Skoda Kodiaq L&K revealed

On the exterior, the Skoda Kodiaq L&K Edition (named after the founders, Laurin and Klement) gets a new chrome-finished grille, LED headlamps, new 19-inch alloy wheels and a changed rear bumper.

  The new exterior.

The interiors of the new top-spec trim come with leather upholstery, a piano-black trim on the console, a Canton sound system, aluminium pedals, a power-adjustable driver's seat with memory function, automatic wipers, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and ambient lighting.

  The new interior.

Engine options have increased with the L&K Edition. The engine range now includes a 150hp, 1.5-litre turbo-petrol mill, an updated 190hp, 2.0-litre petrol engine (up from 180hp) and a 2.0-litre diesel engine in 150hp and 190hp states of tune. The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is offered on all the engines. The 190hp petrol and diesel engines get 4x4, as standard, while the 150hp ones get it as an option. The 4x4 specced-trims also get dynamic chassis control, as an optional extra. This allows the SUV's suspension to adjust, based on terrain.

Skoda will display the new Kodiaq L&K Edition at the upcoming Geneva motor show, along with the Fabia facelift and the Vision X concept SUV.

2017 Toyota VIOS revealed.

Toyota has unveiled a heavily updated Vios sedan for the international markets. This is the third update to the current-gen Toyota Vios sedan. 

The refreshed Vios gets bits from Toyota’s latest design language, which is prominently seen on the all-new nose, which is similar to the recently-unveiled Camry sedan. The grille is now divided into two parts with a bolder logo on the top and a hexagonal bottom. It also gets projector headlamps and LED daytime running lights. The Vios’s spacious interior is an upmarket affair and comes with features like climate control, steering-mounted audio controls, and a touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone connectivity. Higher-spec variants are likely to get colour-coded trim on the dashboard and door pads. 

For India, Toyota has been testing this car in its pre-facelift form for some time. The carmaker is likely to bring the next-gen model to India sometime in the near future. The India-spec car could get retuned versions of the Etios’s 1.5-litre petrol and 1.4-litre diesel engines. The Vios in  will rival the likes of the Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Maruti Ciaz, Volkswagen Vento and the Skoda Rapid.

New Volvo XC40 to debut in April

The Geneva motor show has been a big affair, with automakers from across the globe using the event to launch their latest products and concepts on to the global stage. While many automakers are set to make big launches at the show this year, Volvo seems to be considering otherwise with the all-new XC40.

Volvo’s 40-series crossover is expected to make its global debut at the Shanghai auto show in April this year with the debut expected to coincide with the launch of the production 01 SUV from its Chinese sister brand Lynk & Co. As per reports, both models are expected to be manufactured side-by-side in a new facility in China, with the all-new Volvo S40 expected to join at a later stage.

Volvo previewed the next-gen 40 series models with two concepts – the 40.1 and 40.2 concepts – at an event in Sweden in May last year.

Owned by Geely, Volvo and Lynk & Co share the CMA platform, with the latter developing an SUV and a sedan on the shared modular platform.

For Geneva, though, Volvo is expected to debut the next-gen XC60 SUV. The all-new model will be underpinned by the SPA platform from the 90-series models and is expected to be available with a choice of petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains.

Volkswagen Teramont SUV

PHOTOS showing Volkswagen’s upcoming seven-seat SUV have emerged online. Expected to be named ‘Teramont’, the new model will be an addition to VW’s burgeoning SUV line-up. 

Earlier spy images suggested the seven-seater would carry the look first seen on the Crossblue concept of 2013; the latest images showing the car in its entirety confirm the final model stays true to the concept’s design.

The Teramont gets distinct features such as a muscular bonnet and squared-off wheel arches that give it a rugged appearance. Size-wise, the Teramont will be quite close to the Audi Q7. The new VW SUV is 5,039mm long, 1,989mm wide and 1,773mm tall making it around 13 mm shorter than a Q7 but wider by about 20mm. The wheelbase measures a lengthy 2,980mm.

The 2013 Crossblue concept had a 190hp 2.0-litre diesel engine supported by two electric motors – a 55hp unit situated next to the combustion engine at the front, and a 116hp one mounted at the rear. Together, the three power sources provided a combined power of around 306hp and a peak torque figure of 699.60Nm. Energy for the electric motors was supplied by a 9.8kWh lithium-ion battery, which was mounted in the floor of the cargo area.

A hybrid drivetrain similar to this is expected to be included in the Teramont’s engine line-up, alongside the more conventional turbocharged four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines. For the Chinese market, the large SUV will be powered by a choice of 2.0-litre turbocharged engines though select markets are also expected to get a V6 powerplant as one of the images leaked previously showed the SUV sporting a 'V6' badge on its rear.

As standard, the Teramont will be front-driven, with four-wheel drive available as an option. It could be offered as standard on the most powerful models. Volkswagen hasn’t revealed when the SUV will go into production, but it is expected to make its debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show in China later this year.

A sportier Crossblue Coupe, as previewed by Volkswagen's Shanghai 2013 concept, could be produced in the future.

Mahindra XUV 500 Coupe revealed.

Now that we have all warmed up to the idea of a coupe-SUV, thanks to BMW's X6 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, the first effort from Mahindra's Design Centre hits the right notes. This will be an extension to the XUV5OO family and its new flagship.

While no date has been announced for its launch, top executives present at the launch were clear on bringing this concept to life. "We will get this on the road", is what they said.

Designed in-house at their facility in Kandivali, Mumbai, the sloping rear roofline looks seamlessly integrated with the rest of the vehicle. Typically, the concept had only 4 seats but expect it to be a proper five-seater when it comes to a Mahindra showroom near you. Headroom at the rear will obviously be lesser than a regular XUV but interiors looked nicely done.

The dashboard sports a new instrument cluster with a large central touchscreen display that's vertically placed, like in the new Volvo XC90. Obviously, this will have all modern communication and entertainment features like Bluetooth Telephony, sat-nav and few mobile apps.

The Coupe concept features four-wheel drive and suspension modes - these are race, off-road, street and sport. A 207bhp mHawk engine, similar to the existing motor, powers the coupe-SUV but features a new turbo boost system which will help improve refinement, performance and efficiency.

Maruti Ignis to launch in India this Diwali

Maruti Suzuki has showcased the Ignis Concept at the 2016 Auto Expo in Delhi. The Ignis, unveiled internationally at the Tokyo motor show 2015, sports a large grille with encapsulated headlights, a clamshell bonnet with vents on the side as on the Vitara, and blacked-out A- and B-pillars. The wheel arches are flared, and the car rides on 18-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels. It gets projector headlamps and some versions get LED units as seen on the concept.

 

The car also gets faux three-slat vents on the thick C-pillar as seen on the concept; they hark back to rear-engined Suzukis of the past like the Suzuki Cervo of the '70s. And while the nose looks modern, the rear is retro, both in the shape of the sloping hatch as well as the shape of the tail-lights that remind us of the original Maruti 800.

 

In international markets, the Ignis is powered by Suzuki’s 1.25-litre dual-jet petrol engine paired with the company’s SHVS mild-hybrid technology and an optional all-wheel-drive system. However, when it reaches our shores, the model is likely to use a 1.2-litre K12 petrol motor and a 1.3-litre diesel engine.

 

Maruti will launch the Ignis in India around the festive season and will retail the new car via Nexa dealerships. At the 2016 Auto Expo, along with the Ignis, Maruti has also showcased the Baleno RSconcept, a sportier version of the Baleno along with its EcoSport-rivalling Vitara Brezza SUV.

Renault duster Easy R AMT unveiled.

Renault has taken the wraps off its facelifted Duster which comes equipped with a new AMT gearbox. The 2016 edition of the popular compact SUV also features cosmetic changes, mainly in the fascia of the car – the headlamps and tail-lamps, the bumper and grille are all redesigned. It also gets newly designed alloy wheels.

 

Additional features on the Duster include restyled roof rails, LED tail-lamps, power folding wing mirrors, navigation system, automatic climate control, rear view camera, auto up/down windows and cruise control. 

 

The styling tweaks have been carried over from the facelifted Duster unveiled in Brazil earlier. This will be the first Renault-badged product to be offered with an automated manual gearbox, globally. 

 

The Easy-R AMT gearbox, which was displayed by Renault’s sister brand Dacia at the 2015 Frankfurt motor show, will be offered instead of the DCT auto gearbox. While the DCT would have offered a smoother drive than the AMT, its cost was working out to a price tag higher by around Rs 2 lakh, according to company sources. The Duster Easy R AMT will come only with the Duster 110PS version. 

 

However, the Duster Easy R AMT will be priced significantly higher than the standard manual-gearbox equipped version. Renault will launch the updated Duster and the Duster Easy R this year. 

The all new Maruti Vitara Brezza launched

Maruti has taken the wraps off what's likely to be its most important offering this year, the Vitara Brezza compact SUV. The carmaker's entry to the sub-four-metre compact SUV segment, the Vitara Brezza has been developed from the grounds up in India. In fact, in Maruti Suzuki's own words, if the Baleno was considered a 'Make in India' product, the Vitara Brezza is a 'Create in India' product, and rightfully so with 98 percent of localisation!

Its proportions are what you'd expect from a compact SUV - 3,995mm long, 1,790mm wide and 1,640mm tall, with a 2,500mm wheelbase and an impressive ground clearance of 198mm. Less impressive, however, is its boot capacity, which at 328 litres, is less even than what you get in Maruti's own Baleno hatchback.

While the Vitara Brezza will be available in a number of trims with different levels of equipment, Maruti will also offer it with three different exterior styling themes - namely Glamour, Sporty and Urban - each of which offers different contrasting colours and accessories on the outside and in.

With this compact SUV, Maruti is keen on expanding its Vitara SUV brand, and the Vitara Brezza (Brezza means ‘Fresh Breeze’ in Italian) features styling borrowed from its larger sibling - just called Vitara - sold overseas. This project was spearheaded by C V Raman, executive director, R&D, Maruti Suzuki, who is also the chief engineer of the project.
 

One look at the Vitara Brezza’s styling confirms that it has all the ingredients to achieve the imposing stance of an SUV. Up front, the huge bumper along with a wide air dam takes centre stage. There are prominent housings for turn indicators and round fog lamps in the bumper. There’s a faux skid plate present too. The bold-looking grille is wide and comes with a broad brushed aluminium slat and a large Suzuki logo at the centre. It gets simple headlamps, which will house projector beam units and LED daytime running lights. The model gets a flat bonnet and blackened A-pillar, like the Swift.

Moving on to the sides, the Vitara Brezza sports squarish wheel arches along with BMW-like body cladding which runs along the wheelbase. It gets a strong shoulder line that runs across the sides and top-spec trims will get 16-inch alloy wheels.

The new compact SUV is powered by Maruti’s tried and trusted 89bhp, 20.39kgm 'DDiS 200' 1.3-litre diesel engine from the Ertiga, Ciaz and S-cross, mated to a five-speed manua gearbox. As of now, there's no mention of a petrol engine option, and there won't be one at the time of launch, but the Swift's 1.2-litre petrol and even the all-new 1.0-litre, three-cylinder Boosterjet turbo-petrol could be on the cards for later. There are talks of an AMT-equipped version, but that is expected to join the line-up later. The SHVS mild-hybrid system also won’t be offered on the model.

The Vitara Brezza will be available in six variants – LDi, LDi (O), VDi, VDi (O), ZDi and ZDi+. The base LDi gets power steering, folding rear seat, driver airbag, audio system with Bluetooth, power mirrors, front power windows, manual AC, tilt steering and an engine immobilizer. The Vitara Brezza LDi (O) gets dual front airbag, ABS, EBD and front seat belt pre-tensioner with force limiter.
 

The VDi model gets rear parking sensors, floating roof treatment (A-B-C-pillars get blackened trims) all four power windows, keyless entry, roof rails, full-wheel covers, an electromagnetic tailgate and gear shift indicator. The VDi (O) gets dual front airbags, ABS, EBD and front seatbelt pre-tensioner with force limiter.

The higher-spec ZDi trim gets standard ABS with EBD, different lights for speedometer, piano black trim for the centre console, 215/60 R16 tyres, dual front airbags, automatic AC, projector headlamps with LED daytime running lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, a 60:40 split rear seat, steering-mounted audio control, driver’s seat height adjust, rear wiper with washer, front fog lamps, a rear centre arm rest and faux skid plate on the front and rear bumpers.

The top-spec Vitara Brezza ZDi+ gets a dual-tone exterior paint, cooled glove box, Maruti SmartPlay infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, navigation and reverse parking camera display, push-button start, cruise control, automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, power folding wing mirrors and a front arm rest. What this means is that a single airbag is standard across all variants, while a second airbag and ABS are optional on all variants. The equipment level on the whole is on par with its main rival, the Ford EcoSport, though each car has a few unique features the other doesn't.

The Vitara Brezza puts Maruti in one of India's most booming segments, which currently has players such as the Ford EcoSport and Mahindra TUV300. However, it will not be sold via Maruti’s Nexa dealerships, but rather from Maruti's regular dealership network, as established dealers simply didn't want to miss out on a piece of this pie. With an astonishing 98 percent localisation, as with all Marutis, expect the Vitara Brezza to be an item of great value for money when it is launched.

The new Tata Hexa

Tata Motors unveiled the Hexa SUV at the Auto Expo '16 in production-ready guise.Interestingly, even though the Hexa is based on the same platform as the Aria, it looks more like an SUV rather than an MPV, thanks to an impressive job by Tata’s design team. 

In terms of the exteriors, the Hexa gets a dual-colored front bumper, dual hexagonal patterned front grille with chrome touches,smoked projector headlamps and 19-inch alloy wheels. The vehicle also features body-coloured integrated spoiler and roof rails.

On the inside, the Hexa features a spacious interior. The carmaker counts ample passenger room among its strengths and with the Hexa, their aim was to make the space more useable. The company has also focused on using better quality materials for the interiors. The Hexa gets an entirely new dashboard, a colour multi-info display (a first for a Tata car), a Harman-sourced 5.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with USB, aux, Bluetooth and SD card connectivity, and a new steering wheel.

The Hexa is powered by the 2.2-litre Varicor 400 turbo-diesel engine making 154bhp and a massive 40.79kgm of torque. Power will be sent to the wheels via an optional six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic gearbox. The Hexa is equipped with four driving modes such as Auto, Comfort, Dynamic and Rough Road.

Other features include cruise control, eight-way adjustable driver seat, ten-speaker JBL audio system, reverse parking camera and ambient lighting with eight colour options.

In terms of safety, the Hexa comes with six airbags, an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), vehicle dynamic control, traction control system and engine drag control system.

The carmaker will intend to secure a strong footing in the SUV-crossover segment in India with the new Hexa, and for that reason, it is expected that  Tata will price the Hexa aggressively.

Apart from the Hexa, the carmaker also introduced a new sporty compact sedan – project code named Kite 5 – and compact SUV Nexon.

Honda BR-V showcased at the Auto Expo '16

Honda has revealed the India-spec BR-V at the 2016 Auto Expo. The all-new SUV from Honda shares its platform with the Brio, Amaze and the Mobilio, but gets a more rugged and angular design theme along with a seven-seat layout.

The car is loaded up with a lot of chrome, right from the grille to the tailgate, door frames, door handles and even the wheels, which is bound to go down well in India. Also worth noting is that, in the flesh, it does have some proper SUV presence, and doesn’t look like merely a jacked-up version of the Mobilio. Honda, however, has been careful to brand it a ‘crossover utility vehicle’ or CUV, rather than an all-out SUV.

In terms of design, the BR-V gets SUV styling cues that includes butch cladding that runs around the entire car, a rising beltline, pronounced wheel arch flares and roof rails. At 2,660 mm, the BR-V's wheelbase is longer than that of Mobilio. The new car's interior features a seven-seat layout and an all-new dashboard design, which is more in line with Honda Jazz and City, unlike the cars it shares its platform with. In terms of engine details, the car is expected to use tweaked versions of Honda’s existing 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines.



The BR-V was not launched at the 2016 Auto Expo, and the company says that will only happen later in 2016. The SUV will be manufactured at Honda's Tapukara facility in Rajasthan with production expected to begin in April this year. It will compete with the likes of the Mahindra Scorpio, Renault Duster, Maruti S-Cross and the popular Hyundai Creta. The carmaker also revealed the new Accord at the Auto Expo. The company’s latest generation of the large sedan is set to arrive on our shores in petrol and petrol-hybrid guise, and will be imported into India as CBUs. Also on display are the Honda Project 2&4 concept, the Jazz racing concept and the McLaren Honda MP4-30 Formula 1 car.

Renault Climber and Racer revealed

Two Renault Kwid-based concept cars, the Climber and the Racer, have been unveiled at the Auto Expo and some of their features could make it into future production models.

With a high ground clearance, wide track, short overhangs, and special off-road pattern tyres, the flame-orange liveried Kwid Climber is the more extreme off-roader and aims to show that the original Kwid hatchback’s SUV image can be translated into off-road performance.

The Renault Kwid Racer on the other hand is in an entirely different category altogether, and brings out the world of track motor racing with its low profile tyres shod on 18in alloy wheels, tweaked aerodynamics, four-point harness bucket seats, a digital rev counter and roll cage.

The Renault Climber.

There is a totem display in the centre console that can let the driver track his or her performance in real time, and the interior also features aluminium, carbon and Alcantara, as well as a leather-trimmed steering wheel with an alloy frame.

Laurens van der Acker, Senior Vice President of Corporate Design highlighted the fact that Renault was proud that the concept cars have been largely designed and built in India by Renault’s Mumbai and Chennai design studios.

The Renault Racer.

“Both the Racer and Climber have been developed keeping in mind specific customer needs and cater to very diverse audiences,” van der Acker said. “They reflect our intent to keep pace with global innovations and at the same time make products to suit the local needs.”

The Kwid had its global unveil in India in May 2015 and has gone on to be a hit for the company with 100,000 orders since its launch about four months ago.The success has a lot to do with the Kwid’s unique SUV-like character and the Climber and Racer concepts aim to bring in two more avatars to the Kwid family.