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Wednesday, 24 February 2010
 Volkswagen India launched its new Polo in Mumbai. The super- mini hatchback is finally out. The price varies from Rs.434,000 for the petrol Trendline to Rs.670,000 for the TDI Highline Polo. The diesel variant will take a little while though. All variants will be equipped with 1.2L engines. Fret Not, For those who always wanted a powerful engine fitted in their Polo will get an option of 1.6 L petrol engine as well for a cool sum of Rs.700,000. Any takers yet? Yes, the price looks a bit problematic. One would be paying too much for the class as far as the Polo is concerned. The features seem to be excellent though. A compartment for drinks and another for the sunglasses are a sure attraction. We also heard that the rear seat backrests can be folded and the driver’s seat will move up or down as one pleases. Doesn’t the bonnet look like it is smiling all the while? We felt so. What more? The exteriors carry a 6-year warranty! That seems to be a real challenge for the car maker, doesn’t it? The petrol version of the Polo will be ready for delivery next month and the diesel version will sent to the owners by May, 2010. Volkswagen is very excited and very confident too that Indians will love driving the new Polo. Are you looking to but one already? I completely agree that the Polo’s looks are flashy and jazzy with coloured bumpers and halogen headlights. We also heard that the space, style, comfort, safety and fuel efficiency are amazing. Is that so? To add to its looks, it is armed with fog lamps and a rear wipe with defogger as well. You needn’t perform hand drills turning and turning. The windows will move as you like with just a touch. Yes, the remote works for the windows. Inside the car, the upholstery is so good! Too cool! The fabric looks like it’s of the best quality. There’s something else very special about the Polo. Yes, the green-tinted sun-blocking glass that’s not there in any other car in India. A CD MP3 player changer with 4 speakers just adds to the already satisfying comfort features. When you’re getting something like the Polo, does the price really matter? If you have the money, why not go for it? Looks like the big price for the small package is worth it. Labels: Hatchback, Highline-Polo, New-Car-Launch, Polo, Trendline, Volkswagen-Polo, Volkswagen-Polo-launch
Thursday, 11 February 2010
 If you remember, we had written a blog on Audi A1 hatchback a couple of months back and we are back with the same topic just for those curious readers who were on the look for the actual launch of the A1. Audi on Wednesday revealed the brand new A1 hatchback, a new dimension to the compact class which promises to be dynamic, emotional and individual. The new car wants to attract young customers who live in major cities and are looking for a vehicle designed for the urban environment. Besides the impressive design, the A1 offers also a sporty and high quality interior. According to Audi, the customers can customise numerous details to tailor the car to their personal tastes which means you will have plenty of options to make your car unique. The instrument panel is suggestive of an airplane wing while the four round air nozzles are reminiscent of the turbines of a jet.  The available infotainment and multimedia systems available come directly from the luxury class. Audi offers the top of the line is MMI navigation plus, a media center that sets new standards in the compact segment. With the LED interior lighting package, the A1 brings 100 percent LED technology to an interior in the premium compact class for the first time. The design of the car is unique and modern, and includes the side line with the distinctive roof arch, the coupe-like C-pillars, the large wheel wells and, of course, the front end with the typical single-frame grille. Also, the hood and rear hatch encompass the body, while the lights are three-dimensionally moulded and present an unmistakable design, day or night. Under the hood Audi offers four engines for the A1, two TFSI gasoline engines and the two TDI diesels that cover a power range from 86 bhp to 122 bhp. The entry-level gasoline engine is the new 1.2 TFSI. It generates 86 bhp and produces its peak torque of 160 Nm already between 1,500 and 3,500 rpm. Coupled with a five-speed manual transmission, the four-cylinder accelerates the A1 from 0 to 100 km/h in 12.1 seconds on its way to a top speed of 179 km/h. In the EU driving cycle, it consumes only 5.1 liters of fuel per 100 km, which corresponds to only 119 grams of CO2/km. The 1.4 TFSI ups the ante with 122 bhp. Its peak torque of 200 Nm is continuously available between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm. Together with the seven-speed S tronic, the 1.4 TFSI gets the A1 up to highway speed in 9.1 seconds. Top speed is 200 km/h. The more powerful 1.6 TDI unit produces 105 bhp and 250 Nm between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm, and is coupled with a five-speed manual transmission. This engine pushes the car from 0 to 100 km/h in just 10.8 seconds while the top speed is 187 km/h. The second version of this diesel engine delivers 90 bhp and 230 Nm of torque between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm. Coupled with the five-speed manual transmission, it accelerates the A1 from 0 to 100 km/h in 12.2 seconds. Its reaches a top speed of 179 km/h and offers exemplary fuel economy of 3.8 liters/100 km, which corresponds to 99 grams of CO2/km. The entry-level model will be priced at around 16,000 euros.  We hope that Audi India also brings in this hatchback to India as the Indian car market is the trusted small car market that they can vouch on for the sales of their Audi A1. Labels: Audi, Audi-A1, Hatchback, Small-Car
Friday, 5 February 2010
 Volkswagen Group India has created a milestone in India with it’s yet to be commercially launched hatchback Volkswagen Polo. The 11,111,111th Polo which was produced in VW’s plant in Chakan, India was rolled out on Thursday. Prof. Dr. Horst Köhler, President of the Federal Republic of Germany who is in India on a state visit visited the Volkswagen plant in Pune to do the honours with Prof. Dr. Jochem Heizmann, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG who is also responsible for ‘Group Production’, and Jörg Müller, President and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group India, at the celebrations to mark the roll-out of the 11,111,111th Polo ever produced. The Chakan plant in Pune was opened in 2009 and is a key element in Volkswagen’s growth roadmap in the Indian subcontinent. Prof. Heizmann speaking at the event said “The scale of investment to date and the sustainable employment opportunities for people from the region underscore Volkswagen’s long-term commitment to India. The VW Polo built at the Pune plant demonstrates that excellent vehicles are created when German engineering prowess interacts perfectly with Indian skills.” “We are determined to bring the Polo’s European success story to India. Volkswagen will tap its opportunities in India with vehicles like the Polo, our modern plant in Pune and a highly-motivated workforce,” Heizmann continued. It must be remembered that Volkswagen Polo was bestowed upon the rare honour of Europe’s “ Car of the Year 2010” just a couple of weeks back. Volkswagen began building a hatchback version of the Polo specially designed for the Indian market in December 2009. At the event celebrating the roll-out of the 11,111,111th Polo, the German President toured the new Volkswagen plant in Maharashtra State accompanied by a delegation of 30 high-ranking representatives from politics and industry. The group found out about the training programs for the newly recruited employees and the innovative production processes at the plant. The Pune plant is one of the most modern in the Volkswagen Group and covers all stages in the production process from press shop through body shop and paint shop to final assembly. It has a maximum annual capacity of 110,000 vehicles. In addition to the Volkswagen Polo, the Pune plant also builds the Škoda Fabia. With a total financial commitment amounting to 580 million euros, the Volkswagen plant in Pune is the largest investment to date by a German company in India. Volkswagen plans to employ some 2,500 people locally by the end of 2010. Labels: Car-of-the-Year- 2010, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Volkswagen-Chakan-Plant, Volkswagen-Polo, Škoda-Fabia
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
The People’s car maker Volkswagen has finally done it. It has launched its indigenously built Polo hatchback in India during the Auto Expo week here in Delhi. Volkswagen will be selling the Polo in India from March onwards. The Volkswagen Polo comes both in diesel and petrol engines. The sedan version of the Polo also is slated to be launched in the second half of 2010 which also will be built using the same platform of the Polo hatchback. The company expects to garner its market share in the Indian Car market by about 8-10 per cent in the next 4-6 years. Speaking on the wake of the launch of VW Polo, Jochem Heizmann, Volkswagen AG Member of the Board of management said that “The Polo stands for German engineering and top technology. It is lively young cosmopolitan made in India car." The 1.2 litre VW Polo which comes in three variants is being currently manufactured in its Chakan facility in Pune. When it comes to the pricing, The Polo is said to be very competitive and will be in the range of Honda Jazz, Hyundai i20 and Skoda Fabia. But the exact price will be only out when the cars reach the dealerships in March this year. Labels: Hatchback, Honda-Jazz, Hyundai-i20, New-Car-Launch, Sedan, Skoda-Fabia, Volkswagen-Polo
Friday, 18 December 2009
 Come February 2010 and Audi is all set to reveal its long-awaited city car, a hatchback in that, the A1 at the Geneva Auto Show. We assure you that the launch certainly is a going to be a gala event as Audi has stepped aside from the stereotype and monotonous car launches elsewhere and is banking the new technology to take the centre stage for this launch. The Audi A1 is being launched online. Yes, you read that just right. Online. This small car when launched would have a long list of contenders to take on in the market, starting with the retro car, BMW’s Mini. Though Audi A1 would not have the cult status like the Mini, it certainly is a first premium car in the sub-compact segment as claimed by Audi and Audi is heavily banking on this new unexplored segment, when it launches the Audi A1. We are speculating that A1 would probably be rigged with engine range comprising of 1.2L which produces 86 bhp, 1.4L with 122 bhp, turbocharged 1.4 Litre that spurts out 170 bhp and 1.6 L that spews out 90 bhp petrol engines or 2.0 L common rail diesel engines. Although initially thought to be based on Volkswagen Group's MQB (Modular Transverse Matrix) platform, the A1 was later reported to be based on the PQ25 platform, the same platform used in the SEAT Ibiza Mk4 and the VW Polo Mk5. Audi famous Quattro technology also might be there in the offering in the Audi A1. We do know for sure that A1 looks very much like that of the existing A3, but probably a size smaller than that. Expect Audi to release more information gradually in coming weeks. Labels: Audi, Audi-A1, BMW-MINI, Car-Launch, Hatchback, Quattro, Small-Car, Volkswagen-Polo
Monday, 5 October 2009
 Maruti Suzuki Swift is a car which has never lost its steam since its inception in the world market. This is a car which has already scorched the roads of many countries in the world through its radical design and styling. And now creating news all over the world with panache is its hybrid version. This popular car will now be showcased in the upcoming Tokyo Motor show in a plug-in hybrid version. Suzuki Swift Plug-in Hybrid is a surprise for the world; no auto journalists could smell such an interesting development till date. The Swift Hybrid will be powered by a cache of Lithium Ion battery and a 658cc gasoline engine. The combined output of the Plug-in Swift will exceed 74hp out of which 20hp will come from the electric motor. The official launch of this plug-in hybrid will happen after few days. The bulky Lithium Ion battery box will eat up one seat in rear row. Now, for the question that everybody is willing to ask here in India. Will Maruti Suzuki add the Hybrid Swift into their product line up? Well, we are being frank here by saying that this will not happen at least for another couple of years as the Hybrid and electric market here in India is still in its infancy. Anyways the concept image of this spicy hatchback hybrid version is hotter than the fossil fuel version. We liked the images especially the one with a plug chord.  Maini Reva can now breathe in ease as it was the first Indian Car company to show the world that the electric cars will be the “in” thing of the near future. Let’s all wait and watch who else will follow the suit? Labels: Hatchback, Maini-Reva, Maruti-Suzuki-Swift, Swift-Plug-in-Hybrid, Tokyo-Motor-Show
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
 After the Suzuki A-Star and the Ritz, Maruti has launched a new car. Well, it will be wrong to call it a new car as this car is a limited edition variant of the Swift. This “newly launched” car is christened as Glam. The new hatchback from Maruti Suzuki is all decked up to match its contenders. Swift Glam will have an appealing dual tone dashboard, exquisite beige upholsteries, sizzling new wheel covers and handy rear parcel tray. This sporty car will now sport body-coloured Outside Rear View Mirrors (ORVMs) and door handles. The Swift VXI Glam will come with an integrated audio system and Keyless remote entry. Moreover, Maruti has introduced two new paint schemes for the Glam Limited Edition. The new colour shades are named Goldsmith Black and noble Arctic White. Only Maruti knows what’s black about goldsmiths and noble about the Arctic!!! But, why a limited edition? Competition is the answer. The new Fiat Grande Punto is positioned squarely against the Suzuki Swift, and the Hyundai i20 and the Honda Jazz are definitely more of premium hatchbacks than the top-end Swift. Moreover, there is a speculation that the Glam edition is Suzuki’s ploy to clear stocks before they introduce the K12M engine in the Swift. The Maruti Suzuki Swift Glam Limited Edition is only available in the petrol variant. Labels: Hatchback, K12M-Engine, Limited-Edition-Cars, Maruti-Suzuki-Swift
Monday, 18 May 2009
The much awaited launch of the Ritz, a premium hatchback by Maruti Suzuki, has led to a lot of discussions. Some have termed even the Ritz as a rebadged version of the Splash. However, the Ritz is not just a rebadged version, there’s more to it. The Ritz has been specifically developed for India. The engineers from Maruti Suzuki worked closely with their Japanese counterparts in the development of the Ritz. First of all, the Ritz was conceived as a different car, not just as a rebadged version of the famed Splash. Its exterior modifications like a redesigned rear bumper that accommodates reflectors and RR fog lamps were made keeping the Indian tastes in focus. The K12M engine which powers the Ritz has been comprehensively tested, calibrated and tuned specifically for Indian conditions. Not only this, a reworked gearbox utilizes gear ratios different from that of the Splash to match its driveability with Indian traffic conditions. Special emphasis has been laid on the shoulder space and rear seat comfort. Ritz’s redesigned central console provides smooth ingress and egress for rear seat passengers. Most notably, the ground clearance of the Ritz is a good 30mm higher than that on the Splash to take on potholes, sometimes massive ones, in India. The suspension has been adjusted for comfort according to the Indian roads. A bigger and wider tyre has also been accommodated with suitable body redesigns. In this way, the Ritz is much different from the Splash and is an indigenously built car. Labels: Hatchback, Maruti-Suzuki-Ritz, New-Car-Launch
Thursday, 6 November 2008
The winning hatchback model Maruti Suzuki Swift is now available in a special edition christened as ‘Attitude’ and the car is full of attitude because it is impressively personified with an appealing look and improved aesthetics. The car interior is ornamented with a silver finish further beautified with silver stitched leather. Few other exciting features in new, fresh, and smarter Swift are climate control system, keyless entry, leather wrapped steering wheel, sporty alloy wheels, rear spoiler, chrome tipped tailpipe, and tinted window. Powered by 16 valve 13.L engine, the car is expected to deliver improved performance and fuel-efficiency. If anyone of you is willing to own the Attitude with pride, then you may have to cross the Indian boundaries. Unfortunately this limited edition of Swift has not been introduced in the Indian car market. As the Swift is gaining packs and bunches of appreciation from its customers, this version may hit Indian shores sooner or later. Labels: Fuel-efficiency, Hatchback, Maruti-Suzuki-Cars
Thursday, 16 October 2008
In the last 10 years there have been numerous cars rolled out by virtually every company. In addition, many of these cars have been radically carrying new designs, and in fact, what used to be at one point in time the so called 'Concept Cars' are now reality and owned by many commoners. And in the Indian context, we are now seeing global cars being launched. Thanks to Globalization. While many of you agree to the above comment, you might have also noticed off late, these designs are becoming more evolutionary than revolutionary like the snooping bonnet, front grills, headlights, etc. However, the most noticeable one is the 'A' Pillar design. You can pretty much pick any kind of vehicle, be it a Sedan, Hatchback, SUV, MUV you will notice the Quarter glass on the front door. While, from a design perspective, this might be inevitable as the 'A' Pillar is designed to be aerodynamic, unfortunately, this necessitates for a quarter glass. Designers are trying their best to make it look appealing. Maruti Suzuki SX4 has one of the worst), but the most important part to be looked into is does this design pose safety concerns? In fact, yes, the quarter glass can significantly impede visibility to the drivers, especially at the crossroads or intersections. Designers have to serious look always of making ‘A’ Pillar aerodynamic but at the same time, get away with the quarter glass. Is anyone reading this? Can we see some revolutionary design covering this aspect? By Vikas Valsang Labels: Car-Designs, Hatchback, MUV, Sedan, SUV
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Volkswagen India launched its new Polo in Mumbai. The super- mini hatchback is finally out. The price varies from Rs.434,000 for the petrol Trendline to Rs.670,000 for the TDI Highline Polo. The diesel variant will take a little while though. All variants will be equipped with 1.2L engines. Fret Not, For those who always wanted a powerful engine fitted in their Polo will get an option of 1.6 L petrol engine as well for a cool sum of Rs.700,000. Any takers yet? Yes, the price looks a bit problematic. One would be paying too much for the class as far as the Polo is concerned.
