Unveiling Duster AWD

Today onwards Renault Duster 4 X 4 four wheels will be available for sale. The vehicle was launched with a mega event in Lavasa with a never before off roading experience. The customers who have booked earlier can now feel a great relief on possessing the all-new stylish-Four wheel SUV at a cost never heard for a four wheel drive.





During the launch of the new Duster, we drove in Lavasa City on a very difficult terrain and saw an SUV that matches refinement with performance – from the engine, to suspension & braking, the ABS or premium materials. All this has brought elegance to life in this segment. These are the features with are segment-first features, The new Duster AWD from Renault is the first all-new vehicle in the segment with commitment to bringing disruptive innovation to this segment of car-buyers. Both the petrol and diesel versions come with their unique segment-firsts and I am confident it will delight consumers with its design, driving pleasure and great connectivity feature.



The whole experience driving the new Renault Duster AWD was exhilarating. The power that comes with the 110 psi is good enough to get you racing in any terrain. I drove this brand new Duster AWD in the most difficult off road terrain and was surprised to see how easily I could navigate with this SUV. The suspension was the best in class and the steering as smooth as butter to run through with the new Duster. Renault has got a shot in the arm with the humungous improvement with this new variant. There is an auto function which swiftly changes the SUV from two wheel drive to the four wheel drive depending on the terrain. An intelligent system which gauges the difficulty of the terrain and automatically switches itself to four wheels. Renault has come with the best in class new plush interiors with two color interiors. This new car makes your journey soothing with it ambient colors and nicely chosen seat covers.

The new Renault comes in RxL and RxZ variant with 1.5 dCi THP and displacement of 1461. The engine comes with the standard 4 cylinder in-line. The new duster has a modified engine compartment which opens the gateway for technical changes to architecture. This gives you a good body control module. It comes with a 6 – speed manual. It has a TL- 8 gear box which is the latest in this segment. Brakes are hydraulically operated diagonal split circuit braking. The steering is eclectic hydraulic power assisted. Tyres are 215/54 R16 Tubeless and the wheels with R16 Steel and R16 alloys in the top variant. Overall Length of the vehicle is 4315 mm with a fuel tank capacity of 50 liters. The ground clearance is pretty amazing which lets you drive in really tough terrains with 210mm. The overall height is 1696 mm which gives it stability. The fuel efficiency comes as 19.72 kms per liter.







It has an extremely silent engine with low friction crank case for minimized NVH. Drive by wire technology for enhanced drive experience. The new Duster AWD has Smart electric control for precise control. The new Renault Duster AWD comes with dual airbags and Rear Park assist to further add to the safety features of the new Duster. The improved suspension provides effective isolation from road inputs, without compromising on body control, translating into a class-leading balance between ride and handling for a comfortable and grounded drive. This new Duster also comes with hill assistance with an automatic system that stops the SUV from sliding back on a sleep hill. A silent, quieter cabin will ensure a pleasant and superlative drive experience.

Bajaj Pulsar Super Sports to be launched in six months

Yesterday, at NDTV , Bajaj Auto Managing Director assured that the all-new Bajaj Pulsar will be launched in the six months.Indian Motorcycle company is about to bring the fairing concept with the upcoming  super Sport Pulsar.A 375 cc triple-spark,4-valve,liquid cooled,fuel-injection engine that would get mated to a 6-speed gearbox is said to power the bike.There is presence of rear and front disc brakes on the machine. It features twin-projector headlights along with a dual-red rear lamp and stun looking digital speedometer.For safety concerns,ABS(Anti-Braking System) will come as a standard filament.Regarding the color option,the variant will be available in two-toned.

The fairing concept has been approached not only due to the only reason that the aesthetics has to be enhanced but also to reduce the air-drag.It also tends to provide stability at high speeds.Implementation of fairing concept has been  found to play a vital role in improving the aerodynamics of the bike.Most of the bike spare parts has been designed from the inspired  KTM and RC ranges of bikes.

To meet the expectations of the customers,three more products are set to be launched along with the launch of the upcoming full-faired  Pulsar.Super Sport Pulsar is expected to arrive at the cost ranging from Rs 1 .5 to 2 lakhs. Affordability matched with the performance will remain to be an   highlighted feature of the 400 SS bike.

Safety and Comfort conscious sedan

Today onwards Tata Zest will be available for sales starting with price Rs4.64 lakhs.The customers who have booked earlier can now feel a great relief on possessing the all-new stylish-compact sedan  at an reduced cost of ownership.Let us have an review over the highlighted features that increases the reliability of the product towards to the customers.

• Available in four trims in Petrol and five trims in Diesel
• Range will come in six exciting colours
• On sale in over 470 Tata Motors passenger vehicle sales outlets
• Technology-enabled dealerships with new retail identity for enhanced purchase  experience
• Introducing 333 Confidence, an industry first service offering

During the launch of Zest, Tata Motors,President Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Mr. Ranjit Yadav stated as follows, “We at Tata Motors are delighted to launch the much-awaited Zest. It has been engineered for global customers, by global teams across India, UK, Italy and Korea to offer a car that matches refinement with performance – from the engine, to suspension & braking, the NVH or premium materials. All this has brought elegance to life in this segment. With 29 segment-first features, Zest from Tata Motors is the first all-new vehicle in the Horizonext journey with our commitment to bringing disruptive innovation to this segment of car-buyers. Both the petrol and diesel versions come with their unique segment-firsts and we are confident it will delight our consumers with its design, driving pleasure and great connectivity features.”

Regarding its specifications,it is known that a 1.2-litre Revotron petrol that has been enabled in three driving mode-Eco, City and Sport, will churn out 90PS/140 Nm gets mated to an automated manual gearbox,is used to power up the all new Zest.Lets have an review on revotron over its features in detail,

• Extremely silent engine
• Low friction crank case for minimized NVH
• Drive by wire technology for enhanced drive experience
• Smart Electronic Control Unit for precise control

While the  diesel is the familiar 90PS 1.3-litre unit,which is also get mated to an an 5-speed automated manual transmission.Both the power engines are BS-IV complaint and capable of meeting future demand,thus car will have a top speed of 158km/h. Furthermore,Tata Motors assures you in cutting down your fuel costs through the provision of fuel-efficient Revotron 1.2T that delivers up to 17.6 km/litre and the Diesel delivers 23 km/litre, under mandated test km/litre in normal conditions.

To have a comfort and safe drive over long distance,the following features have been added,

• The Zest will have ePAS (Electric Power Assisted System), with speed sensitivity and ‘Active Return’ function – a first in the segment.
• A silent, quieter cabin will ensure a pleasant and superlative drive experience.
• The most advanced, 9th generation ABS with EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution) from Bosch for improved braking efficiency, and with yet another segment-first, the Corner Stability Control feature, add to the safety feature of the vehicle.
• Dual Airbags and Rear Park assist further add to the safety features of the Zest.
• The dual-path suspension, coupled with a zero-pivot sub-frame and Anti-roll bar, ensures a smooth and comfortable ride. The improved suspension provides effective isolation from road inputs, without compromising on body control, translating into a class-leading balance between ride and handling for a comfortable and grounded drive.

Maruti DZire and Swift lead, Alto down to #3 for first time in one decade!

For the first time since last August, the Indian new car market gains ground year-on-year: up 5% 202,659 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 1,046,375 units, down 3% on 2013. Big events atop the models sales charts: first, the Suzuki Swift DZire is the most popular vehicle in the country for only the second time ever after May 2013 thanks to 18,953 sales and 9.4% share. This is only the third month in the past 119 that the Alto is not India's best-seller, the other one was in April 2012 when the Maruti Swift took the lead. Second, the Maruti Swift also outsells the traditional leader, the Maruti Alto, at 17,936 units and 8.9% vs. 17,311 and 8.5%, kicking the Maruti Alto into third place for the first time since June 2004, exactly a decade ago...

Hyundai Xcent

Meanwhile the Maruti Wagon reclaims the 4th place it holds year-to-date off the Hyundai Grand i10 with 11,757 sales vs. 9,317 while the Mahindra Bolero remains 6th at 8,846 units. The Hyundai Xcent confirms its runaway hit status by gaining one further spot on April to a record #7 with 7,792 sales and 3.8%, overtaking the Honda City extremely strong once again at 3.6% share. The Maruti Celerio is down one rank to #11 but continues to impress, the Toyota Innova is above 5,000 sales for the first time since last October at a brilliant 12th place and the Datsun Go cools down at -26% on April to #28 and 1,992 sales, still Nissan's best-seller however.

Datsun Go

Further down: no improvement for the Tata Nano down 3 spots on last month to #38 with just above 1,000 sales, and the Toyota Corolla reappears in the ranking at #46 thanks to the new model now available in the country. Brand-wise, both Maruti (+16%) and Hyundai (+13%) defy the current doom and gloom and reinforce their domination, the latter delivering its highest monthly volume since March 2012. Mahindra rounds up the podium but drops by 23% while Honda and Toyota shine, both gaining 18% year-on-year. Notice also Ford up 51% and Nissan up 46%. Datsun is now #12 both in May and year-to-date with 6,750 sales so far this year.

Previous month: India April 2014: Hyundai Xcent instant hit, Datsun Go sells more than entire Nissan range

Update with Commercial Vehicle sales

Just before March figures come through, I thought I would give you a quick update on India as thanks to LMC Automotive I will now be able to share with you more complete data for this country including Commercial Vehicles (Light, Medium and Heavy). Overall, this means Indian car sales totalled 2.93 million units in 2013 (vs. 2.47 million passenger cars) which doesn't change the country's 2013 worldwide ranking. In February they are at 264,323 registrations (-6%) vs. 212,898 as counted previously. The year-to-date stands at 533,043 sales, down 7% on 2013.

Ashok Leyland Boss

Model-wise, we are notably adding the Tata Ace at a beautiful 7th place with 8,699 sales in February (-7%) and #6 with 18,611 year-to-date (+21%) and the Mahindra Bolero Pick-ups at #13 with 5,027 units in February (+26%) and 10,246 year-to-date (+34%). This is absolutely in line with my observations from last week in Delhi and Agra. Brand-wise, I now have a Full Top 25 for you. The excitement! We see that Tata is back up to #4 thanks to its core strength in Commercial Vehicles, Ashok Leyland up to #11, Force up to #13, Piaggio #19 and (new to me) Eicher #23. We can also now follow the premium race to the top with Audi (+34%) and BMW (+31%) catching up on Mercedes (+4%).

Hyundai Xcent instant hit, Datsun Go up 30%, sells more than entire Nissan range already

New car sales in India continue on their downward spiral at -8% year-on-year in April to 183,388 registrations. This brings the year-to-date total after 4 months to 843,716 units, down 5% on 2013. Is it the start of the Datsun Go-effect? The Maruti Alto has a particularly weak month in April at just 16,763 units, down 16% on April 2013, and as a result only owes its pole position for the month to a few hundred units more than the Swift Dzire (16,008) and Swift (15,874). The Hyundai Grand i10 manages to gain two spots on March to break into the Top 4 for the very first time thanks to 9,612 sales and 5.2% share, passing both the Maruti Wagon R and Mahindra Bolero.

The Datsun Go already sells more than the entire Nissan range in India!

But the big event this month is the thunderous arrival inside the Top 10 of the all-new Hyundai Xcent, basically a sedan variant of the Grand i10: it is up a huge 25 ranks on March to land in 8th position with 6,663 sales and 3.6% share for its first full month in market. This already makes the Xcent Hyundai's 2nd best-seller above the Eon (#9) and i20 (#16). Another very well executed market-exclusive launch for the Korean manufacturer, as the Xcent is only sold in India for now. In the Top 10, notice also the Honda City staying extremely strong at #7 and Maruti Celerio brilliantly climbing back to #10.

The Honda City stays extremely solid in 7th place.

The other model we are following with great interest since its first appearance in the Indian sales charts last month is the Datsun Go. The Go targets the Maruti Alto and of course cannot pretend at such a fast shoot up to the stars as the Hyundai Xcent just delivered, as it is actually launching a (kinda) new brand in the country and a new philosophy for the Renault-Alliance as I described in Strategy: Understanding the Indian car market. In this context, the 30% sales increase on March to 2,690 units and 9 spot-jump to #22 is very satisfying. Keeping in mind April is down 20% on March, we are looking at a seasonally corrected 40% month-on-month hike for Datsun's baby. Symbolically, although the Go was below the Tata Nano last month (2,068 vs. 2,452), it sells nearly 3 times as much in April (2,690 vs. 1,027). Lastly and even more symbolically, this month the Datsun Go already sold more units than the entire Nissan range in India!

Maruti DZire and Swift lead, Alto down to #3 for first time in one decade!

For the first time since last August, the Indian new car market gains ground year-on-year: up 5% 202,659 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 1,046,375 units, down 3% on 2013. Big events atop the models sales charts: first, the Suzuki Swift DZire is the most popular vehicle in the country for only the second time ever after May 2013 thanks to 18,953 sales and 9.4% share. This is only the third month in the past 119 that the Alto is not India's best-seller, the other one was in April 2012 when the Maruti Swift took the lead. Second, the Maruti Swift also outsells the traditional leader, the Maruti Alto, at 17,936 units and 8.9% vs. 17,311 and 8.5%, kicking the Maruti Alto into third place for the first time since June 2004, exactly a decade ago...

Hyundai Xcent

Meanwhile the Maruti Wagon reclaims the 4th place it holds year-to-date off the Hyundai Grand i10 with 11,757 sales vs. 9,317 while the Mahindra Bolero remains 6th at 8,846 units. The Hyundai Xcent confirms its runaway hit status by gaining one further spot on April to a record #7 with 7,792 sales and 3.8%, overtaking the Honda City extremely strong once again at 3.6% share. The Maruti Celerio is down one rank to #11 but continues to impress, the Toyota Innova is above 5,000 sales for the first time since last October at a brilliant 12th place and the Datsun Go cools down at -26% on April to #28 and 1,992 sales, still Nissan's best-seller however.

Datsun Go

Further down: no improvement for the Tata Nano down 3 spots on last month to #38 with just above 1,000 sales, and the Toyota Corolla reappears in the ranking at #46 thanks to the new model now available in the country. Brand-wise, both Maruti (+16%) and Hyundai (+13%) defy the current doom and gloom and reinforce their domination, the latter delivering its highest monthly volume since March 2012. Mahindra rounds up the podium but drops by 23% while Honda and Toyota shine, both gaining 18% year-on-year. Notice also Ford up 51% and Nissan up 46%. Datsun is now #12 both in May and year-to-date with 6,750 sales so far this year.

Previous month: India April 2014: Hyundai Xcent instant hit, Datsun Go sells more than entire Nissan range

One year ago: India May 2013: Maruti DZire leads the ranking for the first time!

Hero Electric, a part of the Hero Eco Group, has launched the Hero Photon scooter in India at INR 54,110 (ex-showroom Delhi).

The company has been test marketing the scooter in some regions and says that the product received very good response. The Hero Electric Photon adopts a conventional scooter styling with round headlamp, apron mounted indicators and large seat.

The Hero Electric Photon has a claimed top speed of 45 km/h.

The Photon is powered by a water proof 1,500 Watt brushless DC motor. The motor is operated by a 24 MHz electronic controller. The battery is a 33 AH/48 V AGM VRLA unit which uses a patented electrolyte.

The battery can be charged by a multi-stage charger with in-built memory (regulates the charge based on the battery condition) and circuit breaker (for added safety). The scooter has a claimed range of 50 km and 80 km in Power and Economy modes respectively.

Noteworthy features on the scooter include a front disc brake and anti-theft alarm.

The electric scooter is available in three color options – Vivid Burgundy, Vanilla White and Velvet Black. Since banks do not finance electric scooters, Hero Electric will facilitate financing for 8 months through its dealers.

The Hero Electric Photon will be available in 5 metro cities across the country – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore. Unlike other electric scooters, the Photon requires regular two-wheeler license and registration.

Read more: http://indianautosblog.com/2014/08/hero-electric-photon-scooter-141364#ixzz3AHiGMdM0
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Urban families know a thing or two about squeezing the most out of small spaces — and those who own cars usually have the dings and dents to prove it. Being an urban mom, I'm intimately acquainted with three-quarter-car garages, compact parking spaces, skinny alleys and narrow side streets. Heck, even our grocery store parking lots are spatially challenged, making what you drive in the city a crucial decision. For city-dwellers who aren’t concerned about backseat space for child-safety seats, check out our Top 10 Urban Cars.

Read More #FamilyCarAdvice

Families in cities want something that's both compact and maneuverable, so that navigating city streets and parking lots isn't a chore, but also a vehicle large enough to comfortably accommodate family members and all their stuff. Sounds like a tall order, right? It is, but not an impossible one. Despite what you might think, small carscan work for a family, especially if you do your research.

Here are five good vehicles for urban families:

2014 Fiat 500L

L stands for large-ish, signifying the stretched version of Fiat's tiny 500. The 2014 500L is surprisingly roomy in terms of passenger and cargo space, with 35.2 inches of rear legroom and 23.1 cubic feet of cargo space behind the backseat. Rear passengers will like the hatchback's sliding bench seat for added flexibility, and drivers will like its tall ride height and excellent forward and rear visibility. Installing child-safety seats is also a breeze thanks to a wide, flat seat-bottom cushion and exposed Latch anchors.

Bonus: This car just may be the most stylish, both on this list and on your block!

2015 Honda Fit

The Fit is a subcompact, but don't tell it that. Its very un-subcompact, flexible backseat earns it a place on this list. For 2015, legroom jumps by almost 5 inches, to 39.3 inches. Although cargo room shrinks a bit to 16.6 cubic feet, the standard Magic Seat helps make the most out of every inch of available storage space. The 60/40-split seat's bottom cushions fold up and lock in place to expose more than 4 feet of vertical storage space in the second row. The seats also fold flat into the floor to create 52.7 cubic feet of cargo room.

Honda's hatchback is also fun to drive and great on gas. All models are equipped with a standard backup camera.

2014 Mazda5

Don't let its awkward style fool you. The Mazda5 may look like an odd little van, but it's just the ticket for families looking to pack a lot into a small space and have some fun along the way. The Mazda5's sliding doors technically qualify it for minivan status, but it's about the length of a compact sedan. That means it's much smaller than a traditional van but also much more maneuverable and fun to drive than its larger, family-hauling cousins.

Urban families with kids in car seats take note: The Mazda5offers seating for six passengers, and there are two top-tether anchors in both the second and third rows; these are necessary for installing forward-facing convertible car seats. The side curtain airbags also extend to the third row, covering precious cargo back there. Although cargo room behind the third row is a measly 5.6 cubic feet, both rows fold easily for more space, and there are convenient cubbies for stashing small items under the second-row seat cushions.

Full disclosure, with twins turning my family of three into one of five this summer, my husband and I recently bought a Mazda5. Since we live in downtown Chicago and need a vehicle that holds three car seats, the Mazda5's compact footprint, flexible interior seating setup and overall maneuverability make it a great fit for us.

2014 Nissan Rogue

Nissan's compact crossover was redesigned for 2014 with sleeker styling, additional passenger and cargo room, and a more inviting cabin. The Rogue impresses us with its in-a-pinch third-row option and clever cargo management system. The 2014 Rogue has 39.3 cubic feet of storage space behind the second row, which is more than 10 cubic feet more than the 2013 model. The Divide-N-Hide cargo system in two-row models gives you a ton of cargo-carrying options, helping compartmentalize the space with easy-to-use, multilevel grooves built into the cargo-area walls.

Not only is the new Rogue a comfortable, flexible option for families, it also goes easy on the wallet as the most affordable vehicle in its class.

2014 Kia Soul

The last car on our list provides substance and style … and hamsters! Kia's quirky box-on-wheels was redesigned for 2014 with curvier styling, a new touch-screen multimedia system and slightly larger dimensions. It may not look like a family vehicle contender, but families will be surprised by the Soul's comfort and space.

With a high roofline and low, flat floor, the Soul is easy to get in and out of, and backseat passengers get a generous 39.1 inches of legroom. Two child-safety seats have plenty of space, and accessible Latch anchors make for easy car-seat installs. In back, the Soul's wide cargo opening, low load floor and competitive 24.2 cubic feet of cargo space help take the pain out of schlepping strollers and sports gear in and out of the car.