VW Group to import Porsches in India

The Volkswagen Group has announced that it will now act as the official importer and distributor of all Porsche cars into India.

Porsche is finally coming to India on its own. The Volkswagen Group has announced that it will now act as the official importer and distributor of all Porsche cars into India. Since 2007, Precision Cars India was the sole importer of Porsche cars in India. Post new arrangement, it will only sell and service Porsche models through its setup in India.

Within the VW Group Sales India Private Limited (Pvt. Ltd.), the Porsche division will focus on all distribution-related areas for Porsche in India; and increasing the brands presence through the further development of the Porsche dealer network. Anil Reddi, a market expert with almost 16 years of national and international automotive experience, will head the operation.

Head of Porsche Division at VW Group Sales, Anil Reddi says; “Building on the growing success of Porsche in India isn't a challenge; it's something we are looking forward to embracing with pride.

George Wills, MD, Porsche Middle East and Africa, adds; “With this new agreement, we are looking forward to exploring the opportunities across India even further. Development of emerging markets is clearly important for Porsche's future, and we are confident sales in the sub-continent will continue to grow in the coming years, especially with new Porsche models being introduced in the future.”

The first model to be launched under the new cooperation will be the next-gen Porsche 911 Carrera. As well as the continuing growth in sales of the Cayenne, Reddi expects a great deal of interest in the soon to be launched Panamera Diesel, and excitement is already building over the recently announced launch of the Macan – the new Porsche SUV which is expected to roll off the German production lines in 2013.

Yamaha FZ range gets visual updates

FZ range gets new graphics and colour shades.

Yamaha has added new colour shades and graphics to its FZ-S, FZ and Fazer range. These models also get a wider and longer pillion seat and a new grab handle. 

The updated bikes also come with a large and wide rear fender to help prevent mud splash, as well as a new chain protector. The FZ also gets a new instrument console containing the speedometer, tachometer, trip meter, fuel gauge and other indicators.

 

The new FZ is priced at Rs 69,250, the FZ-S at Rs 71,280, while the Fazer costs Rs 76, 380. (all prices ex-showroom Delhi)

Ferrari shows new hybrid V12 engine concept

Ferrari unveils its greenest engine at the Beijing Motor Show, an indicator of what to expect on the Enzo replacement.

Ferrari has unveiled its latest and easily most efficient engine concept at the Beijing Motor Show. The tech-heavy concept marries a traditional V12 engine with an electric motor via a dual-clutch gearbox and is an evolution of the HY-KERS motor of 2010. The earlier engine was conceptualised for a front-engined architecture, but the new one has been adapted to a mid-rear engine layout. Buzz suggests this engine will make it to the upcoming Enzo replacement due next year.

The engine borrows heavily from Ferrari’s F1 program, especially in the design of the KERS system to optimise torque management, traction control and brake distribution.

Regenerative braking allows the electric motor to juice up the batteries that also supply power to a second electric motor positioned ahead of the engine. This motor solely powers auxiliary systems like the power steering and air conditioning. Interestingly, the use of lightweight components means the combined gearbox and KERS system weighs only as much as the gearbox on a conventional car.

Also unique is how the V12 fires multiple (at least three sparks) per stroke in the interest of best combustion efficiency. Ferrari claims the combination of a more efficient V12 and electric motors reduces emissions by as much as 40 percent compared to a conventional V12. 

New Mercedes M-Class coming this May

All-new M-Class promises to be the most comfortable luxury SUV, better driving manners on the cards too. 258bhp ML 350 diesel to come first

Mercedes-Benz will launch the stylish new M-class this month at an ex-showroom, Mumbai price of around Rs 69 lakh. The first few lots of cars will be fully imported and fully loaded too. Dealers were pushing to keep the price under Rs 60 lakh, since the new M-class is only a five-seater, but post Budget, things have changed. Cars that come at a later stage will have more aggressive pricing

as they will be heavily localised, with even the diesel engine assembled by Force Motors.

The new M is 23mm longer and 15mm wider than the old car, and it sits 20mm lower too. These changes give the car a dynamic look compared to its predecessor. The pronounced wheel arches and eye-like headlights add to the SUV’s appeal.

The new Merc SUV is a much sweeter car to drive too. Mercedes has extensively reworked its predecessor’s chassis and double wishbone suspension to improve the dynamic properties and feedback of the over-two-tonne SUV.

The ML 350 CDI will be launched first, but there may be other engines on offer later. The 350 CDI develops 258bhp, 34 more than the old car, and a substantial 63.2kgm of torque.  Mated to Mercedes’ seven-speed 7G-Tronic auto ’box, the SUV gets tech like start-stop and permanent four-wheel drive as standard and an optional six-stage on/off-road package.

The interior of the SUV is as impressive as the exterior. It is built with high-quality materials, has a superb looking instrument cluster and gets a state-of-the-art entertainment system. The fly in the ointment is that it will, of course, be available only as a five-seater. There is no denying the SUV’s luxury credentials though, and if Mercedes prices it aggressively once assembly starts here, it will be hard to ignore.

New TVS Apache RTR launched

New RTR gets revised styling updates, prices start from Rs 67,505.

TVS has just revamped its Apache RTR series of bikes. The range gets revised styling, although all mechanicals remain unchanged. Chief among the visual updates are a new headlamp cluster that features LED pilot lamps, and a redesigned fuel tank.

Sadly, the bike does not look all that different from the current model and we feel TVS has missed an opportunity for a more comprehensive revision. Even the new dual-tone colours on offer fail to liven up the bike’s styling, which will have to stand its ground next to far more modern competition in the Honda CB Unicorn Dazzler, Yamaha FZ16 and the upcoming new Bajaj Pulsars. Other updates include a carbon-fibre look shroud for the digital instruments and a revised seat.

Given TVS’ R&D capabilities, the meek makeover comes as a huge disappointment. What TVS really needs is to bring out an all-new Apache to take on its modern and increasingly focused competition.  

The new RTR 160 is priced at Rs 67,505 (ex showroom Delhi), while the RTR 180 is priced at Rs 72,090 and the RTR 180 with ABS costs Rs 82,780.

SHOULD VOLKSWAGEN INDIA BRING THE POLO R-LINE HATCHBACK TO REPLACE THE 1.6 LITER PETROL ENGINE MODEL?

Volkswagen is now selling a sporty variant of the Polo Hatchback in the UK market in the form of the R-Line model. The 2012 Volkswagen Polo R-Line model features a three door design and comes with sporty bits like lower front and rear bumpers, blacked out radiator grille, side skirts and 16 inch wheels. The car also has sporty interiors to go with the exteriors in the form of a leather clad steering wheel and seats done up in black fabric. The real deal about the R-Line Polo is at the heart of the matter, the engine. The 1.2 Liter turbo petrol engine that the Polo features comes with a power output of 104 bhp and a torque output of 175 Nm.

This engine is mated to a six speed manual transmission. The turbo petrol engine, being a triple cylinder unit isn’t only about power and torque. Rather, excellent fuel economy is a trait that this three cylinder engine, like most three potters comes with. Volkswagen even claims a heady 17 Kmpl for this car, which is quite a revelation as it would be tough to muster an average of more than 12 Kmpl on the 1.6 Liter four cylinder petrol engined Polo, that is also sold in the Indian market, as the top of the line performance variant in the Polo line up.

Now that Volkswagen does have this peppy 1.2 turbo petrol engine selling in the United Kingdom, we wonder if it wouldn’t be a good option from the German brand to give Indians too a taste of this fast yet frugal hatchback, which promises to be much more fun to drive than the thirsty 1.6 Liter engine, that really needs to be given the stick above 3,000 rpm for progress to be swift. In contrast, the turbocharger equipped 1.2 Liter TSI mill will be much more torquier right from the word go and that’s what is expected to put the fun-to-drive factor in the Polo.

Performance figures for the R-Line 1.2 Liter TSI engined Polo is quite impressive to say the least. The nought to hundred sprint will be dispatched in a quick 9.7 seconds, which is faster than many other expensive cars. Top speed is 190 Kph, which again is fast for what is essentially a budget hatchback. The Polo sells for about 15,195 GBP, which when converted comes to about INR 13 lakhs, that makes this car a little too expensive for Indian sensibilities. If Volkswagen India can use the localization that they’ve achieved with the Polo hatchback to halve that price and retain the extra couple of doors, perhaps they’ll find plenty of takers.

LAMBORGHINI PLANS TRACK DAYS TO GET MORE INDIANS TO BUY ITS SUPERCARS

Allowing a chance for prospective supercar buyers to experience these high performance machines in their natural environment is what Italian supercar maker Lamborghini plans to do in India even as it is firming up plans of organizing annual track days at the Buddh International F1 Circuit. This annual track day is designed to give a select group of prospective Lamborghini owners a feel of what the Italian supercar marquee is all about. This event is scheduled to be organized in the time period between October and November this winter. Lamborghini plans to make this an annual affair in India from this year on.

Lamborghini plans to sell about 15 to 20 cars in 2012 and increase this number to about 50 by 2015. This increase in number of cars sold in India is expected to be led by Lamborghini’ SUV that will be put into production in the coming years. The Lamborghini Urus SUV, much like the Porsche Cayenne is expected to be the top selling model in the Indian car market as SUVs are more suited to Indian road conditions than low slung supercars that might find the going a little too pothole-y. The Cayenne has been a top seller for Porsche in India, outselling all other models many times to one.

Other high performance car manufacturers like Ferrari and Mercedes Benz have already begun organizing track days on the Buddh International Circuit and the latter even has the AMG performance academy up and running, replete with instructors and cars to train drivers to handle these fast and powerful high performance cars. With a slew of supercar makers peddling their wares in India, expect to see more such track days in the coming months as organizing track days for prospective supercar owners is a regular phenomenon in other countries as well.

Apart from allowing owners experience their cars in a safe environment where these cars can actually be pushed to high speeds, track days also allow owners to understand the finer working of their high performance cars. This often helps them to become better drivers overall and these skills can be invaluable assets on public roads, where the skills learnt on the track can be used by the owners to avoid many a mishap. So, there are plenty of benefits that track days bring to the table and here’s looking forward to many more such events in India.

TATA NANO SMALL CAR SALES SLIP IN APRIL 2012 TO WELL BELOW 10,000 UNITS

The 2012 Tata Nano hatchback’s fortunes have on the ascendancy for quite some time now with the car showing a steady increase in sales over the last 6 months. In April 2012 though, sales of the Nano has slipped to below the 10,000 units/month mark with the hatchback managing to sell 8,028 units. This is a good 20% fall from the sales numbers that the Nano saw last month. While it is a little too early to judge whether the Nano has hit a wall when it comes to sales growth, we’ll have to wait for a few more months to see how the Nano’s sales go from here on considering that Tata Motors’ top management is quite confident about the Nano consistently being able to keep above the 10,000 monthly sales figure.

Tata has been testing the diesel variant of the Nano, which is expected to be a big volumes spinner considering that it could come with a fuel economy number of over 40 Kmpl, making it one of the most fuel efficient cars in the world. However, the diesel variant of the Nano is still at least a year away from being launched in India. In the meanwhile, Tata could slip in the CNG Bi-fuel version of the Nano, which was showcased at the 2012 Indian Auto Expo. The CNG version of the Nano could be a good bet in the bigger cities where CNG dispensing infrastructure is fairly well developed.

Also on the anvil are a few design changes on the Nano including an open-able rear boot like other conventional hatchbacks and new front-rear bumper design. While a time frame for these changes haven’t been specified yet, expect to see these changes to be effected on the Nano during the next refresh of this car which should happen in a year or so. Tata has already launched a revamp0ed version of the Nano late last year in the form of the 2012 version of the car, which came with a host of changes including higher power and torque numbers.

Tata has also began exporting the Nano to various neighboring countries around India. A assembly plant is being mulled in Indonesia which could add to the volumes of the Nano. Notably, Tata needs to produce about 150,000 Nanos a year or about 12,500 Nanos each month from the Sanand plant in Gujarat to make the Nano a sustainable product financially for the car maker. The CNG and the diesel variant of the Nano should be able to comfortably better these numbers and that’s what Tata would be hoping for.

READER REVIEW OF FACELIFTED 2012 TVS APACHE RTR160 SPORTS MOTORCYCLE

Existing owners of a motorcycles are usually the best judges of facelifted or new versions of the same motorcycle. One such owner is ICB reader Dinesh Kumar, who owns a TVS Apache RTR160. Dinesh went ahead and test rode the recently launched facelifted version of the Apache and here’s what he had say about this motorcycle.

“NEW BREED OF TEARS” New Apache RTR 160 – FIRST IMPRESSION!

The new beast is tested and tried.  It is a tamed beast and lacks the punch.  ”New breed of fear” is the tag line.  I would say leave alone the fear factor, it is a “nightmare” for Apache fans. It is slow and sluggish unlike the outgoing version, which is brisk and swift and loves to zip through.  They have tried to refine the engine, but nothing seems to have worked this time around for TVS.  The engine is tuned to go farther in each gear.

We no longer have the shorter gear ratios that take us to the top gear in absolutely no time.  I guess this was in an effort to give a smoother ride and improve fuel efficiency.  The vibrations do still exist and they have failed to deliver a smoother ride.  I rode my RTR 160, which is just four months old, immediately after the test ride and mine felt much smoother.  It will take some more time for the fuel efficiency figures to surface.

On the other hand, they have also lost out on the pure aggression of the older model.  The new one doesn’t have a sporty feel.  It seems more like a commuter motorcycle. The switch gear is new, but feels out of place.  I needed to reach for the switches – the turn indicators’ switch, horn switch, etc.  The tyres are wider and tubeless, which are two positives.  The wheelbase 

They seemed to have worked on the ergonomics and the seating posture seems nice and comfy, but it now lacks the sporty feel.  The seat is a little longer unlike the older one where-in there would be no room for a pillion if you had a back-pack on.  Now, the pillion gets somewhat more space than before. I must admit I never did feel like I was riding an Apache all along.  The vehicle also appeared to have put on a few kilos.

It appeared a bit heavier than the previous model.  I got a pretty decent test ride and maneuvering through the traffic was not as easy as it was with the older model.  The tank shrouds are huge and without the air scoops look like chunks of plastic sticking out. The price as I mentioned yesterday is 79k on-road in Hyderabad.  There are four color options – gray, green, yellow, and red.  All come with the dual tone theme where black is the other standard color.

Many will find this model to be “most un-Apache like.”  I guess that is the bottom line.  “New beast, old bloodline” was the tagline, but I would say “this is not at all a beast…to say the least”. Time to end this on a positive note guys.  The new 180 is yet to hit the showrooms here in Hyderabad.  I hope they do not mess with it.  Going by the latest spy pics, the 180 does look much better.  I hope it handles better as well.  I will keep you guys posted as soon as I can get my hands on the 180 here in Hyderabad.  Until then, wear your helmets, ride safe, put your headlights on low beam, and do not use a cell phone while riding.  Bye and God bless.

2012 APRILIA RS4 125 NOT COMING TO INDIA ANYTIME SOON

Piaggio India has launched a range of high end sportsbikes from Brand Aprilia in the Indian market last year. Back then, there was some talk about the brand launching the Aprilia RS4 125 sportsbike to rival the likes of the Yamaha R15 and the Honda CBR150R. This though will not be the case as our sources indicate that Piaggio has no plans to launch the race replica model in the Indian market. Firstly, the cost of such a motorcycle would be quite high. Due to this, the volumes that such a motorcycle would generate might not be viable enough for serial production in India making this a very niche product.

Given that the Yamaha R15 and the Honda CBR150R are produced in India, Piaggio would find it very hard to justify a premium for a lower capacity motorcycle. So, the firm is said to have dropped plans to launching the Aprilia RS4 125 sports motorcycle in India. Coming to the motorcycle itself, the 2012 Aprilia RS4 125, like its name suggests features a 125cc engine. The single cylinder four stroke, DOHC engine  runs on a 4 valve layout and is liquid cooled. The engine features a short stroke layout and is mated to a six speed manual transmission. The engine produces a peak power of 14.8 Bhp at 10,500 rpm and a peak torque of 11.8 Nm at 8,000 rpm.

The 2012 Aprilia RS4 125 is fully faired and features a high spec of kit all around. For instance, the front suspension consists of 41mm upside down forks while the rear suspension is an adjustable monoshock unit. Braking at the front is handled by a 300mm disc brake with a four piston caliper while the rear brake is a 218mm disc brake with a single piston caliper. The motorcycle rides on 17 inch wheels. The 2012 Aprilia RS4 125 is sold as an entry level motorcycle in Europe with its competition including the Yamaha R125 and the KTM Duke 125.

The Aprilia RS4 125 comes with technology derived directly from the race track. One such feature is the Quick Shift system that is found on the bigger engined Aprilia like the RSV4. The Quick Shift system allows the rider to shift up the gears under throttle without having to use the clutch. This system is available as an accessory for riders who might want to make use of the quicker shifting times that such a system brings to the table. On the whole, the RS4 125 is a motorcycle that is designed to initiate younger riders into riding on the race track.

AUDI TO BUILD Q2, Q4, Q6 AND Q8 CROSSOVERS

German luxury car brand Audi’s Q range of crossovers have been big sellers for the brand across the world and the car maker is planning a major model expansion to add a slew of crossovers in the coming years. In an ambitious expansion move, Audi will launch the Q2, Q4, Q6 and Q8 range of crossovers to target new segments of buyers, while also offering a very wide range of choice for car buyers across the world. These new range of crossovers will be sold in both developed as well as developing markets although Audi is currently tight lipped about which models will be sold where.

Now, Audi plans to position the even number range of crossovers as predominantly road going models. Therefore, the Q2, Q4, Q6 and Q8 range of crossovers will sit lower than the odd monikered models. They are also touted to feature a dynamic set up inclined towards the road rather than off it. On the other hand, Audi also plans to give the Q3, Q5 and Q7 crossovers an off road appeal although these cars will still traditionally be crossovers rather than SUVs. Audi plans to endow the next generation Q3, Q5 and Q7 higher ground clearance and other features that will allow these vehicles to perform better under off road conditions.

That said, the next generation versions of the Q3, Q5 and Q7 will still retain the crossover underpinnings which means that these vehicles won’t be out and out SUVs that are specialized to take on off road terrain. As is the case now, these crossovers will still be capable of light off roading, albeit with better ability overall. Many models in the next generation Q range of Audi crossovers are expected to share parts with the likes of other Volkswagen group vehicles like Porsche, Bentley and Lamborghini. The Porsche Macan, the Bentley SUV and the Lamborghini SUV are the three models which will share common platforms with the next generation Audi crossover range.

The sharing of platforms will allow the Volkswagen group companies like Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche and Bentley save on both development costs as well as on parts. This could allow for more profits per crossover sold while also giving the car makers the option of pricing their products more competitively at the market place. Expect a few of these crossovers from the Volkswagen group to come to the Indian market as well in due course of time.