Jaguar F-Pace,new XF & new XE debut at the Auto Expo '16

Jaguar has showcased three new models at the 2016 Auto Expo. The line-up includes the all-new XE sedan, the new-gen XF and the carmaker's first SUV, the F-Pace.

 

The new XF will replace the ageing model that is currently on sale in India. It is lighter, more powerful and gizmo-packed than before. The XF’s chassis sees the extensive use of aluminium for weight reduction and improved driving dynamics. It’s equipped with a 10.2-inch touchscreen that features the latest In-Control Touch Pro infotainment system.

 

The Jaguar F-Pace.

The first SUV from Jaguar, the F-Pace, also made its India debut at the expo and is expected to hit Indian shores very soon. Built on an all-aluminium platform, the F-Pace is powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

 

Jaguar has also launched the XE sedan at a starting price of  Rs 39.9 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The sedan is the most affordable offering from Jaguar, and will compete with the likes of the Audi A4, BMW 3-series and Mercedes C-class. The XE is offered only in petrol guise, powered by a 2.0-litre engine in two states of tune: 197bhp and 237bhp.

Sneak peek at the new Audi Q7 SUV

These are the first images of the much-awaited second-generation Audi Q7 SUV. The new Q7 SUV looks sharper than the car it replaces and seems less bulky as well.

 

The second-generation Q7 is based on Volkswagen group’s MLB platform and is expected to be as much as 363 kg lighter. Audi’s signature Matrix LED headlights will also be on offer in the new Q7. The current range of six- and eight-cylinder engines is expected to be carried over with minor tweaks to improve fuel consumption and reduce emissions.

 

Audi will also add an e-tron variant to the next-generation Q7 range which will be powered by the combination of a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine and an electric motor.

 

The carmaker will officially unveil the new Audi Q7 at the upcoming Detroit motor show 2015.

Mercedes-Benz GLE

The Mercedes-Benz GLE coupé was set to debut at the North American International Auto Show but images of the car were leaked online early on. This led Mercedes-Benz to go ahead and officially unveil the coupe. The GLE is positioned to take on the BMW X6.

The GLE coupé features a prominent front fascia with a single bar grille that runs across a wide front radiator opening with LED headlights flanking it. It has a dynamic roofline and a rear end which resembles that of the S-class coupé. It gets plastic body cladding, and chrome trims on the front and rear, dual exhaust system and 20-inch wheels as standard. 21- and 22-inch wheels will be available as options for those looking to upgrade. As for the interiors, a sports steering wheel, sports seats, and a new infotainment system make it to the GLE. Aluminum or wood trims with silver shadow accents are also added in.

The GLE also gets the AMG treatment, with the GLE 450 AMG. It gets an aggressive AMG body kit, and 21-inch light alloy wheels. It also gets air suspension, an adaptive damping system and adjustable ride height. On the inside, it gets a nappa leather-wrapped sports steering wheel, stainless steel pedals and a carbonfibre trim.

On the engine front, there is a 254 bhp 3.0-litre diesel and a 3.0-litre V6 petrol tuned to make 328.5 abhp in the standard car and 362 bhp in the AMG version. Power is sent to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic gearbox which offers a driving mode selector system with five modes – Comfort, Slippery, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. In the AMG version, the different driving modes not only modulate chassis, suspension, steering wheel and powertrain settings but also other aspects like engine sound and driving lights.

"The GLE coupé combines typical coupé attributes, such as sportiness, dynamism and agility, with the confident presence, versatility and robustness of an SUV", said Thomas Weber, board member responsible for group research and Mercedes-Benz Cars development.

BMW unveils X5 M Individual, X6 M Individual

Following the recent debut of the new X5 M and X6 M at the LA motor show, BMW has put the two performance SUV through some "Individual" customisations. The BMW X5 M Individual and X6 M Individual get a couple of visual and equipment upgrades over the standard models.

Both cars get special paint jobs. The X5 Individual gets a Pyrite Brown metallic paint, which has Xirallic pigments that make certain areas appear like a darker hue than the others, while the X6 Individual gets Azurite Black metallic paint with shades of blue in it. On the inside, both the X5 M Individual and X6 M Individual benefit from white Merino leather upholstery & a matching white Alcantara leather headliner. They also get some piano black inserts and a leather-wrapped dashboard with contrast stitching.

Power to the two models comes from the same engine as the standard models. The 4.4-litre V8 twin turbo engine makes 564bhp and 76.5kgm of torque, mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

BMW will not sell these models in India.

Mercedes GLE 63 AMG Coupe

The Mercedes GLE 63 AMG Coupe has been spotted testing on international roads, and this production ready mule shows typical AMG treatment. It was first previewed in concept form at the Beijing motor show 2014.

The GLE 63 AMG gets a aggressive front, thanks to the single-slat grille and the larger, wider air dam and the ventilated hood. Other cosmetic elements include plastic body cladding, side steps, metallic accents, rear spoiler, quad exhausts and bright red calipers for the brakes. The silhouette of the car closely resembles a mix between an SUV and a swoopy coupe, much like the BMW X6.

In terms of mechanicals, it will reportedly be powered by a 5.5-litre twin turbo V8 petrol engine that makes 518 bhp and 71.4 kgm of torque.

Porsche Cayenne facelift launch in India

Porsche has launched the Cayenne facelift in India starting at a price of Rs 1.04 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi). This facelifted version of Porsche’s SUV gets design changes, more standard equipment and a couple of mechanical tweaks.

Cosmetic changes include revised bumpers, redesigned head and tail lights, new air inlets upfront and new exhaust tailpipes. On the inside too, the 918-type steering wheel is new, there is a new Sport Plus driving mode, and the space in the rear has also been improved.

Standard equipment and features include bi-xenon headlamps, automatic bootlid, four-zone automatic climate control, panoramic sunroof, paddle shifters for the automatic transmission and Porsche’s air suspension.

The Cayenne diesel is powered by a 241.7 bhp 3.0-litre V6, while the Cayenne S diesel gets the 4.2-litre V8 that makes 380 bhp. Moving onto the petrol engines, the Cayenne S gets the 414 bhp 3.6-litre V6 that also powers the Macan. It replaces the naturally-aspirated 4.8-litre V8 petrol. The flagship Cayenne Turbo continues with the 4.8-litre V8 that makes a whopping 513 bhp.

As of now, Porsche has introduced only four variants. The Turbo S, which is the most powerful of the Cayenne variants, could be introduced sometime later. When it does, it’ll boast of enough power and torque to rival SUVs from the Mercedes AMG wing.

Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi)

Cayenne diesel – ₹ 1.04 crore

Cayenne S – ₹ 1.18 crore

Cayenne S diesel – ₹ 1.21 crore

Cayenne Turbo – ₹ 1.78 crore

Prices (ex-showroom, Mumbai)

Cayenne diesel – ₹ 1.02 crore

Cayenne S – ₹ 1.16 crore

Cayenne S diesel – ₹ 1.18 crore

Cayenne Turbo – ₹ 1.74 crore

Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG extreme version coming in 2015

The Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG 6x6 and 4x4, when they were launched internationally, kicked up some considerable dust in the off-roading community. The German manufacturer is now following them with a new, more extreme 4x4 trim. The new model will be given the same engine and gearbox combination as on the 6x6 version. The chassis and differential might however, be tuned to further enhance its off-roading capabilities.

Mercedes insiders are calling the 4x4, the Green Monster based on the vivid green colour scheme on the prototype. It is said to be powered by the same 5.5-litre V8 direct-injection petrol engine that powers the 6x6. This engine produces 537 bhp and a massive 77.5kgm of torque. To perform the transmission duties, it uses AMG’s seven-speed wet-clutch Speedshift gearbox, a separate transfer case, offering both low- and high-range gearing and three separate differentials to four wheels.

The main difference comes in the form of a substantially re-engineered suspension. It has been raised considerably to match ground clearance of the G 63 6x6, which is a vast 460 mm and fording depth of 1000 mm.

It is still unclear whether or not the new 4x4 will use the same 37-inch wheels which come on the 6x6, although the prototype's widened wheel house cladding and other styling changes hint that it will wear something more substantial than the standard G63 AMG’s 20-inch rims and 275/50 tyres.

2016 Audi Q7 spied

Audi is keeping details of its upcoming Q7 under wraps. But, the India-bound 2016 Audi Q7 has been snapped undergoing testing, and the latest pictures of this forthcoming SUV have surfaced online. The spy shots hint that the second-generation Q7 will flaunt a sharper design language influenced by the Ingolstadt based carmaker's latest Audi facelifts.

The test mule’s thin vinyl cover makes several of its features including the small fog lamps, LED tail lamps, the hexagonal enlarged front grille, smaller third side window and a more subtle roof-mounted rear spoiler noticeable. Some previous spy shots that hit the web a while back gave us a sneak-peek into the SUV’s interior which includes four-spoke steering wheel, bigger touchpad, free-standing touchscreen display and analog dials which could be replaced with digital ones for the production-spec car.

The 2016 Audi Q7 will be powered by upgraded versions of Audi’s six- and eight-cylinder petrol engines. The diesel line-up could see a 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine offered in three states of tune. A plug-in hybrid variant is also expected to use the same 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine working in conjunction with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery to churn out 373 PS of power and 700 Nm of torque.

Audi is also likely to introduce a range-topping Audi SQ7 model which is expected to use the same mechanical configuration as the RS5 TDI concept - a 3.0-litre V6 TDI twin-turbocharged engine teamed up with an electric turbocharger and a lithium-ion battery pack.

The 2016 Audi Q7 will be officially introduced at the 2015 Detroit Motor Show. This new SUV will make it to the Indian shores soon after its international launch.

Audi Q8

Luxury carmaker Audi has confirmed that it will put a new Q8 SUV into production. The new SUV – based on the next-generation Q7 which is slated to be unveiled at the 2015 Detroit motor show – will go up against rivals like the BMW X6, Range Rover Sport and upcoming Mercedes MLC. 

 

"The Q8 will come," said technical chief Ulrich Hackenberg at the LA auto show. "It will be something new, following designs established on the Prologue concept. It will be positioned as something more emotional and more sporty than the Q7. The Q7 will be a car for seven people, the Q8 will be more coupe like."

 

The Q7 will be one of the last Audis with the current design language and the Q8 will have some visual differentiation to the Q7 both inside and out. The Q8 has been granted official production approval and is progressing through a development programme that aims to have it on sale within the next three years. 

 

The official sketch.

The upmarket crossover forms a crucial part of Audi’s growth strategy that will see it extend its line-up by no fewer than 11 new models by 2020. Five of those models have been identified as additional SUVs in the form of the Q1, Q2, Q4, Q6 and Q8.

 

This will push Audi’s range to a 60-strong model line-up, with the company predicting that 40 percent of its annual sales – around 8,00,000 units – will come from SUVs. Company boss Rupert Stadler admitted that more investment would be diverted to SUVs as a result. 

 

The Q8 has been conceived to extend Audi’s reach at the top of its line-up and to provide the company with added sales in potentially crucial markets such as China, the Middle East and the US.

 

In terms of performance and technology, the Q8 is described as being on par with Audi’s A8 flagship sedan, albeit with the added ability to head off road thanks to its raised ride height and, on top-end models, adjustable air suspension. 

 

A range of V6 and V8 petrol and diesel engines will be offered, alongside plug-in hybrids and possibly an all-electric version to rival the upcoming Tesla Model X SUV. 

 

The Q8 is set to receive its own, unique five-door body styled under the stewardship of new Audi design boss Marc Lichte. Among the various elements expected to set it apart from the more practical second-generation Q7 is a racier front end with a more sporting grille, more obvious tapering around each corner, shallower side glass, a generously sloping roofline and a more heavily angled rear window.

 

The basis for the Q8 is the second-generation MLB (modular longitudinal architecture) platform. Insiders say the MLB structure has far greater flexibility than that used today, with added scope for variability within the wheelbase and track widths in a move that, it is suggested, will lead to a wider differentiation between the models planned by the VW Group’s various brands.