AUTHENTIC CARS

Nissan has launched its flagship car in India at Rs 1.99 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi). Bookings opened on September 1, 2016, for a down payment of Rs 25 lakh. The car will initially be sold through Delhi only. The Japanese supercar was originally launched in its home country in 2007 and the version released today is the new 2017 model update. It is powered by a hand-built 3.8-litre V6 24-valve twin-turbocharged engine that for 2017 gets a small bump-up in power to 570hp at 6800rpm and 637Nm of torque. All the power is sent to the tarmac via a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission and an all-wheel-drive layout. The engine breathes out through a titanium exhaust system. The carmaker claims a sub-3-second time for the 0-100kmph sprint with a top speed of 315 km/h.  Unlike most cars in its league, the GT-R is a 2+2 seater. The car has a Bose audio system with 11 speakers and a noise cancellation feature to reduce wind and road noise.  The Nissan GT-R has quite a following...

Rolls-Royce has released preview images of its first SUV. The carmaker refers to the car as Project Cullinan, although it says this is a development codename for the car, and wouldn’t comment on what the production name would be. Rolls-Royce had previously released an image of the Cullinan as a Phantom-bodied test car. While still camouflaged, these new images mark the first time that the SUV has been seen in non-testing form. The carmaker has also officially confirmed that the project is underway, with the production model expected to go on sale worldwide in 2018. Rolls-Royce didn't use the term SUV, instead calling the Cullinan an "all-terrain, high-sided vehicle". Also confirmed is that the Cullinan will be the first model with four-wheel drive in Rolls-Royce's 110-year history. It is known that the car will share its aluminium architecture with other Rolls-Royce models from 2018. The high-riding Cullinan's boxy design takes after Rolls-Royce...

Maruti revealed a facelift for the S-cross at the Paris motor show earlier this year. The automaker’s premium crossover now gets a more distinctive front end with a new larger upright grille, new headlamps and a new bumper. The rear gets minor cosmetic tweaks as does the cabin with revised upholstery and new trim options. Maruti is planning to bring the refreshed S-cross to India late next year, and expects that the more crossover-like design of the facelift may boost sales of the slow seller. Engines While the international model received two new turbocharged Boosterjet petrol engines, for India, the facelift will continue to offer the current line-up of 1.3 and 1.6-litre diesel engines. Maruti is also working on a petrol variant for the S-Cross which could be launched with the facelifted model. Features In terms of equipment, we can expect features such as the parking camera, Maruti’s Smartplay infotainment system, automatic headlamps, rain sensing wipers, auto climat...

Toyota’s new Prius is slated to launch in January 2017. The ground-breaking petrol-hybrid has been on sale in the Indian market since 2010, but it has only met with limited success. However, the large number of Camry Hybrids being sold in India is indication that hybrids are more in vogue now, and Toyota is keen on capitalising on that trend with the latest Prius. The latest Prius will be available with a nickel-metal battery, a lithium-ion battery and as a plug-in hybrid internationally, though we are likely to get the nickel-metal battery variant only. The new Prius is the first car to be built on Toyota’s new TNGA (Toyota New Global Architecture) platform, and will be powered with a smoother, more responsive and more efficient version of the current Prius’ 1.8-litre petrol engine working in combination with a more compact electric motor. The manufacturer has made improvements to the car to make it more driveable than before. They have fitted it with an independent rear suspe...

Ford has unveiled four variants of the latest-generation Fiesta hatchback – Titanium, a plush Vignale version, a sporty ST-Line variant and a chunky 'Active' crossover version – at a special event in Cologne, Germany.   The new Fiesta sports an evolutionary rather than revolutionary design. The front grille is similar to that of the latest Focus, while the headlights look like softened and shrunken versions of the outgoing Fiesta’s. Overall dimensions look slightly larger than the predecessor's, supporting earlier information that the model will offer more cabin space. Previous spy shots also indicate that rear end will showcase new horizontal tail-lights as well.   The interior of the new Fiesta is a radical departure from that of the current one. The most obvious new addition is a 'floating' infotainment interface which is much larger than the button-controlled screen in the current Fiesta. Other features on the car include Ford's SYNC 3 infotainme...

Hatchbacks are hot too in 2017, with Maruti undoubtedly set to lead the pack. India’s largest automaker has big plans for the country with the launch of the new third-gen Maruti Swift and the highly-anticipated Maruti Baleno RS. Chevrolet is set to breathe life back into the Beat with an all-new model, while luxury carmakers such as Volvo and Mini are set to bring in some of their own models. Featured here are the hatchbacks – new and facelifted – that are heading to our shores soon. New Maruti Swift Although it still sells in larger numbers, Maruti’s popular hatchback has lost some steam owing to the bigger, more upmarket Baleno. But next year, Maruti will replace the current model with an all-new car that promises to be even lighter than the bantamweight Baleno. And considering that it will continue with the same engines, its fun factor and fan following are only expected to increase. Suzuki’s 110hp 1.0-litre Boosterjet turbo-petrol from the upcoming Baleno Sport could also...

Jeep is currently doing the groundwork to launch its new mid-size SUV in India. Known as the Compass, the recently-unveiled five-seater is 4394mm long, 1647mm tall and 1874mm wide (mirrors folded). This means it is around the same size as Hyundai's Tucson, which was also launched recently. Expected to hit showrooms towards the middle of 2017, the Compass looks like a mini Grand Cherokee and comes with a similar-looking grille and headlight combo. Typically, Jeep's squared-off wheel arches have been used, and the Compass gets a floating roof with plenty of chrome brightwork. The SUV also gets LED tail-lamps. Built on the same platform as the Renegade (small, wide 4x4), the Compass, however, features a longer wheelbase for greater space on the inside and a mildly altered suspension system. The SUV gets frequency selective damping, which automatically alters the dampers for rough roads and corners, and the car has been given an electric handbrake as well. Inside, you g...

It’s no secret that Kia Motors, a part of the Hyundai Motor Group has been exploring an entry into the Indian market for several years. In fact, it’s surprising that Kia has taken so long to enter such an important market that has long been ripe for the picking. Newbie Kia has the massive advantage of piggybacking on sister brand Hyundai, which is a hugely successful in India, to tap a country forecast to have five million car buyers ever year, by 2020.    Kia’s model line-up which ranges from budget hatchbacks to premium SUVs and sedans would be well suited to the Indian market, especially since many of them share the same underpinnings with popular Hyundai models in the market. Hence, developing the right products for India may not be that big a challenge as setting up an all-new factory and supplier base, building a dealer network and of course, establishing the Kia brand. Besides, to compete effectively, Kia would have to start with a high level of localisation fro...

Hyundai has launched the all-new Tucson SUV at a starting price of Rs 18.99 lakh for the base trim, going up to Rs 24.99 lakh for the top variant. This is the third Hyundai SUV to go on sale, and it plugs the gap between the hot-selling Creta and the more up-market Santa Fe. The new third generation Tucson marks the comeback of the model in India, after the first-gen model was discontinued after a short stint here. The new Tucson is available with a choice of two engines – a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol unit and a mainstream 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine. The petrol unit is good for 155hp and 192Nm and can be mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox. The diesel unit, on the other hand, pumps out a more significant 185hp and a meatier 400Nm. The diesel unit too is offered with the choice of a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox. There is no all-wheel-drive option. Hyundai is offering the Tucson in three trim levels – 2WD M/T, 2WD A/T GL and...

The Porsche Panamera range has gained six new models as production of the luxurious five-door liftback is ramped up following the second-generation model's introduction earlier this year.     Included is a pair of price-leading models in the form of the rear-wheel-drive Panamera and four-wheel-drive Panamera 4. They are joined by a quartet of long-wheelbase four-wheel-drive models in the Panamera 4 Executive, Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Executive, Panamera 4S Executive and Panamera Turbo Executive.   The new Panamera models are planned to make their public premiere at next week’s Los Angeles motor show, prior to a planned start of UK deliveries in April 2017.   The rear-wheel-drive Panamera and four-wheel-drive Panamera 4 are powered by Porsche’s latest twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine. Shared with the Audi S4, S5 Coupé and S5 Sportback, it produces 20hp more than the older naturally aspirated 3.6-litre V6 engine it replaces, with 330hp. ...

Honda has unveiled the new WR-V at the ongoing Sao Paulo motor show. The Honda WR-V is a crossover-hatchback based on the Jazz, and will come to India in March 2017.   Up front, Honda’s new crossover gets an aggressive bumper with muscular touches and a prominent chin. The headlights are unlike the Jazz's and come with black inserts. The grille gets a thick chrome band similar to one seen on recent Honda models like the BR-V.   Moving on to the sides, the WR-V gets muscular front fenders and body cladding on the wheel arches and  doors that flow on to the bumpers to achieve a rugged, SUV-like look. The doors and the rear fender are shared with the Jazz, but at the back, the WR-V  gets a different tailgate with the license plate placed below on the bumper. The tail-lamps are similar to the units on the Jazz, but there are prominent extensions on the tailgate. The muscular theme continues on the rear bumper, and there's a faux aluminum skid pate and thick b...

Skoda today launched the Rapid facelift at a starting price of Rs 8.35 lakh (ex-showroom, Maharashtra) for the base Active variant. The Rapid has three variants on offer starting with the Active, going up to Ambition and Style. The option of an automatic gearbox is offered on the Ambition and Style trims for both petrol and diesel engines. The Skoda Rapid facelift top-spec petrol-manual variant costs Rs 10.44 lakh. The base diesel is priced at Rs 9.57 lakh, going up to Rs 11.66 lakh. In terms of automatics, the petrol model is priced between Rs 10.39 lakh and Rs 11.46 lakh, while the diesel is priced from Rs 11.71 lakh to Rs 12.78 lakh (ex-showroom, Maharashtra). This is the first major update for the Rapid since its launch in 2011. Till end-October 2016, the sedan has sold a total of 69,240 units in India.The car gets Skoda’s new ‘crystalline design’ language which was well received on models such as the Octavia and the Superb. There are more angular bits including the pro...

Honda is readying a mid-cycle refresh for its popular City sedan. The current-gen Honda City was launched in 2013. The updated City is likely to come to India sometime next year. A facelift is likely to share a similar look as the Honda Greiz sedan sold in China. The Greiz is based on the City sedan but gets slightly tweaked styling.    The refreshed City will use the same set of engines that run in India -- a 1.5-litre petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel.   As far as styling goes, the 2017 City will get a more prominent Accord-like nose and a chin with a thick chrome band running across the grille. The headlight inserts will be reprofiled and will come with projector units. Higher variants will get LED headlamps. The front bumper gets a more prominent air dam and fog-lamp enclosures. Moving on to the back, the bumper will see slight changes and the tail lamps will get an all-new look with prominent LED inserts that mimic Honda’s latest design language seen on the C...

Volkswagen has introduced the legendary ‘GTI’ moniker in India with the Polo GTI. It’s the hottest hatchback to have hit Indian shores yet, and retails at Rs 25.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). This makes it costlier than the 105hp Polo GT (Rs 9.07 lakh) by nearly Rs 17 lakh, and its closest competitor, the 147hp Abarth Punto (Rs 9.99 lakh) by Rs 16 lakh. However, what you do get for that asking price is a whopping 192hp of power and 250Nm of torque from the GTI’s 1.8-litre turbo-petrol engine, which lets this 1273kg hatchback catapult from 0-100kph in a claimed 7.2sec. It has a top speed of 233kph. Power is sent to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox that can be controlled via steering-mounted paddle-shifters. To help the hatchback channel the power on to the road effectively, it even gets a limited slip differential up front and a stiffer suspension setup than more affordable variants of the Polo. Volkswagen has brought in the Polo GTI to Ind...

Skoda has revealed a first set of images and details of the refreshed Octavia sedan. The current-gen Octavia is globally on sale since 2013.  The talking point of the updated sedan is the new-look front styling. Skoda has ditched the traditional headlight design and has gone with a quad-headlamp look, something which is not common with the brand’s other models but very reminiscent of the previous Mercedes E-class. The new Octavia gets LED headlamps and continues with the signature LED daytime running lamps in the new layout. A slightly tweaked bumper at the front completes the overall new-look of the car.  Moving on to the sides, the profile mostly remains the same except that the updated car gets alloy wheels with a new design. The new Octavia sticks to the similar design at the back, with slightly reprofiled tail lamps and a mildly tweaked rear bumper.  On the inside, the refreshed Octavia gets a larger 9.2-inch touchscreen display for its ...

Mini has revealed its second-generation Countryman ahead of its international launch in February next year. Measuring 4.3 metres with an extra 7.5cm inserted into the wheelbase, the new Countryman is the largest Mini model yet. Mini says the car is now firmly anchored into the C-segment, making it an alternative to everything from a Volkswagen Golf to premium compact SUVs such as the Audi Q3. The exterior of the car, although a recognisable development of the original, gives it a much more four-square stance with the deep sides, large wheels and notably squared-off rear corners. The headlights are a similar shape to those of its predecessor but less dominant, and the classic Mini grille is slightly less prominent. Another new styling feature is the use of distinctive hard edges pressed into both front and rear wings. The distinctive three-window profile has been retained, but the rearmost side windows are now much longer, helping to underline the car’s increase in size. ...

The seventh-generation BMW 5 Series sedan has been revealed, featuring an evolutionary exterior design, an updated interior, a broadened engine line-up and semi-autonomous driving functions. The car will get its first public debut at the 2017 Detroit motor show. Globally headlined by a rapid M550i xDrive M Performance model, the latest incarnation of the 5 Series sports an appearance that's not as removed visually from that of its predecessor as previous new 5 Series models have been. The car takes influence from the new 7 Series, adopting a subtly sharper form than that of the old 5 Series with tauter surfacing and more finely honed crease lines along the flanks, including an additional feature line running along the top of the front and rear doors. The new 5 Series has grown in size, but only slightly. Length has increased by 36mm to 4935mm, width grows by 6mm to 1868mm and height increases by 2mm to 1466mm. The wheelbase is 7mm longer than that of its predecessor...