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 typical, as found on several Honda commuter bikes here, these including a pass light flasher.

The Neo’s 8 litre fuel tank feels slender, & comes with a hinge less fuel filler cap. The base model Dream Neo comes with 18 inch wire spoke wheels while higher variants are available with six spoke alloy wheels, in black. The Dream Neo’s engine, frame & exhaust are also finished in black. At the rear, the Neo uses a simplistic tail light & jaded looking tubular grab handle. Overall quality & fit & finish are however up to the mark, as expected on any Honda motorcycle, & the Neo faces no issues here.

The Dream Neo shares its HET enabled, four stroke, 109cc, air cooled & single cylinder engine with the Dream Yuga. There’s a four speed gearbox, operated via a heel and toe shifter in an all up pattern. The carburetted motorcycle makes 8.25bhp of maximum power at 7500rpm. The clutch feels light, & works with good progressive feel as apt on a city commuter like this. Power delivery is step free, & the engine pulls well from low in the powerband, making this an easy motorcycle to ride in urban India.

The 105kg Dream Neo uses a single downtube tubular frame, using its engine as a stressed member. For suspension, the Neo uses telescopic front forks & a set of hydraulic rear shock absorbers, coupled with a sturdy rectangular section swingarm. The Neo seats its rider in a commuter friendly, upright & comfy riding stance & provides its rider a well thought out ergonomic triangle. Ride quality is decent, & it’s also a light & nimble handling motorcycle in city. Barring the base model Neo, other variants ride on tubeless tyres, which provided us with sufficient traction in wet & dry conditions. Honda has equipped the Dream Neo with 130mm drum brakes front & rear, with no option of a disc brake available.

The Dream Neo is available in three variants, kick start/ drum brakes/ spoke wheels for Rs 43,150, kick/ drum/ alloy for Rs 44,150 & a top of the line self/ drum/ alloy variant priced at Rs 47,240 (all prices ex showroom, Delhi).

So, priced about the same as several rivals including Hero MotoCorp’s Splendor Pro & Passion X Pro, Suzuki’s Hayate, TVS’s Star City 110 & the recently launched Mahindra Pantero & Centuro, the Neo does show promise as a well rounded bike with Honda’s proven quality.

Read more »

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.”

Read more »

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, automatic braking system & also, a fatigue detection system. It will also get nine airbags. The new car will also come equipped with adaptive cruise control & an intelligent light assistant that switches automatically between low & high beams, & traffic sign recognition as well.


Though the car has a much larger footprint, prices are expected to be even more competitive than they are now (the Laura currently starts at around Rs 12.9 lakh for the 1.8 TSI). The EA888 1.8 TSI engine will be upgraded & will now make around 175bhp in India. There will also be a new automatic version that is sure to attract a whole new set of customers.

The base petrol, however, will be a 140bhp version of the 1.4 TSI, the engine seen on the VW Jetta, & is likely to be even more affordable. As earlier, there will also be two diesel versions. Both will use the same 2.0 litre TDI engine, but power outputs could be upped to 120 & 150bhp, respectively. Other engine options for the future include a 105bhp 1.6 diesel & possibly, a 200 plus bhp petrol vRS version, which could hit a top speed of 250kph. A diesel vRS is also likely to make it to Indian shores later.

Read more »

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 investment & a thousand new jobs from Bentley is fantastic news for both Crewe & for the UK as a whole. It is another important milestone in strengthening our economy.



“One sector that we know is sprinting ahead in the global race is our booming automotive industry. One vehicle rolls off a production line somewhere in the UK every 20 seconds & we have just launched the government’s Automotive Industrial Strategy to help continue this success for years to come.

“I am delighted that Bentley will be building their new vehicle here, not only creating a thousand jobs, but safeguarding many more, as well as increasing training opportunities for highly skilled apprentices.”

Volkswagen group boss, Martin Winterkorn said: “The Volkswagen Group believes in the UK as a competitive location for industrial production. Bentley fans all around the world are looking forward to the brand’s first SUV. Together we will make this new Bentley another true Bentley – powerful, exclusive & successful.”

Read more »

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 get alloy wheels as well.


The sportier WagonR will also reportedly come with slightly spruced up interiors in the form of different colours for the upholstery & other minor tweaks.  The WagonR Stingray is expected to carry the same three cylinder 67bhp 1.0 litre K10 series motor as seen in the current WagonR.

Expect the Stingray to be priced around Rs 40,000 50,000 more than the current WagonR when it hits the showrooms soon.

Read more »

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 journeys by Royal Enfield.

Read more »

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 that supposedly improves the car’s fuel efficiency by more than 35 percent & also features the best fuel economy of all the hybrid models in Japan. But, we doubt this engine & gearbox combo will make it to India. The conventional car will have subtle differences in styling such as differently designed wheels & tail lamps.

Honda will produce the car at its Tapukara plant, using a large amount of content locally to keep costs down. & since the Jazz shares its platform with the new City (due here in early 2014), it will definitely be more affordable than the earlier car. Honda doesn’t want to go & make that mistake again. The new Jazz’s wheelbase has increased by approximately 50mm (resulting in better rear legroom) but we expect the overall length to stay similar to that of the older car. The older car measured in at 3900mm & if Honda sticks to its sub four metre length, the Jazz, with its 1.2 litre petrol & 1.5 litre diesel engine, will fall under the definition of a small car, making it eligible for an excise benefit.

Honda was rumoured to be losing money on the earlier Jazz, leading to fewer models being produced than demand for the car, which meant long waiting periods & irate customers. Another factor was the introduction of the Amaze. Honda was anticipating huge demand for its Amaze compact saloon, & needed to concentrate its available resources towards the Amaze.
So, when the new Jazz does make its way here in 2014, it will be interesting to see where Honda positions it. Our sources say that it will slot right in between the Brio & the Amaze, which could possibly play in the Jazz’s favour. Good news for Honda Jazz fans in India.

The car’s grille now sports more aggressive, almost Civic like, headlamps & a sleeker grille as well. The new bumper is dominated by large air vents which add to the sporty appearance of the front, & on the side, there’s a prominent rising beltline, not on the previous car, which flows neatly into the new tail lamps. The headlamps come with metallic inserts. & there are turn indicators on the wing mirrors as well. The Jazz has always come with a spacious & extremely practical cabin, & this is a trait that will definitely be maintained.

Honda will produce the car at its Tapukara plant, using a large amount of content locally to keep costs down. & since the Jazz shares its platform with the new City (due here in early 2014), it will definitely be more affordable than the earlier car. Honda doesn’t want to go & make that mistake again. The new Jazz’s wheelbase has increased by approximately 50mm (resulting in better rear legroom) but we expect the overall length to stay similar to that of the older car. The older car measured in at 3900mm & if Honda sticks to its sub four metre length, the Jazz, with its 1.2 litre petrol & 1.5 litre diesel engine, will fall under the definition of a small car, making it eligible for an excise benefit.

Honda was rumoured to be losing money on the earlier Jazz, leading to fewer models being produced than demand for the car, which meant long waiting periods & irate customers. Another factor was the introduction of the Amaze. Honda was anticipating huge demand for its Amaze compact saloon, & needed to concentrate its available resources towards the Amaze.
So, when the new Jazz does make its way here in 2014, it will be interesting to see where Honda positions it. Our sources say that it will slot right in between the Brio & the Amaze, which could possibly play in the Jazz’s favour. Good news for Honda Jazz fans in India. 

Read more »

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 to further accentuate this. The heavily flared wheel arch at the rear, with its central ridgeline, is in fact likely to be the talking point of this car. The sketch also reveals a very interesting ‘floating D pillar’ that hovers above the shoulder line. It however remains to be seen if this feature makes it to production.

Known as Asia’s MPV haven, Indonesia is the home to many MPVs. Toyota’s Innova is produced there, our own Maruti Ertiga is sold in that market & there are a raft of other MPVs on sale there too. Honda’s Low MPV (code: 2NH) will also be produced there first, Indonesia likely to be the launch market. India however will be next.

Details of the interior are sketchy, but the Brio’s dashboard is likely to be carried over. Insiders say there will be plenty of luggage space present even with all three rows being used by passengers.

Where Honda’s mini MPV is likely to score well too is in the engine department. Unlike Maruti’s Ertiga, that suffers from a bit of turbo lag owing to the small displacement 1248cc diesel engine used, this car will come powered by Honda’s 1500cc 100bhp motor that delivers instant throttle responses & plenty of torque. The 2NH is also likely to use an updated version of the City’s current 1.5 litre i VTEC petrol motor because it is unlikely to be less than four meters long.

With three rows of seats, Honda’s excellent packaging skills, aggressive styling & a strong diesel engine under the hood, Honda’s mini MPV will surely give the Ertiga a run for its money. Expect to see the car in India first at the Auto Expo in January 2014, with the production version hitting our shores towards the middle of next year.

Read more »

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 rocketing sales.

Read more »

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.

Read more »

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 for greater traction & this allows it to deliver serious performance; 0 100kph comes up in a claimed 4.6 seconds, genuinely sportscar quick, & a top speed of 250kph. Styling is appropriately sporty, with most of the chrome bright work blacked out, huge 18 inch wheels sat in the wheel arches & massive red brake callipers.   

Read more »

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’ hatchbacks from Merc & BMW. Also, the preference of an SUV or SUV like body style amongst Indian consumers further works in Audi’s favour.

Read more »

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 celebrations planned around the Swift model as it moves towards the “1 million” cumulative sales mark. The Swift not only pioneered the premium compact segment in the country, it continues to remain the top selling car in the segment. The Swift has cumulatively sold over 9.6 lakh units since its launch in May 2005. We are confident that the limited edition Swift RS will be ideal for customers who look to further enhance the sporty character & style of the Swift. All this comes with a much higher value worth than the price the customer pays for the Swift RS package.”

The Swift RS package is available only on the VXi & VDi trims & is priced at Rs 24,500 over & above the cost of the respective trim.

Read more »