Indian Car Blog – Carazoo.com

Audi A7 Sportback Makes Its World Premiere… In India By 2012?

Audi-A7-sportback
Audi is believed to be eyeing a new market segment and thus revealed its five-door A7 Sportback in Munich the other day. It’s a different thing that the pictures of the car were leaked and were all over the Internet even before the actual launch. Now, the good news is that this car may come to India next year or in 2012. The car maker had intentions of launching the A7 in India last year itself. The Sportback Concept was then unveiled at the Auto Expo 2010 by Audi India. Now, we hear that Audi is finalizing its plans for the car’s launch in the domestic market. Does that make you happy? Then, read on!

The A7 Sportback is a real wonder! It is indeed an extremely light, technologically advanced wonder with a body of aluminium and high-tech steels. The four V6 engines work to deliver refined power with and outstanding mileage figures. Not just that. While spewing out 204 bhp, the 3.0 TDI with Multitronic CVT respects the green factor and emits just 139 grams of CO2 per kilometre. The A7 Sportback comes with a host of innovative features. The car’s brawny chassis comes with electromechanical power steering.

The new car does not let down the Audi tradition of offering assistance and infotainment systems along with innovative power that is expected of an Audi. The car will initially be offered with a choice of four refined V6 engines: two gasoline and two TDI units that will expel power in the range of 204-300 bhp. Impressive! The efficiency of these engines is believed to be setting new standards in that class of vehicles. So, competitors, better beware! The 204-bhp new 3.0 TDI with the Multitronic CVT is said to deliver an average mileage of 18.8 kmpl.

Here’s a little note on the dimensions of the five-door luxury coupe: 4.97 metres in length, 1.91 metres in width, but only 1.42 metres high. The A7 Sportback has a stretched hood, a petite front overhang and a long wheelbase, with the magnificently flowing C-pillars and the sharply dropping rear creating a vibrant overall impression.

The optional LED headlights highlight the instantly recognizable expression of the A7 Sportback and provide all light functions with light-emitting diodes. The energy consumption is minimal though. Bi-xenon headlights and LED tail lights come standard in the A7 Sportback. The classic fog lights, however, have been replaced with the novel all-weather light function that has been incorporated in the headlights.

It has been revealed that online services team up with Google to connect the five-door Audi coupe to the Internet via the Bluetooth car phone. There’s a UMTS module that delivers images and information from Google Earth to the monitor and combines them with the navigation route. For connection to mobile devices, there’s a WLAN hotspot. Further to the Bose sound system, the top-of-the-line option is the Advanced Sound System from Bang & Olufsen featuring 1,300 watts of power and 15 speakers.

So, we now know why the car has been named A7; it sits exactly between the Audi A6 and the Audi A8 and also steals a few design cues from them. This car is believed to take on the likes of the Mercedes Benz CLS, Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide and the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo. Let’s wait and watch what happens if the new car makes its entry, as said, in 2011-2012.

posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post

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July 28, 2010

Porsche Glides Smoothly Towards Premium Car Sales Target in India

Porsche Logo
As far as the Indian market is concerned, Porsche seems to be in the top gear. The German sports carmaker recently launched the new 2011 Cayenne range in India, and has already managed to floor the Indian sports car lovers. Indians find themselves besotted with the new Cayenne range, and the company claims that it has already got about 70 bookings for the new car.

Talking about bookings, there is another Porsche model that is bringing in the big moolah for the car maker. We are talking about Porsche Panamera, which was launched in October 2009. The Panamera, despite its high heeled price that ranges from Rs 1.4 crore to Rs 2 crore, has bagged as many as 25 orders. Sixteen of these will be delivered within this year. And considering that Porsche had set itself a sales target of 50 units within a year, the company seems determined to achieve what it wants.

2011-Porsche-Cayenne

It is not only the Indian market where Porsche is cruising so fast, international sales reveal quite a similar storyline. Till March 2010, Porsche has sold 16,000 Panameras globally. During its global launch last year, Porsche had vowed to sell a minimum of 20,000 units.

Out of the total Porsche sales in India, Cayenne accounts for more than 65%, the rest are sports cars. Porsche sells Cayenne, Boxster, Cayman, Panamera and 911 range in the country through Precision Cars India, the official Porsche importer for India. The price of these exclusive cars varies from a base price of Rs 59 lakh to Rs 2.05 crore in India. Nevertheless, the German company sold 94 new cars last year.

The recently launched second-generation Porsche Cayenne range, including the Cayenne S Hybrid, starts at a price tag of Rs 65 lakh and goes up to Rs 1.2 crore, ex-showroom India.

James Bourne, regional operations head, Porsche Middle East, said, “We are looking to strengthen our footprint and reach out to our target customers. We are expanding our dealership from two to five.”

We have earlier speculated that Porsche may decide to assemble the Cayenne in India to bring down the prices. Bourne indignantly disproved the suggestion.

But if it happens, it will be Porsche’s very first such operation outside Germany. Presently, Porsche produces its vehicle at its plants in Zuffenhausen and Leipzig. By assembling the Cayenne in India, Porsche can bring down the cost significantly and make the loved-by-all car more affordable in the country.

Porsche Panamera

Earlier even Ashish Chordia, CEO of Porsche India, has denied any such upcoming plans of the company. “Porsche stands for ‘Made in Germany’ quality, and currently there are no plans of either assembling or manufacturing Porsches in India,” he said.

Whether that happens or not, we will just have to wait and watch. But no one can stop us from hoping for the best, can anyone?

posted by carazooblog @ Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post

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July 27, 2010

Indians Like it Old

People who said that ‘old is gold’ did not do so in vain. Considering the number of new entrants in the small car market in India, we would think that the older ones would find it difficult to survive. But the story is quite a different one.

Despite the charming looks and advance features of the new cars, Indians continue to be loyal with their love for all cars old. Old models like Suzuki Alto, M800, Hyundai Santro, Mahindra Bolero, Ford Ikon, Hyundai Accent and Tata Indica continue to give the new models a run for their money.

And if you have noticed, three of the top four highest-selling models in India, Alto, Santro and Indica, are all more or less a decade old.

Maruti Suzuki chairman RC Bhargava says, “The largest-selling cars in India are still the cheapest cars. Alto is the biggest volume gainer for Maruti because at a low price, it is a full-service car. Also customers get similar features in all cars and the basic technology is not that different. So, why not go for something tried and tested?”

In other markets, most models have a certain shelf life, but in India car manufacturers operate in a different way. And when new refurbished variant of a model is launched, it exists alongside the old model, thereby adding incremental volumes to the overall brand. Car makers believe that Indians have a propensity to go with something that has been time tested and look for the best value for their money.

Maruti sells almost one lakh cars every month, and out of that about 20,000 unit sales come from the 10 year-old bestseller, Alto. The company is planning to launch a new-age K10 Alto, and expecting to clock around 350,000 units a year using both the models.

And here is another best seller from Maruti that has stood the tests of time. Maruti Suzuki WagonR, which was recently revamped, sells around 11,000-12,000 units every month.

Taking the old glory to new heights is the oldest Maruti model – the Maruti 800. Despite being phased out in 13 cities due to the new emission norms, M800 still manages to sell around 2,000 units a month, and is on wait list in markets such as Srinagar.

The second largest selling model in the small car segment is another model which is more than a decade old now – the Hyundai Santro. Hyundai Santro (going on 12) still brings in the sales numbers that are closer to 7,000 a month.

It is very obvious now why the company does not plan to phase out this car. Though the Santro has gone through a number of facelifts in the past, Hyundai does not plan to do any nips and tucks for some time now.

“Last year, we introduced some minor changes such as beige interiors and grille in the Santro and we don’t want to do anything major right now,” said Arvind Saxena, director, sales and marketing, Hyundai Motor India. “The Santro is selling well and making changes will increase cost and lead to a price mark up.”

Hyundai, very much like Maruti, has other models in its portfolio which are bringing in the good fortunes even after a long time on the roads, such as the Accent. Hyundai sells around 1100-1200 Accents a month, which can be considered quite a decent number in the mid-size sedan segment.

The third one in the largest selling small car is the Tata Indica. Tata rolled out the first Indica in 1998, and since then the car has undergone a few facelifts, with the most significant ones happening during in 2001 (Indica V2) and 2006 (Indica V2 Xeta) and 2008 (Indica Vista). The Tata Indica sells almost as many as 11,000 units a month.

Marketers are totally surprised with this peculiar trend that is unique to the Indian market. “It may have to do with credibility and affordability,” says the head of sales of a volume car company. “In some cases consumers want to buy a brand that’s an established success to derisk a high-value purchase.” Whatever may be the reason, but we certainly don’t hear the old guns complaining.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post

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July 27, 2010

Micra-Based Sedan Spied Testing in China

Nissan-Micra-sedan-1
The season of the big monsters trying to shrink seems to be coming to an end and a new era begins. We heard of the Logan trying to grow smaller to fit into the small car category. We had a few others following suit. Now, we have the smaller ones trying to growing bigger. The Polo-based sedan Vento was unveiled on July 6th. Today, we have info on the Nissan Micra sedan.

We have the spy pics of the Micra-based sedan that’s due for a launch next year. The new car will be pitted against the Honda City and the Volkswagen Vento. The pictures you see here are the first spy pics of that car. The Nissan Micra sedan has been codenamed L02B for now and was spied testing in China.

Nissan-Micra-sedan-2

There’s something unique about this car. It certainly hasn’t followed the design techniques of the Tata Indigo Manza or the Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire. From the pictures, it looks like the new Nissan Micra sedan is a complete redesign. The roofline seems to have taken cues from the Teana and Altima. We can say that the rear end is a mini Teana. The foundation remains the same though. With these exteriors and the increased size, looks like the new car will also fight the Linea in addition to the Vento and City.

With the spy pics so impressive, we can also expect lavish interiors and a longer list of advanced equipment. The car may be strapped with a supercharged 1.2 litre engine that powers the Nissan Micra. The second option would be a four-cylinder version of the same engine displacing close to 1600 cc. Nissan may strap the diesel variant of the sedan with 1.5L motor directly lifted from the Logan. It will possibly be tuned to enhance power output. The Logan engine is available in either 85 bhp or 105 bhp in Renault cars in Europe.

Nissan-Micra-sedan-3

The Micra-based sedan seems to have borrowed the windshield, doors, hood, OVRMs and many other parts from the Micra. With an increased wheelbase, the car definitely looks large. The car is expected to be 4200-4390 mm long. It is believed to be 1690 mm wide and around 1490 mm high. That certainly means the interiors are larger with increased space for occupants.

The rear seat of the Micra happens to be a little cramped. Hope the car maker has thought of that while making the sedan. Nissan will have to make sure that the rear seat is comfortable. For the rest of it, the car sounds promising and Nissan would have to get the pricing right to make it a success in the country. The Micra-based sedan may make an entry during the second quarter of next year and will possibly be launched with both engines at the same time with the possibility of a CVT variant as well. The new car would be manufactured in India as well as Thailand.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post

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July 27, 2010

Jaguar Land Rover Brands Find Spots in Top 5 in J.D. Power Study 2010

Jaguar Leaping cat logo
About two years back, when Tata Motors took over the Jaguar Land Rover brands from Ford Motors, eyebrows were raised, and everybody was concerned about the fate of a royal British brand in the hands of an Indian auto giant that is well known for making basic cars. But Tata Motors not only brought in new models to steer the demand, but also reintroduced the concept of profits in the JLR camp.

Now, there is another moment of pride for Tata Motors. According to J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) StudySM released recently, Jaguar ranks 2nd among nameplates for the third year in row with a score of 854; and Land Rover has improved four positions from 2009 and now is placed at number five among nameplates with an overall score of 836.

The APEAL study takes into account design and performance attributes across 33 brand nameplates that make a new vehicle a pleasure to own and drive, and is based on owner’s ratings on more than 90 vehicle attributes.

“We are proud of our vehicle performance rankings,” says Gary Temple, president of Jaguar Land Rover North America. “Having Jaguar and Land Rover rank highly in this important owner satisfaction study highlights the fact that we are one premium automotive company with two luxury brands committed to providing our customers with high quality vehicles that deliver extraordinary performance, innovative technology, and superior styling.”

And the addition of the all-new 2011 model year Jaguar XJ, and the much hyped upcoming launch of the Range Rover Evoque next year, the two brands can hope for a future that is full of happy sunshine.

Being featured in the top 5 in J.D. Power Study has become a habit of sort for Jaguar, or so it seems. This is the third consecutive year when the brand has been placed at number 2 among nameplates. With an overall score of 854, Jaguar has surpassed the industry average 778 by 76 points. Sweet. With a score of 852, the Jaguar XF ranks 3rd among vehicles in the Premium Car segment, and is highly applauded in the engine/transmission category.

Land Rover has improved its standing this year. With a score of 836, Range Rover has climbed up by four ranking position, from 9th to 5th place. This is the fourth consecutive year when Land Rover has improved its scores.

Range Rover, with high scores in vehicle interior, vehicle exterior, driving dynamics and visibility and driving safety, is the award recipient for Large Premium Crossover/SUV.

Land Rover Logo

This year, the average APEAL score, at 801 on a 1000 point scale, for all-new and redesigned models has gone 11 points higher than previous year. The J.D. Power and Associates APEAL Study follows a unique way of measuring owner satisfaction and how much a customer likes or dislikes virtually every aspect of their new vehicle provides a powerful tool to manufacturers to influence future product development.

The 2010 APEAL Study is based on responses gathered between November 2009 and February 2010 from more than 82,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2010 model-year cars and trucks who were surveyed after the first 90 days of ownership.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post

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July 27, 2010

An All-Electric Porsche Confirmed

Porsche to take on Tesla Roadster with its new electric Boxster
Just think of a high-performance electric car. That certainly isn’t too easy to imagine. Electricity and high-performance automobiles may or may not mix; it all depends on your frame of reference. But, whatever the type of person you are, a Tesla fan or a Formula one fanatic, a sports car enthusiast or an electric vehicle supporter, a hybrid or all-electric Porsche will definitely excite you, will it not?

We have seen a lot of hybrids from Porsche already; a few have seen production while the rest have remained as concepts. The car maker has now officially confirmed something more stimulating. We hear that the sports car maker is busy building an all-electric automobile. Well, are we really going to see a zero-emission vehicle manufactured by a high-performance car maker? Porsche is working on it and let’s hope the outcome is positively stunning.

Porsche has one aim in mind at the moment; to combine greater efficiency with even lower fuel consumption and emissions. The ultimate goal is to carve an automobile with no emissions at all. We also believe that the all-electric sports car will be pitted against the Tesla roadster. CEO Michael Macht has just revealed that the company will, in due course, offer an electric sports car for sale but only if it “offers product qualities typical of a Porsche”. He said, “We will definitely be offering an electric sports car in future. But such a concept only makes sense if it offers performance and a cruising range comparable to that of a sports car today.”

We hear that the car maker has already built three research vehicles based on the entry-level Porsche Boxster. All of them are believed to carry electric drivetrains. In a test process, the three electric Boxsters will help the car maker by offering data on new electric drive components and battery systems for all-electric vehicle drive.

To assist the company further in its plans, a field test will be conducted to determine what infrastructure would be needed for the electric vehicles and their charging. The field test which will begin next year will also gauge user behaviour and the demands made of future products. Porsche said it will begin testing the three all-electric Boxsters in early 2011 as part of a broader commitment to what it terms “electro-mobility,” including plans to market a pure electric sports car as a supplement to its growing stable of hybrid vehicles.

Tesla_roadster_sport_2010

But, remember the revelation has just been made. So, don’t start imagining things right away. Unlimited torque, instant response, four-wheel motors and continuous traction control, all gathered together with Porsche refinement and handling; reserve those dreams till we get more info on the vehicle development. Also, you can be sure that any production model won’t be arriving very soon.

As far as production models are concerned, Porsche has just introduced the Cayenne S Hybrid and has announced plans to begin selling the hybrid variant of the Panamera S next year.

posted by carazooblog @ Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post

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July 26, 2010

Tata Motors Strikes A Barter Deal

Commonwealth-Games-Delhi-2010
Commonwealth Games are just a few months away now, and everyone wants to make the most of it. And auto makers in India do not want to let go of this golden opportunity to supply their vehicles during the games. Tata Motors has played it smart to smoothly snag the deal from other competitors like Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra and Toyota Kirloskar. Quick and simple did it for Tata Motors.

Tata Motors, India’s largest auto maker, has entered into a barter sponsorship deal with the Commonwealth Games, wherein it will supply as many as 1,800 new cars to the organisers of the games to ferry athletes. And in exchange, the car maker would get to advertise as a logistics solutions sponsor for the 12 day sporting event.

This arrangement between the two parties strikes us as quite a unique one. Tata Motors would provide these vehicles in exchange for association with the event. And when the games are over, the car manufacturing company would take back all the vehicles.

And what do you think would be the cost of these vehicles? Almost in the range of Rs.140-150 crore. It is still a very beneficial deal for Tata Motors, as it can sell these vehicles after the sporting event through its used-car business ‘Tata Motors Assured’. Even though the value of the nearly fresh vehicles may depreciate by around 20%, the sales of the vehicles would fetch the logistics sponsors rights for around just around Rs.30 crore.

Tata Motors has refused to comment on the broader details of the deal: “We are supplying these vehicles for advertisement benefits and would not like to disclose the commercial implication of the entire deal,” its spokesman said.

Tata Motors would supply 1,600 cars (Indica and Indigo), along with 100 Sumo Grandes and 50 Safaris from its SUV range. Additionally, it will also supply 20 Wingers and 30 trucks for the movement of players and organisers.

Tata Motors is also quite busy with the supply of complete transport solution to the ongoing Queen’s Baton Relay, with its flagship SUV Land Rover Discovery 4, Sumo Grandes and other vehicles being utilised for the country-wide event.

Tata Motors had to fight it out with other auto companies like Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra & Mahindra and Toyota Kirloskar, who were also looking out to supply vehicles during the Commonwealth Games, but failed to get any supply contracts, as per the spokesman of the organising committee.

But certainly, the Commonwealth Games committee has other arrangements for the movement of dignitaries and other important functionaries. And what can define luxury in India better than Mercedes Benz. The German car maker is expected to provide around 50 vehicles, including sedans and SUVs for the games. The deal has not been finalised yet, the company executives revealed.

“The exact quantum of the deal would be determined by the class of vehicles that would be taken by the organisers. A final decision on the deal has not been taken yet,” a senior Mercedes-Benz India executive said.

posted by carazooblog @ Monday, July 26th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post

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July 26, 2010

New Lamborghini Models To Be More Affordable Now, Relatively Speaking

Rendering of the New Lamborghini SUV
Lamborghini has always epitomised beauty, power and exclusivity. But now it seems that the new Lamborghini models may become relatively affordable, after all. According to Car and Driver sources, Lamborghini will be introducing two totally new models in its product lineup. Automakers, even the boutique ones, are expanding their model line-ups in expectation of expanding sales.

The first model will be a V8-powered entry-level sports car which will be positioned below Gallardo. The car maker entering into the compact sports car segment does not come as a surprise at all. Back in early 1970s and 80s, Lamborghini had the Urraco, and its altered successors, the targa-roof Silhouette and Jalpa.

These compact sports cars represented the brand very well against heavyweight names like the Ferrari/Dino 308 GT4 and the Maserati Merak. These classic models are quite undervalued and should Lamborghini decide to enter the segment, they would give the competitors a good run for their money.

lamborghini LM002

It has been hinted that the second one in the new lineup would be an SUV – which has been partly inspired by the monstrous LM002. As we all know that Lamborghini is a part of the VW Group, and it will only be natural if the Lambo SUV shares its platform with the Porsche Cayenne or Volkswagen Touareg. Although we can be sure that, being a Lamborghini, the SUV will have its own distinct signature style much different from Touareg or Cayenne.

In the past few years, Lamborghini has also thought of introducing what it calls a contemporary interpretation of the big four-seater, two-door Espada. But the project has been shelved for the time being. The story is much or less the same for the four-door Estoque. The Estoque reaching the production lines is worse than slim.

posted by carazooblog @ Monday, July 26th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post

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July 26, 2010

Massa Gifts Alonso A Controversial Victory At German Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso, right, sprays champagne on teammate Felipe Massa after the German Grand Prix
So what happens when we have a weekend full of Formula One action? Well, we have a winner at the end of the race, and quite a few controversies to discuss. While we were still recuperating from the Webber-Vettel controversy that shrouded the British GP, we have yet another one surfacing at the German Grand Prix.

With the second one-two of the season, it would have been a happy ending for team Ferrari if not for the US$100,000 fine that the FIA slapped on the team for the violation of sporting regulations. It was Ferrari driver Felipe Massa who had been leading the Hockenheim race and in all possibilities he would have won the race.

But on Lap 49, after receiving a message from race engineer Rob Smedley that stated, “Fernando is faster than you. Can you confirm you understood that message?”, he decided to let team mate Fernando Alonso to take the lead and win the Sunday’s German Grand Prix.

Massa played a real saint and suggested that he, and not the team, had decided to offer the lead to Alonso: “In my opinion this was not a case of team orders: my engineer kept me constantly informed on what was going on behind me, especially when I was struggling a bit on the hard tyres: so I decided to do the best thing for the team, and a one-two finish is the best possible result, isn’t it?”

It was not a good day for the Redbulls. Sebastien Vettel, despite having pole position, could do little to beat the Ferrari on his home ground. And finally he had to settle down by finishing at the third position. Team mate Mark Webber struggled, too, with his oil consumption problem to stay in the damage limitation game. Eventually he finished at number six behind McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton, at number four, and Jenson Button, at number three.

Hamilton, with his fourth place, is clinging on to his championship lead at 157 points ahead of team mate Jenson Button, who has moved to 143 points after finishing fifth in the German GP. Redbull drivers Mark Webber and Sebastien Vettel are now joint third with 136 points, and Alonso has now moved up closer to the Redbull with 123 points.

Behind them, there was a major war going on for the lower points. Robert Kubica raced his Renault to a lapped seventh place ahead of Mercedes drivers, Nico Rosberg at number eight and Michael Schumacher at number nine. Renault’s Vitaly Petrov put in all his efforts to take the final points at the tenth place.

BMW Sauber’s Pedro de la Rosa was running at seventh on the 51st lap before he dropped to 14th at the 67th lap. Kamui Kobayashi took 11th in the other BMW Sauber, ahead of Williams’ drivers Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg finished the race at twelfth and thirteenth position respectively.

Well, nothing to talk about the Force India team. It was a bad day for the team and the drivers which they would want to put past them and prepare for the next race. While Vitantonio Liuzzi finished 16th, Adrian Sutil finished at number 17th.

Liuzzui was quite disappointed with his dismal performance:“It’s been a pretty disappointing race weekend overall. I had one contact on the first lap and we believed we had damaged the front wing, so I came to the pits for a change but there was a mix-up in the stop with the tyres so I had to come back in again. It was a shame as I had had a good first lap until that point and afterwards we had a really strong race pace. It was always going to be tough, but the pace we showed was the same as the top ten runners. We have to look at these positives and look forward to the next race in Budapest.”

Race Standings – Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)- 1:27:38.864, Felipe Massa (Ferrari) – +4.1 secs, Sebastian Vettel (Redbull)- +5.1 secs, Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)- +26.8 secs, Jenson Button(McLaren)- +29.4 secs, Mark Webber (Red Bull)- +43.6 secs, Robert Kubica (Renault)- +1 Lap, Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)- +1 Lap, Michael Schumacher (Mercedes)- +1 Lap, Vitaly Petrov (Renault)- +1 Lap

Driver Standings: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)- 157, Jenson Button(McLaren)- 147, Mark Webber (Red Bull)-136, Sebastian Vettel (Redbull)-136, Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)-123, Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)-94, Robert Kubica (Renault)-89, Felipe Massa (Ferrari) – 85, Michael Schumacher (Mercedes)- 38, Adrian Sutil (Force India)-35

posted by carazooblog @ Monday, July 26th, 2010 Comments Off links to this post

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July 23, 2010

BMW, Is the X4 on the Cards?

BMW X4 Artist Rendering
Remember the initial response the BMW X6 gathered in its mantle? There were criticisms from every nook and corner for being neither a true off-roader nor a true sports car. It did discourage the luxury car maker. BMW thought that 20,000 would be quite a good figure for global sales. Surprisingly, 80,000 units of the X6 have already been produced since its launch in late 2008 and another 20,000 could be added to that by the end of the year.

The car did much better than the more predictable 6-Series. Auto experts and analysts had never imagined the sales of the BMW X6 to go so high. With all predictions going wrong, there seems to be a lot happening at the BMW camp. The success was unexpected, and now, BMW has begun wondering if it should push ahead with a smaller, more affordable X4 model.

The X4 has been for long lying on the drawing board and everyone actually thought the car maker had already recited RIP prayers to that drawing board in Munich. The officials had remained numb when anyone had asked about the whole thing. They remain tight-lipped even now, but there’s a difference. There’s a naughty smile hidden, and if you read between the lines, it’s very clear that the car maker has begun having second thoughts of introducing the X4.

If you consider the second-generation X3, it looks like BMW hasn’t moved out of tracks anywhere, diligently following the conservative route. But it now appears like there could be scope for a more sporting X4 derivative off the same four-wheel drive platform. It could well be considered as BMW’s response to the three-door Range Rover Evoque.

BMW X4 Artist rendering

Don’t you think the BMW X3 can provide the luxury auto maker with just the right platform for the new X4? How about fortifying it with the upcoming 1-series M Coupe’s 350-bhp twin-turbo 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder engine? Wouldn’t that be great? And then, coupling the cylinder with an eight speed automatic slush box can add the finishing touch to the magical effect. BMW, are you listening?

Oh yes, there’s no news of BMW giving a thumbs up for the introduction of the new car. But, have you noticed that BMW hasn’t denied it either? It now has enough number of X3, X5 and X6 units built in the same factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina. So, the logistics involved in a possible X4 model don’t seem to be a constraint.