VW GOLF

Volkswagen has debuted two conceptual versions of its Golf model in the form of the Golf GTI Clubsport concept and the Golf GTE Sport hybrid concept at Wörthersee, Austria. The Golf GTI Clubsport concept becomes the precursor to the 40-year anniversary edition of the Golf.

The Golf GTI Clubsport concept, as with other anniversary models of the Golf, gets a more powerful engine at 261 bhp along with a retuned suspension and a range of exterior and interior styling changes.

On the outside, the GTI Clubsport concept gets a new front bumper with a large central air dam with honeycomb inserts along with additional ducts to help cool the brakes. The bumper also features a subtle splitter and high-gloss black blades on the extremities of the bumper. At the back, the concept gets a roof-mounted spoiler along with a heavily modified bumper and twin exhausts. The car gets additional high-gloss trim on the wing mirror housings and black graphics along the lower edge of the door panels. VW says that the body kit will remain almost identical in the production car though the concept’s 19-inch alloy wheels are likely to be replaced by 18-inch ones.

Under the hood, the GTI Clubsport concept gets the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine from the standard GTI but now develops 261bhp with the option of temporarily boosting power to 287 bhp. The Clubsport will become the most powerful Golf when it goes into production, with the standard GTI producing 227bhp with the optional performance pack. Power is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed DSG gearbox with a manual option, expected to be on
the production version.

The other concept debuting at Worthersee was the Golf GTE Sport hybrid concept. The GTE features a plug-in hybrid powertrain developing about 396bhp using a combination of a petrol and two electric motors. The petrol engine is a 1.6-litre turbocharged unit featured in the Polo R WRC championship-winning car generating 295 bhp.

The GTE Sport concept features extensive use of carbonfibre inside and out to keep the weight low, and gets features such as LED headlamps, gull-wing doors and heavily flared wheel arches. The styling of the GTE bears resemblance to the Golf line but looks sleeker and more aggressive with sharply raked front windscreen, prominent diffusers front and rear and prominent air vents on the front bumper and on the rear wheel arches.

On the inside, the cabin is divided in two by the centre console and gets a steering column made from carbon, along with a bespoke steering and three high-tech transparent displays positioned one behind the other, in place of the traditional instrument cluster.

The GTE Sport concept is four-wheel drive and allows the driver to coast on the all-electric mode for up to 50km.

RENAULT XBA

Renault is ready to unveil its Maruti Alto-rivalling budget car, the XBA, on May 20th. Designed to take on the Alto and Eon, but from a slightly different angle, the XBA will be more a crossover than a regular hatchback. This is clear from the spy pictures taken of the car in India, and elsewhere. The car has a high bonnet, a high waistline and as you look towards the rear you can clearly see a muscular bulge over the rear wheel arches. The car's silhouette is in fact not too far from that of the upright Datsun GO show car, and is likely to be built on the same platform as well.

Of course, the detailing up front is pure Renault. There's Renault's smiling grille, with the lozenge-shaped badge placed up high, and the slot-like headlights are tagged on to either side of the grille, forming a single unit. A large crossover-like air dam is used with a big air inlet placed low as well, and though other SUV-like bits like body cladding may not be used, better-equipped versions could get roof rails and scruff plates.

There are enough signs to classify this as a low-cost car. There's only a single wiper, the mirrors look like they are non-adjustable, the wheels are secured by only three bolts and the doors don't even have pull-type handles. The tall body however, does have its benefits. To begin with, the car will look big, and then there'll be plenty of useable Wagon R-like vertical space on the inside, with the high-seating position making it really space efficient. Renault insiders also say that unlike the Datsun Go, the interiors won't be low rent, but will they be able to match those on the Eon? That's the big question. Renault's new car will also be built on an all-new platform. Based on the company’s highly flexible CMFA architecture, the XBA is expected to be high on efficiency and will feature a robust and stiff bodyshell. The big wheel arches will allow for sufficient wheel travel, making it well-suited to rural roads.

The XBA will use a modern engine too. The three-cylinder motor (Codename: BR08)  will feature twin-cams, four-valves-per-cylinder and thanks to the advanced design, both efficiency and power should be excellent. Additionally, future engine options could include a more powerful 1.0-litre petrol motor (Codename: BR10) and the big news is that it will also come with the option of an automated manual transmission (AMT), pitting it directly against the new AMT-fitted Alto K10.

A diesel option, however, has been ruled out. Firstly, the engine bay is designed to accommodate only the BR series of small motors, and secondly, while a three-cylinder diesel motor was in the pipeline, Renault has shelved plans as future emission regulations could lead to diesel losing its cost advantage.

Renault is betting big on the XBA. It has invested heavily in the project. The company has even pulled one of its best engineers out of retirement for the project (78-year old Gérard Detourbet of Logan and Duster fame). India is likely to function as the mother plant for many variations of the XBA. It will have its work cut out though, especially considering it is going up against well-entrenched competition like Maruti and Hyundai, who have much stronger brands and more widespread sales networks. On the pricing front, The XBA is expected to cost around ₹ 3 lakh, and should be in showrooms by mid-2015. Exciting times ahead.

HYUNDAI ix25

Compact SUVs are currently all the rage in the world. The ideal replacement for hatchbacks, they are spacious, practical, possess plenty of road presence and moreover, are semi-affordable too. So, it's no surprise that cars like the Ford EcoSport and Renault Duster have made quite an impression on the market. Still, while this neck of woods has seen some amount of growth, the explosion is yet to come. Big hitters, Maruti and Hyundai are still to get into our market and the competition will heat up even further once the others jump in.

The good news is that Hyundai is almost ready with its compact SUV, the iX25  which should be in our market in the coming months. Based on the same running gear as the i20 hatchback, the iX25 is an SUV Hyundai is expecting a lot from; and it's easy to understand why. To begin with, it looks stunning. Probably the best interpretation of Hyundai's fluidic design to date, the iX25 blends spot-on proportions with some sharp, confident details with an upright SUV stance. What works in its favor is the fact that the length of the car isn't artificially restricted to under four metres, as it is on cars like the EcoSport. On the contrary, Hyundai has given the iX25 a fairly lengthy bonnet, for that full-sized look and the front bumper is robust and heavy set. What's also nice is that the upright grille works well. It's attractively proportioned around the back too .The lower half of the car is wider, so it looks well planted, and the simple but attractive tail-lights look neat as well.

On the inside, the iX25 is a typical, modern Hyundai. The design of the dashboard is attractive and not over-styled, the centre console is blended neatly into the surface of the dash and to make the insides more attractive, many versions of the iX25 have colour-coordinated dashboards, with matching piping on the seats. At the centre sits a medium-sized touchscreen while lower down, there are the climate control knobs similar to those on many Hyundais we are familiar with. The instrument panel is large, with a set of traditional dials that are clear to read. As on newer Hyundais, there's push button start, remote telephony controls on the steering wheel and as far as safety is concerned, ABS and dual airbags are standard. It's, however, not clear if the six-speed auto gearbox will get paddle shifts. What is expected though, is a fair-sized boot, like in the Duster. There's plenty of useable space here too. The long 2590 mm wheelbase gives it an advantage, especially as far as packaging is concerned. There's more space between the front and rear wheels as compared to the EcoSport and the Hyundai's wheelbase is almost as long as the Duster's, so you can get a fair idea about the space inside.

The iX25 shares much of its basic steel frame with its sister car the Kia Soul. Now 28 percent stiffer, these new cars have more bending stiffness too, which helps them deal with the extra weight of the diesel engine. The suspension follows the tried-and-tested independent MacPherson struts up front and a non-independent beam-type rear suspension; similar to those of the i20. The steering system used is electric, for light effort at low speeds, and its speed sensitive nature is ideal for increased effort and feel on the highway.

Ground clearance is expected to be in excess of 200 mm, with large 17 or 18-inch wheels and wide 215 tyres for extra grip. What will be particularly challenging for Hyundai, as ever, will be getting this car to ride and handle well. This is especially as this car has a raised suspension that will need to be both stiff and supple at the same time.

Hyundai's compact SUV will be powered by a set of powerful engines, with diesels taking the lead. The star of the range, of course, is Hyundai's class-leading 1.6 diesel, that is smooth, silent over its band of operation and very punchy. Whereas, the 126 bhp is important, even more important is the healthy torque figure of 26.5 kgm; the latter helping with the additional weight of the SUV. Hyundai is also looking at its 88 bhp 1.4 diesel and the 121 bhp 1.6 petrol later. The petrol will come with a five-speed manual 'box, the diesel will get a six-speed manual and an auto is part of the plan too.

Hyundai calls this SUV the iX25 in other markets, but is likely to rename it for India. Buyers looking for a compact SUV can expect it to be well built, comfortable inside and well-equipped; it is a Hyundai after all. In addition, we think the diesel engine is one of the best around, so as an overall package, our expectations are high. Likely to hit showrooms in early August at an estimated price of ₹ 8-12 lakh, $12.5k-19k, Hyundai's compact SUV promises much. Questions still remain; will it ride and drive as well as it looks, will the auto 'box be up to scratch and will Hyundai be tempted into pricing it at a premium; these other questions answered when the car is launched here. Till then, stay tuned.

New car launches in India in the next few months

Not even half way through the year and the Indian car market has seen a host of new entries that included cars from the luxury segment such as the BMW i8 to cars in the hatchback segment like the Maruti Suzuki Celerio ZXi AMT. However the year is still far from over for manufacturers with many mainstream launches planned for the months to come.

Mercedes Benz S 600 Guard launch (May 21)

The armoured version of the new Mercedes S-class will be showcased on May 21. The S 600 Guard offers VR-9-level ballistic protection capable of stopping 7.62x51mm rifle rounds along with a heavily armoured floor to protect the occupants from IEDs. Inside, it will get all the opulence of the standard S-class along with additional features like a fire suppression system and a fresh-air system, in case of ingress of smoke. Powering the armoured behemoth will be a 6.0-litre V12 pumping out 530bhp and 84.63kgm of torque.



Mahindra XUV500 launch (May 25)

Mahindra is expected to launch the facelifted version of the XUV500 on May 25. The XUV500 will get styling changes to the exterior with a new Scorpio-like grille, L-shaped chrome inserts on the front bumper, faux-aluminium skid plates and new alloy wheels.


Facelifted VW Vento unveil (May 2015)

A facelift of the current Vento is expected to be unveiled by the end of May. The car will likely get cosmetic changes to the exterior and interior along with the possibility of added features.

Audi RS6 Avant launch (June 4)

Audi will be launching the RS version of the A6 in a wagon-body style, called the RS6 Avant. Under the hood, the RS6 will get a 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 engine making 552bhp and get Audi’s all-wheel drive system. Inside, the car will get an all-black interior along with all the luxuries of a standard A6.

New Honda Jazz launch (July)

The Jazz has been facing delays in India for a few months now. Originally expected to launch in March, Honda delayed the launch because of problems in the production process. The new Jazz will be powered by the now familiar 1.2-litre i-VTEC and 1.5-litre i-DTEC and will offer a spacious interior just like its predecessor.

Hyundai small SUV (August - September)

Hyundai’s EcoSport rival has been spotted testing on Indian roads over a few months. The car is expected to go on sale sometime in August or September, featuring the familiar 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol engines and the 1.6-litre diesel unit. Inside it is expected to offer a feature-rich cabin like with all Hyundais along with the good build quality.

Maruti Celerio diesel DDiS125

Maruti’s first in-house diesel engine debuts under the hood of the upcoming Celerio diesel. The 800cc unit will become the smallest engine offered in the segment and will likely make the new Celerio diesel the most fuel-efficient car in the market. The launch is expected soon with Maruti already stocking up on demo cars in its Manesar plant.

Maruti Across (S-Cross)

The rebadged S-Cross is expected to launch sometime later this year and will rival the likes of the Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano. Under the hood, the Across is expected to get a Fiat- sourced 1.6-litre diesel engine. Though sold internationally with a four-wheel drive variant, it is still doubtful if Maruti will offer this variant in India.

Volvo V40 launch (June)

Volvo is expected to launch its V40 hatchback sometime this year. The smaller sibling to the V40 Cross Country, the V40 will rival the likes of the Mercedes A-class in the market.

Volvo S60 T6 (June)

This petrol-powered Volvo is also expected to arrive on our shores this year, with Volvo planning to introduce petrol engines in more cars in the Indian line-up, following the V40 Cross Country.


Mercedes-Benz GLE-class

The facelift of the current M-class, the GLE-class is expected to make its way to the Indian subcontinent by the year end. The GLE-class gets styling more in tune with Mercedes’ new design language as seen in the new C-class and S-class — a similar grille and headlamp units. Internationally it gets new engine options, though for India it will likely carry on with the existing engines in the M-class.


Mercedes-Benz S 63 AMG

Another Mercedes coming to India this year is the powerful and luxurious S 63 AMG. Featuring an aggressive AMG kit, lowered suspension, AMG wheels and AMG embossed interiors, the powerful sibling of the standard S-class will be powered by a 5.5-litre hand-crafted twin-turbo V8 pushing out 577bhp and 91.77kgm of torque.

Bugatti Chiron prototype caught testing

Bugatti’s successor to the Veyron, the Chiron, has been spotted on the road going through the testing phase. Two prototypes were spotted on international roads in a convoy that consisted of a Veyron and a BMW i8. 
Bugatti discontinued the Veyron just prior to the Geneva motor show with the last model the ‘La Finale’ showcased at the event before being shipped to its undisclosed owner in the Middle East. The Chiron as seen in the picture looks quite similar to the Veyron, but seems to get larger air-vents to help cool the engine.


The engine will be a major talking point, since the Chiron’s engine is expected to develop around 1500bhp. The engine is expected to remain the same as the one in the Veyron, a quad-turbo W16, but is expected to get two electric turbochargers to boost power. The Chiron is expected to max out at 463.5 kmph and reach 0-100 kmph in just two seconds.
The production-version of the Chiron is expected to debut sometime in 2016.

NISSAN MAXIMA

Nissan has unveiled the 2016 Maxima at the New York auto show. The Maxima was originally previewed by the Nissan Sports Sedan concept back in 2014.

The new Maxima gets a bold design with a V-motion front face, LED-infused headlamps, a large hexagonal grille and inset fog-lamps. On the sides, the car gets prominent creases over the front and rear wheels, a ‘floating roof’ design with blacked out A- and B-pillars and new 18-inch alloy wheels with painted inserts. At the rear, the car gets wrap-around LED tail-lamps joined by a large strip of chrome and dual exhausts.

On the inside, the new Maxima gets a flat-bottomed steering wheel, Alcantara accents, a centre stack that is angled seven degrees toward the driver and a new 7.0-inch Advanced Drive Assist Display in the instrument cluster.

Other options available include ambient lighting, heated /cooled front seats, a Bose audio system and premium Ascot leather seats with diamond-quilted inserts, Intelligent Cruise Control, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and a Predictive Forward Collision Warning system.

Under the hood, the Maxima gets a 3.5-litre V6 generating 300 bhp and 36.08 kgm of torque. The car also gets a new Xtronic transmission that Nissan claims boosts the cars mileage.

The new Maxima is expected to go on sale internationally later this year.

KTM X-BOW

More details of KTM's racing X-Bow have surfaced. Developed withReiter Engineering - they of demented Lamborghini fame - it looks notably different from the regular, roofless track car. In a rather wonderful way, we say.

The glass area is huge, with an almost panoramic screen wearing that most untypical of X-Bow options, a windscreen wiper.

Ahead of it is frontal styling even more madcap than its base car's, with huge headlight lenses, sharp creases and big air intakes. It looks wide. Very wide.

At its heart will be the mid-mounted 2.0-litre TFSI turbo four-cylinder engine familiar in X-Bows and nabbed from the VW group. Here it will produce ‘approximately' 320 bhp, making it around 10 per cent more powerful than in roofless road specification.

Quite how that will affect performance, given that you'd expect it to go hand-in-hand with vast improvements in aerodynamic efficiency, remains to be seen. But expect a 0-60 mph time little over three seconds and a top speed of around 150 mph.

The engine drives the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential paddleshift gearbox, made by Holinger. A more motorsport-minded ABS braking setup will also feature.

While the open-air X-Bow typically weighs around 800 kg, we've no idea quite what Reiter's racing iteration will tip the scales at. That's because of the SRO's ‘Balance of Performance' regulations (BOP); the car will need to be aligned with its GT4-class rivals to ensure close and competitive racing.

A figure will emerge once the car's BOP test has taken place in spring 2015. Reiter assures us it will be competitively priced among its GT4 foes, though.

"When you reflect on what the customer is being offered here in terms of the most modern racing technology, together with a very impressive safety concept, then you can really speak about it being exceptionally good value for money," asserts Reiter. 

"Since the new car is based on the KTM X-Bow, the customer is going to get a racing car that has now been tested on the world's racing circuits for six years."

Infiniti Q60

Infiniti has released the first teaser image of its new Q60 concept car. It is set to make its debut at the Detroit motor show in January 2015. Infiniti has shown the image under the banner of "the power of exhilaration", and says that the Q60 concept’s styling offers "muscular lines" and "well defined contours". It is being billed as a “premium sports coupe concept”.

It is suggested that the two-door coupé is a look at the next-generation version of the Q60 that will come to international markets. The concept car takes styling cues from recent Infiniti models, including the range-topping Q80 Inspiration concept that was unveiled at the Paris motor show 2014. From the teaser, it looks like a combination of curves and sharp edges, and there are also the large five-spoke alloys.

The Q60 concept car will definitely offer hints to the production car. Further information is expected closer to the date of the unveiling. 

The 367bhp Audi RS3

It's got more power than a BMW M135i and even the mighty Mercedes A45 AMG, and will happily keep up with an M3 to 62mph; welcome everyone, to the brand new, 2015 Audi RS3. And it's powerful.

How powerful? Only the most powerful car in this class. Though that Merc boasts the most power from a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot currently in production (360bhp), Audi has stuck with its acclaimed - and tasty - 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder engine, here producing a considerable 367bhp and 343lb ft of torque.

It sounds good, too (we've already had a hot ride in a development prototype), thanks to that 1-2-4-5-3 firing sequence and optional sports exhaust, but the key pub ammo you need to unleash is thus: it'll go from 0-62mph in just 4.3 seconds (versus 5.1s for the BMW M135i and 4.6s for the A45 AMG), and top out at a limited 155mph.

It's hooked up to a seven-speed S tronic dual clutch gearbox with two automatic modes (and a manual shift function), together with launch control and, of course, Quattro four-wheel-drive. This uses a multi-plate clutch with custom software developed specifically for this new RS3, and is able to send anything between 50 and 100 per cent of the available torque to the rear axle. Slidey.

In fact, Audi's quite proud of this fact. "The driver is able to perform controlled drifts on low-friction road surfaces," we're told. There's torque vectoring, too, a wider front track, a 25 mm drop in ride height thanks to RS sport suspension, optional magnetic adaptive damping, 19-inch wheels, huge 370 mm brakes up front (310 mm at the rear), and many, many RS badges.

Wrapped up in its new RS suit - featuring that high-gloss black grille, air inlets, flared arches, ‘chiseled' side sills, roof spoiler, sports seats, RS steering wheel and impeccable interior quality - it weighs in at exactly 1520 kg. Which is 55 kg lighter than its predecessor. Thanks, MQB platform!

Deliveries will begin next year with no word on price just yet; we'd anticipate a hefty hike over the S3 Sportback's £32k starting price...

The new Ford Focus RS is coming

Good news! Ford has confirmed that it is working on an all-new Focus RS hot hatch.

It will form one of 12 new performance vehicles built for ‘global enthusiasts' by the year 2020, under the Blue Oval's new ‘Ford Performance' team.

Raj Nair, Ford group vice president of global product development, confirmed that the range-topping hot hatch will return "to customers in major markets around the world for the first time" - meaning everyone on planet earth will be able to access the RS.

Naturally, powertrain details at this stage haven't been revealed, but considering the current ST runs a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder packing 250 bhp, we'd expect Ford to use the 2.3-litre four-cylinder EcoBoost engine as featured in the new Mustang (the last RS remember, used a 2.5-litre five-pot).

And because the new RS is entering a very different hot hatch landscape, a power output of at least 330 bhp to 340 bhp would be a safe bet. The Merc A45 AMG packs 360 bhp from it's turbo'd four-pot, while the new Audi RS3 is expected to pack at least this much from it's 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine.

Ford has also promised that the new Focus RS will be a fighty bugger. "To earn the RS badge," explains Nair, "the vehicle has to be a no-compromise driver's car that can deliver exceptional performance on the track when required while providing excellent every day driving."

It'll most likely be front-wheel-drive, Ford no doubt utilising its experience from the last Focus RS's RevoKnuckle technology to somehow make the power a more manageable lump.

We will of course, bring you more as we get it, but the bigger picture stands like this: Ford's SVT, Team RS and Racing teams will unify under the Ford Performance team banner, to serve "as an innovation laboratory and test bed to create unique performance vehicles, parts, accessories and experiences for customers." Does this open up the potential of more Ford-approved performance upgrades? We'd think so

"Ford still races for the same reasons Henry Ford did in 1901," said Nair. "The Ford Performance team will continue to pursue performance innovation, ensuring we can deliver even more coveted performance cars, utilities and trucks to customers around the world."

Maruti Ertiga spied

The Maruti Ertiga,  like many of its smaller cars, has been keeping the cash registers ringing (somewhat) for the company. Maruti didn’t feel the need to refresh the car even after three years since its launch. However, growing competition from cars like the Honda Mobilio and now the upcoming Datsun Go+ have forced Maruti designers to go back to their drawing boards.

The changes in the new Ertiga gleaned from this set of photos are a new front bumper, redesigned headlamps and new alloys. Inside the cabin, the updated Maruti Ertiga is expected to have electrically retractable mirror switches and push button start in the top end trim. Maruti can also be safely expected to put in the AMT in the facelifted Ertiga as is evident from the image of the interior. Like the facelifted Swift, the new Ertiga will also get reworked engines which should deliver more kilometres to the litre.

The AMT transmission in the new Ertiga