the LX125 with a front disc brake & smart new colours. In addition to which we recently learnt the stylish & super premium Vespa 946 scooter is slated for an India launch...

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Mercedes AMG A45 Coming To India Very Soon

Mercedes Benz says they wants to focus on the ultra sporty AMG cars in India. A large number of AMG cars are already available here: there' s the C63 AMG, the SLS AMG with its gullwing doors & the updated E63 AMG will be launched on July 25, 2013. But Mercedes Benz now wants to make its AMG products more accessible. The German luxury carmaker is looking at getting the seriously quick A45 AMG to India. What makes this car so quick is a massively powerful four cylinder engine under the hood. The A45 AMG may only have a 2000cc petrol engine under the hood, but forced induction or turbocharging helps it attain the highest specific output among production car engines – 355bhp! The very hot hatch also features a four wheel drive system...

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Audi Will Launch Q3 Sport Very Soon

Over the past few weeks, Mercedes Benz & BMW have been in the limelight for introducing Indian consumers to luxurious, high end hatchbacks. While Mercedes has the first mover advantage with the A class, BMW is expected to launch its 1 series hatchback by September this year. Not to be left behind, the current luxury segment leader, Audi, has adopted a rather clever strategy to rival the other Germans’ offerings. Instead of joining the fight with its A3 Sportback, Audi is launching a ‘low cost’ variant of its Q3, which will be priced along the lines of the aforementioned hatchbacks from Mercedes & BMW. Audi’s strategy hinges around the fact that the Q3, being an SUV, is bigger & offers better perceived value than the ‘smaller’...

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A Limited Edition Swift RS Launched By Maruti

Maruti has launched a limited edition Swift model, RS which is included with add ons like cool body graphics & a body kit. The Swift RS’s body kit includes a revised front & rear bumper & a roof spoiler. It also gets black & blue body graphics, along with black wheel covers. The wing mirrors come in blue & there’s even an illuminated Swift emblem on all four door siils. On the inside, the upholstery is once again adorned in black and blue, & it also gets a music system with a CD player, Aux in & USB capability. On the introduction of the Swift RS, Manohar Bhat, vice president, marketing, Maruti Suzuki India, said, “The Swift RS is in continuation of Maruti Suzuki’s...

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