New Mini Clubman preview

The Mini Clubman is set to make its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show this September, and go on sale in international markets later this year. While the Mini Cooper S and the
Mini Cooper D and the Countryman are available here, the Clubman is sold only overseas.

The Clubman concept showcased at the Geneva motor show last year, displayed a car significantly different from its outgoing model. The Clubman will be larger because it shares the same front-drive platform that underpins the BMW 2-series.

Speculations are that the new Clubman will be a little over 4.2m — around 26cm longer than the previous Clubman. It could also be a significant 161mm wider and 24mm taller. The Clubman now gets four conventional doors, but instead of a conventional hatchback, it has the signature twin, side-hinged arrangement like on the current Clubman.

BMW has also decided to distinguish the car by tweaking the exterior and interior design. The interior styling is different; it gets a new dashtop moulding and a new centre console. On the outside, the Clubman has borrowed its front end from the Mini Rocketman concept.

The suspension set on the Clubman is as on its smaller sister, and company insiders expect it to be most impressive driver’s car in the class.

Like on the three-door Mini, the three- and four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines will be offered on the Clubman. A plug-in hybrid with a three-cylinder engine is also being considered. At a later stage, BMW might equip the car with an all-wheel drive.

Volvo V40 launched

Volvo has just launched the V40 hatchback at ₹ 24.75 (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the Indian market. The V40 is the standard version of the V40 Cross Country currently sold in the country.

The V40 appears to be quite similar to the Cross Country, but misses out on the body cladding and raised ride height of its sibling.

The V40 is available in two trims – Kinetic and R-Design – both of which are powered by the 147.5bhp D3 diesel engine from the V40 Cross Country mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. In terms of features, both trims get Volvo’s City Safe system along with ABS, traction control, and airbags – front, side, curtain and pedestrian as standard. Other features include dual zone climate control, powered front seats with memory, mood lighting and parking sensors.

The R-Design trim additionally gets some visual differentiation like a blacked-out grille and air dam, new alloys, panoramic glass roof and a new paint shade. In terms of features the R-Design gets the addition of keyless go, park assist and rain sensing wipers.

The Volvo V40 will rival the likes of the Mercedes A-class and BMW 1-series in the market.The car is currently built and imported from Belgium in the form of CBUs with no plans for local assembly in the near future.

Volvo has also announced that only 300 units of its new XC90 will be offered to customers in India this year. The original plan was to make 500 units available, but a strong international demand prompted the company to cut down on the allotted amount.

Prices of Volvo V40 (ex-showroom, Delhi)------
Volvo V40 Kinetic – ₹ 24.75 lakh

Volvo V40 R-Design – ₹ 27.7 lakh

Hyundai Creta launch

Hyundai will lanch their new Creta small SUV on July 21, 2015. The Creta, earlier known as the Hyundai iX25, will be Hyundai’s foray into the small SUV segment and will rival the likes of the Renault Duster and upcoming Maruti S-Cross which is also expected to launch next month.

Hyundai expects the new Creta to further strengthen the company's position in the Indian market, especially with the growing popularity of the SUV segment. The Creta was initially expected to be launched in August, but with the Maruti’s S-Cross coming in July, Hyundai rescheduled the launch, to keep one of the main rivals in check.

Hyundai has also released official design sketches of the upcoming SUV as a teaser of what to expect when it is launched in the market.

In terms of styling, the Creta gets black body cladding with faux scuff plates, a triple-slat hexagonal grille which will likely receive chrome treatment on the production version, angular headlamps with LED elements and though the sketches show twin-projector units, the production car may only get single projector lamps, robust-looking front and rear bumpers, 17 or 18-inch alloy wheels, neatly styled tail-lamps and around 200mm of ground clearance. The Creta has also been styled to look well planted, with the lower half of the car being wider than the top.

Hyundai Creta official interior design sketch.

On the inside, the Creta is expected to get colour-coordinated dashboards depending on the variant with the design sketches showing a dual tone dashboard with similar colour inserts carrying onto the doors. The centre console as per the sketches seems to get a media system similar to the one in the Elite i20 flanked by vertical air-con vents with silver surround though we expect the unit to be replaced by a touchscreen unit in the top variant. Lower down it gets the familiar climate control switch-gear as seen on its siblings. The multi-function steering is also similar to the one in the Elite i20. The instrument cluster consists of traditional dials that are easy to read. The Creta also gets twin cupholders placed besdie the hand-brake between the front seats and a central armrest along with rear air-con vents. Other inclusions in the Creta are the push button start, Bluetooth telephony controls on the steering and safety features such as ABS and dual airbags as standard.

Under the hood, the Creta is expected to be powered by Hyundai’s 1.6-litre diesel engine pumping out 126bhp and 26.5kgm of torque. Power will be sent to the wheels through a six-speed manual and an automatic gearbox. A 1.6-litre petrol engine developing 121bhp is also expected sometime in the future.

There are no details on the price of the Hyundai Creta, but expect it to be priced competitively in the segment.

Renault Alpine Celebration concept revealed

Renault revealed the Alpine Celebration concept car at the 24 hours of Le Mans. The concept car is expected to become the precursor to a production model due in 2016, when Renault re-launches the sportscar brand.

On the styling front, the Alpine Celebration concept pays homage to the Alpine A110 Berlinette with its scalloped bonnet and twin spotlights mounted high on the front bumper. The rear styling is also reminiscent of the A110, with the shoulder line tapering away behind the wheel arches. Other styling details are more contemporary. The orange and blue paint scheme is on the same line as the older Alpine models.

Renault has not revealed the technical specifications of the concept car other than it being a mid-engined layout.

The Celebration concept is the successor to the Alpine A110-50 concept which was revealed in 2012 featuring a V6 engine from the Renault Megane Trophy race car. However, the production version of the concept is expected to receive a less powerful engine with likely choices being either the 2.0-litre unit from the Renaultsport Megane or the 1.6-litre unit from the Renaultsport Clio. In terms of transmission, the production car is expected to feature a dual-clutch transmission.

The production version of the Alpine Celebration is expected to debut sometime early next year, before its launch in the international market.

Updated Jaguar XJ launched

Jaguar’s flagship sedan, the XJ has been given a mid-cycle update. The 2016 Jaguar XJ sedan gets new LED headlights, and the inside gets better quality leather seating. The sedan’s infotainment system also receives a thorough revamp. It now gets Jaguar’s InControl Touch Pro system.  

 

The Jaguar XJ facelift gets a new top-spec Autobiography trim for the international markets. This variant will be available only on the long wheelbase XJ sedan. The new Jaguar XJ Autobiography features 20-inch alloys, quilted leather seats, illuminated treadplates, special individual rear seat set-up and a bespoke rear entertainment system. Also on offer is the new 2016 Jaguar XJ R-Sport version. It gets minor styling tweaks, a rear spoiler, sport seats and special trim on the inside.

 

The Jaguar XJ’s 3.0-litre V6 diesel now churns out 296bhp while the 5.0-litre V8 powerplant remains untouched. As with the XJ’s 335bhp V6 engine. The updated XJ also gets a new electronic power steering system which, according to the company, is more responsive and helps improve agility.

Hyundai Grand i10x launched

Hyundai has launched a Grand i10-based crossover hatchback called the Grand i10X in Indonesia. The i10X sticks to the traditional crossover look, as with the i20 Active being sold in India.

In terms of styling, the Grand i10X gets a similar treatment as the i20 Active, with black body cladding, daytime running LEDs, plastic side extensions and a chrome-tipped exhaust. The new crossover also gets a raised ride height. Getting in, you will see a new steering, but otherwise the car retains its basic layout —a console-mounted gear shift lever, integrated audio system with 4 speakers, USB and aux ports, driver seat height adjustment, smart key with push button start, cooled glovebox and 256 litres of boot space. The car is powered by a 1.25-litre 86bhp petrol engine.

The Grand i10X will be the first cross-hatchback from Hyundai in Indonesia; the i20 Active is not offered in the market. Based on the Indonesian Grand i10, the car has more in common with the European model than the Indian one, and has slightly different exterior styling.

Renault Lodgy stepway launched

Renault's Lodgy line-up has received a new addition. The Lodgy Stepway, a more muscular-looking variant of the top RxZ trim of the Lodgy 110PS has been launched in India with prices starting at ₹ 11.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The Lodgy Stepway comes with a couple of cosmetic upgrades. There’s a new front grille, roof rails, body cladding, front and rear skid plates with metallic finish, branded door sills and 'Stepway' badging. The cabin, however, doesn’t get a makeover. It is available in both seven- and eight-seat layout, with features such as front airbags, ABS, rear parking sensors, reversing camera and touchscreen infotainment system being carried over.

Power comes from the 108.5bhp 1.5-litre K9K diesel engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

Prices (ex-showroom Delhi)------

Renault Lodgy Stepway eight seater - ₹ 11.99 lakh

Renault Lodgy Stepway seven-seater - ₹ 12.29 lakh

Abarth to launch in India in august

We’d told you earlier that Fiat would be bringing its high-performance Abarth brand to India to add some zing to its model line-up and also boost its brand image. We can now report that you won’t have to wait much longer, as the brand will be hitting showrooms by August this year with not one, but three models.

The first will be the Abarth 595 It’s a higher performance version of the Abarth 500, which in turn, is a high-performance version of the Fiat 500, which was on sale in India previously in diesel guise. This stylish 158bhp hot hatchback will be brought in as a full CBU import, so you can expect a relatively high price of around Rs 27-30 lakh, which puts it right in the sights of the Mini Cooper. The engine is a highly strung version of the 1.4-litre T-Jet turbo-petrol motor you find in the Linea, and it gets a much stiffer suspension setup and bigger wheels compared to the standard car. It’s a car that should appeal to those trendy folk who want a bit of performance in a small, city-friendly package.

Much more exciting though, is the car that will follow after – the Fiat Punto Evo Abarth. It too will get the 1.4-litre T-Jet motor, albeit in a slightly lower 135bhp state of tune. That, however, will still make it, by far, the most powerful car in its segment. It will be Abarth branded, and will likely get sportier bumpers, wheels and decals too. Fiat could even give it a stiffer suspension set-up for better handling. The best part is, unlike the 595, this car will be locally assembled alongside the standard Punto Evo, so it will be very competitively priced. In fact, Fiat is working hard to localise as much of the car as possible to keep prices down, and since the 1.4 T-Jet is already in India in its 112bhp guise, applying the update to 135bhp will be easier to carry out. Another fun fact is that while the global Punto Abarth is a three-door car, ours will be a five-door. The closest thing this car has to a rival is the VW Polo GT TSI, which is an automatic, is down on power compared to the T-Jet, and uses the same suspension as the standard car.

The third car to get the Abarth treatment will be the Avventura, but the changes won’t be as significant as in the other two. The Avventura will get only the 135bhp T-Jet motor, without the accompanying suspension and visual changes that will come to the Punto Evo Abarth. It will look like the standard car, and rather than full-on Abarth branding, it will get a badge that says ‘Powered by Abarth’. This one is clearly targeted directly at the Ford EcoSport and its 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine, and while the Abarth makes around 10bhp more than the Ford, its torque figure is likely to be a fair bit higher.

Fiat wants Abarth to be a performance brand ‘for a variety of pockets and tastes’, and for that, pricing will be key. With heavy localisation, we can hope that the Abarth Punto Evo, and maybe even the T-Jet Avventura, make it within the Rs 10 lakh cut. What’s clear is that, despite currently having a model range of just three cars (now adding a fourth with the 595), with the introduction of Abarth to India, Fiat is really keen to quickly expand its brand and attract a variety of new buyers.

Ferrari Dino set to make a comeback

Chairman of Ferrari, Sergio Marchionne, has confirmed that the iconic Ferrari Dino model will make its comeback in the form of a mid-engine sportscar powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 engine.

Marchionne said that the revival of the Dino name was “not a question of if but when”. The Dino badge was originally used on V6 and V8-powered models in the 1960s and '70s, as Ferrari sought to make more affordable cars under a new sub-brand to push up volumes.

However, when the brand does make a comeback, it will not look to increase volumes nor enter at a lower price point. “We may produce a 500 horsepower Ferrari, but it will not be a cheap Ferrari,” he said. “The brand is unique and needs to be protected. I would rather build 500 fewer cars than the market demanded instead of 500 more. We must not mess with customer expectations of Ferrari as an exclusive brand.”

When introduced, the car is likely to be positioned alongside the California T. It will be engineered to deliver a ‘true’ sportscar-like performance, and rival the likes of the Lamborghini Huracan, McLaren 570S, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, the Aston Martin V12 Vantage S, and the upcoming Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series.

BMW readying SUV X2

BMW is working on a new X2 model. It is expected to be a sporty-looking car, which will be previewed in its concept form early 2016, before it goes on sale internationally, late next year. The X2 will share the new BMW X1’s platform.

 BMW officials have confirmed that the X2 will get a uniquely styled steel body, following the example of the larger X4 and X6. 

                                                               BMW SUV teaser image

The new BMW X2 will feature a five-door layout, with its tailgate set at an extreme angle than the
X1 giving it a coupé-like silhouette. It will initially be offered with a range of four-cylinder engines. The addition of the more economical three-cylinder units within the first year is a possibility. The engines will be mated to either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox, in combination with front or four-wheel drive.

The X2 will be produced alongside the new X1 at BMW’s Regensburg factory in Germany.

NEW FIAT 500 to be unveiled

Fiat has announced that it will showcase a facelifted 500 on July 4, 2015. The refreshed 500 is expected to get minor changes on its exterior and interior to make it more in-line with its larger sibling, the 500X.

The date is of great significance to the Italian brand, as the original 500 was launched on the same date way back in 1957, and it was also when the current 500 was unveiled to the public in 2007. The original three-door hatchback 500 has spawned a series of models since, followed by the 500C convertible, the larger five-door 500L and the off-roading 500L Trekking, the 500X crossover and the seven-seater 500L MPW.

The 500 went through a facelift in 2014 and got a new digital dashboard and modifications made to the engine. The facelift this year is expected to see the car’s styling be tweaked to make it look more like the 500X, while on the inside it is expected to receive a 5.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system and an overall improvement in quality.

The new Fiat 500 is expected to make its debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September.