Bajaj Has revealed the new pulsar 200NS

Bajaj has unvieled a latest generation of the iconic Pulsar Bike, an brand new 200cc motorbike, dubbed it as new Pulsar 200NS (it mean "Naked Sports").

This bike uses a new liquid cooled, 199.5cc  4-valve, carbureted engine with a new triple spark plugging system which is coupled with a 6 speed gearbox. The new engine produces 23.18bhp at 9500rpm & 1.86kgm of torque at 8000rpm. Bajaj company claims that this new Pulsar is capable of 0-60kph in 3.61sec and 0-100kph in 9.83sec.

The chassis are steel fabricated, twin-spar and a perimeter type frame, with a rectangular type tube section swingarm which offers over 3 times the lateral stiffness of the existing Pulsar 220. It also employs a gas filled monoshock suspension & under a belly mounted exhaust, which keeps center of gravity very low. The bike comes with a petal type disc rotors front and rear, measured 280mm and 230mm, with a  17 inch alloy wheels and tubeless tyres at both ends.



See Bajaj Pulsar image gallery 

Speaking on this occasion, Mr. K Srinivas who is the President-Motorcycles of Bajaj Auto said, "Pulsar has now celebrated a 'Decade of Dominance' with 10 years of leadership in the Indian performance motorcycle market. The Pulsar 200NS showcases the next leap in technology and design and will set the standard for others to follow. We believe that 2012-13 will be an exciting period where Bajaj Auto will excite customers both here and abroad."

The next generation Pulsar 200NS will be on sale till April 2012 and Bajaj has also announced that the pricing shall stay under Rs 1 lakh.

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Latest pictures of new Bajaj Pulsar

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Hyundai releases the SPY pictures of new Santa Fe

Hyundai Santa Fe will receive the carmaker’s fluidic sculpture makeover and the proof is here. These spycam pics  was posted on the blog of Hyundai which shows the design changes on the new Santa Fe.

The front styling of this car more in line now with Hyundai’s global family models. The headlights are the ones seen like the new Verna. It also have the Hyundai traditional heaxagonal grille which is mostly parallel to the upcoming Sonata. It looks like the grille gets which a slight overdose of chrome.

The overall is the aggressive looking, the front styling is complimented by very thick bumper and a larger fog-lamp and LED driving lights which are incorporated in the fog light housing. The aggressive styling continued to the sides it is flared wheel arches, huge ORVMs, a prominent beltline and a upward swooping window lines. At the rear, the SUV gets reworked LED tail lamps & is redesigned tail gate and a bumper.

There are no details for the engine till now. We expect Hyundai to unviel the production version of the Santa Fe at New York Auto show.

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BMW K1600GT won the IBOTY award this year

BMW Motor's Bike K1600GT has won prestigious International Bike Of Year (IBOTY) award for 2011. This multi talented, 6-cylinder super-tourer bike has trounced all the rivals for gaining 1st position by a good margin, while Ducati’s electrifying Diavel is the year runner up & the Aprilia Tuono V4APRC has been ranked third.

IBOTY ranks among the world’s top motor  bike awards which is in its 27th year running and naming a single best motorcycle launched each year. The jury of IBOTY which comprises twenty five automobile magazines and is based on every continent, spreaded across many countries.

This was the 2nd consecutive IBOTY victory of BMW, after their supersports S1000RR which won in last year’s edition. The K1600GTL has also won a Bloomberg UTV Autocar’s Import Bike Of The Year Award this year.

Participating magazines in the IBOTY are: Australian Motorcycle News (Australia), Auto By (Japan), Bike (Scandinavia), Bike (UK), Cycle World (USA), Der Reitwagen (Austria), Inmoto (Italy), KicXstart (Netherlands), Kiwi Rider (New Zealand), La Moto (Spain), Maximoto (France), Moto Culture Asia (Malaysia, Singapore), Moto (Greece), Moto Journal (Canada), Moto & Loisirs (Belgium), Moto Mag (Israel), Motoraj (Czech Republic), Motoron (Turkey), MotoSi (Slovenia), MotorWereld (Belgium), PS Magazin (Germany), Revista Moto (Mexico), SuperBike (South Africa), SwiatMotocykli (Poland) and Autocar India.

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Chevrolet is planning to get its SUV Trailblazer in India

Chevrolet is planning to get its new SUV,  Trailblazer, in India. Slated to compete with the likes of the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour, this body-on-frame SUV will powered by a choice of 2.8-litre with 180bhp or 2.5-litre, 150bhp diesel units. The larger is 2.8 common-rail diesel makes a very strong 47.8 Kgm, incidentally 10kgm up on both the 3.0-litre Fortuner and Endeavour.

The Trailblazer is an attractive looking SUV and the company says it will be the most clean-sheet truck it has designed in its 100-year history. On the inside too, the SUV is expected to have more space than the Endeavour and the Fortuner. Chevy claims the Trailblazer will sport car-like features and will be a proper seven seater.

GM is hoping to assemble the Trailblazer at its Halol facility, where it currently carries out all its CKD operations. We expect the SUV to be priced around Rs 17 lakh.

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The new Ford Eco Sport is not a small car

When the new FORD EcoSport was 1st revealed in Auto Expo 2012, there was many reasons to believe that the car will be under the hallowed 4 metre mark. The choice of engines is a 1.5 litre diesel engine and 1.0 litre petrol one, will be ideal to benefit from excise duty . This notion was further bolstered by inclusion of tailgate mounted spare wheel which was according to the excise rules and is not measured as a part of length of the car. The global mini SUV is likely to longer than the 4 metres in interests of space and the styling, if so it will not qualify for the savings of small car excise duty.

Ford has held its specification, mainly the dimensions, close to the chest, but when we asked that if the EcoSport met to the sub 4 metre cutoff from a bumper to bumper, Michael Boneham, the president and managing director of Ford India Ltd. said, “No, it does not.”

As India will be the lead market of  EcoSport – an older generation model is already sold in the countries-Brazil – Ford do not want to compromise with the standards of space and styling which is already been set. As a result, the car is expected to be closer to be 4.25m in length, which is similar to the outgoing model. This decision was taken by criticism that the new Fiesta which is too much cramped in the rear seat, the mistake Ford do not want to repeat with EcoSport.

The company plans to offset the penalty of a higher excise duty with high levels of localisation. However, Ford is believed to be working on a sub-four-metre version by trimming precious millimetres off bumpers, but it is very tightly lipped about that. We expect that EcoSport will start at Rs 7 lakh for the base model and go up Rs 10 lakh for the top most diesel version.



Interview: Joe Hinrichs, President of Asia Pacific and Africa, Ford

The EcoSport is an all-new segment in India. What potential will it have?

We actually did a lot of market research with the EcoSport and see it as an opportunity to give an SUV option on a B-segment platform. It gives new customers an aspirational urban SUV. When we launched the EcoSport about nine years ago, in Brazil, the same kind of opportunity existed. It established a new segment and took off, and has been a segment leader in that whole time period since its launch. So we see the same kind of potential in India.

We understand that the EcoSport isn’t a sub-four-metre car, so you won’t get the excise benefit. How does this impact you?

We are going to find cost savings with high local content. This is a globally-designed vehicle for global markets. It’s going to be built in Brazil, Thailand, and here in India. For us, the proportions and styling were critical because this is an aspirational vehicle. We just wanted to make sure that the design was right.

Can we expect more body styles from the same platform?

In Europe, we’ve announced the B-Max which is a sliding door MPV. We haven’t gone further than that but the key thing for India is to go where the customers are. So where there’s volume opportunity in India, we will be there.

The Fiesta hatch presents opportunities for volumes. Any plans?

 The hatchback version of the Fiesta has been very successful globally. It looks great. So obviously it’s something we’ll consider.

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The new Bajaj Pulsar will unviel on 30 Jan

Bajaj Auto will reveil their next generation Pulsar bike on 30 January. The two-wheeler company will also unviel their future plans for this segment.

The next generation Pulsar is set to be 100 % new and it will come with the technology which is better than the DTSi one. Company is insisting that this new technology will be on the next level for bikes in our country and it will not just the next level of Bajaj.

This new technology will debut on the new Pulsar bikes after which the Discover bikes will adapt the same as that.

Come back for more.

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BMW revealed the new Facelifted X6

BMW has revealed the first official pictures of the updated X6 SAV (Sport-Activity Vehicle).

Changes at the front of the revised car include relocated foglights, which now sit high up in the outer air inlets, a more pronounced kidney grille and the addition of optional adaptive LED headlamps; these come as standard on the new performance-oriented BMW X6M as do blue aluminium brake callipers.

At the rear of the facelifted X6, new horizontally mounted twin LED light banks emphasize the car’s width. Further external revisions include new paint finishes – including Marrakech Brown metallic, Orion Silver metallic and Midnight Blue metallic – and new bi-colour, double spoke 19-inch alloys for the BMW X6 xDrive 50i model.

In international markets, the X6 now also come with BMW’s recently launched M-diesel engine while in India we get the X6 xDrive50i with a 4.4-litre V8 petrol engine and a X6 xDrive30d with a diesel. As seen with the recently updated X5, the X6 could also get an eight-speed gearbox.

The updated X6 will be on sale in global markets sometime mid-2012.










Also read: The performance oriented diesel range unvieled by  BMW

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The performance oriented diesel range unvieled by BMW

BMW will introduce a new range of performance-orientated M division-developed diesel models later this year.  The new oil-burners will get an initial public airing at the Geneva motor show in March.

The four-wheel-drive X5 M50d and X6 M50d will arrive in global markets this June. Rear-wheel-drive M550d saloon and M550d Touring models engineered specifically for right-hand drive markets are tipped to go on sale in October. These four cars represent an M division first, with all running a newly developed version of BMW’s 3.0-litre, six-cylinder diesel engine.

The new powerplant is fitted with a triple-turbo induction system that BMW sources suggest is set to revolutionise the efficiency and performance credentials of traditional combustion engines, in both diesel and petrol formats.

The new models will form the basis of what BMW has dubbed its ‘M Performance’ range. They have been conceived to slot into their respective line-ups between the top-performing standard model and full-blown M model in terms of outright performance, dynamic ability, equipment levels and price. In the case of the M550d saloon, this is between the 550i and M5.

The new M-developed diesel engine comprehensively outguns BMW’s widely used twin-turbo 3.0-litre in-line six. It develops 376bhp between 4000 and 4400rpm and a sturdy 75.3kgm of torque from 2000 to 3000rpm.

These figures are 74bhp and 14.2kgm higher than those of the most powerful version of BMW’s existing twin-turbo 3.0-litre six, as fitted to the 740d, giving it a spectacular — by diesel standards — 126bhp and 25.1kgm per litre.

Although 176bhp shy of the M5’s twin-turbo 4.4-litre petrol V8, the M550d saloon boasts 6kgm more torque.

In each of the M Performance models, the new engine is mated to a beefed-up version of the existing eight-speed automatic gearbox and, for left-hand drive markets, a specially tuned version of BMW’s four-wheel drive system. Together, this set-up gives the M550d xDrive saloon 0-100kph acceleration of 4.7sec — just 0.3sec slower than the new M5.

Because of the M550d xDrive saloon and Touring’s lack of right-hand drive compatibility, UK versions will be rear-wheel drive only — resulting in what BMW insiders say is a “70kg reduction in kerb weight”.

This new range of BMW’s also come with EfficientDynamics fuel-saving features that include a stop-start function, brake energy recuperation and on-demand function for engine ancilliaries.

M division has also provided the M550d xDrive saloon, 550d xDrive Touring, X5 M50d and X6 M50d with unique steering ratios, chassis settings and, in some instances, chassis components conmensurate with their M-car siblings.

Each M Performance car will get subtle styling changes to differentiate them from their standard and M-car counterparts. The interior of each car has also been given the M treatment, with unique stainless steel sill plates, leather-bound dashboards and M-specific steering wheels and seats.

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Test Drive of Skoda Laura vRS

The original Octavia vRS that came to India circa 2005 was the first turbo-petrol in the country. This hot Octy set a performance benchmark, even if there were very few takers for it. The new Laura vRS has to fill a sporty niche while also appealing to an even wider audience. The question is, can it do both?

We found out the long way down to Chennai from Mumbai via NH4 for our annual track day at Sriperumbudur. Setting off in the middle of the monsoons, we left a potholed Mumbai, sped down wide, open expressways and sampled some of the unfinished bits of the Golden Quadrilateral.

To begin with, buyers of the Indian vRS will feel a bit shortchanged and that’s because this one isn’t as well specified as vRS’ elsewhere. It comes with the same 160bhp, 1.8-litre turbo-charged, direct-injection petrol unit in the standard Laura TSI. European cars get a 2.0-litre, 200bhp TFSI motor and 225/45-R17 rubber as standard, compared to the narrower 205/55-R16s we do. As for the suspension, the ride height remains the same as the regular TSI, but the springs are stiffer with more coils.

A few things set this car apart from the regular Laura TSI – namely daytime LEDs, different alloy wheels, a spoiler on the boot and a new, more aggressive chin. You even get seven vRS badges stitched and stuck all over the car to assure you that it’s not the Laura TSI you’re driving. The insides too are different – you get sportier part-leather, part-Alcantara front seats, a meatier three-spoke steering wheel and the touch-screen audio system from the L&K variant.

Even so, we feel that all this somehow doesn’t bring out the vRS in the Laura. The first clue lies in the car’s ride height – there’s much daylight between the underside of the car and the road, and the big gaps in the wheel arches tell you this car hasn’t been appropriately lowered. The second clue comes from the way it rides over Mumbai’s roads – it’s definitely stiffer than the regular TSI but it’s still comfortable. Uncomfortably so, for a vRS.

With the regular, more comfy TSI around, Skoda could have afforded to take the harder, less comfortable route, and made a far more driver-centric car of the vRS. This car tries to tread a middle path, and so isn’t as sporty as we’d like it to be.

The bright side is, the suspension setup works really well. The vRS’ ability to soak up the odd ripple on the roads to Chennai without so much as a wiggle is truly astonishing. Even through NH4’s wide, long corners, the car stays planted and poised. The only blemish comes when you try to change your line mid-corner, where the car gets a wee bit unsettled. Even through tighter corners, the car isn’t too happy when you attempt to make quick direction changes. Wider tyres would have helped. That said, the steering is entertaining with its weight and directness.

Adding to the fun is the 1.8 TSI’s performance, which is so strong that it made us question the need for the extra 40bhp that the 2.0-litre TFSI offers. We’ve previously dedicated pages to the TSI’s willingness to pull hard from anywhere in the rev-band and are once again compelled to do so after this drive. The phenomenal engine cruises effortlessly and silently at triple-digit speeds too.

Flicking through the six-speed manual ’box is enjoyable and if you use it well, you’ll get to 100kph in 8.38sec, which is the same as the regular Laura TSI.We found a practical side to the vRS en route to our track day, after carrying equipment like cameras, the VBOX, luggage for three for four days and assorted track gear in that massive 560-litre boot without complaint. And, as long as you switched drivers every few hundred kilometres, the passenger in the rear seat wouldn’t complain about the low seating and the lack of thigh support.

We completed our 1400km journey to Chennai barely feeling the effects of a long drive. It even returned a respectable 10.5kpl and, mind you, the car was loaded and we weren’t taking it easy either.The vRS is a very rounded package, one that has a good blend of sportiness, practicality and feel-good factor. We just wish it could have been more true to its badge.

Fact File

Engine

Fuel	Petrol
Installation	Front transverse, FWD
Bore/stroke	82.5/84.2mm
Power	160bhp at 4500-6200rpm
Torque	25.5kgm at 1500-4500rpm

Transmission

Gearbox

6-speed manual

Chassis & Body

Wheels	16-inch Alloy
Tyres	205/55-R16

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