2009 Honda CITY

One of the major change is that, Honda city no longer share the same interior as that of HoNDA Jazz. But still right now they both have same 1.5 i-VTEC engline loaded.Though the interior is different to the Jazz but there will be much similarities between Jazz and City. Engine & Transmission : The Engine and Transmission details can be directly obtained by Jazz. Because Honda city and Jazz will share the same power unit and transmission. The previous generation was available with a 1.5 i-DSI or a 1.5 VTEC, producing 88hp and 110hp respectively. The iDSI models were more economical on fuel, and i-DSI models were also cheaper. The new model will simplify things with just one engine on offer, the 1.5 litre i-VTEC. The 1497cc SOHC (single-over-head-cam), 4 cylinder, 16 valve engine uses Honda's i-VTEC technology to improve efficiency and power. The unit can now deliver 120 hp at 6600 rpm. The engine is E20 capable. According to HONDA, the new engine will be more powerful,advanced and will be more economical then ever before.

Honda has planned to launch the new city in late November 08 and it is likely to be a global launch simultaneously with Thailand, the mother country for the city. It will be more expensive than the outgoing model. We expect Honda to price the city from around Rs 8 lakh. There could be a fully loaded version in the Rs 10 lakh bracket.It will have 15 inch wheels to increase ground clearance, direct and communicative power steering inspite of EPS. A paddle-shift option will also will available in CVT model.

TOYOTA ALTIS

Toyota launched the new version of Corolla - Altius, in the international market quite sometime back, making the Indian consumers remain in a long wait. The automobile giant is now all set to unveil the beauty in India, on 5th September 2008. Toyota Altius, the tenth generation Corolla, is much awaited by the Indian customers and is expected to put an end to their prolonged anticipation. The new car is quite similar in appearance to Camry, having the same style, and has been fitted with the same 1.8L VVT-i engine as that of an existing Corolla model.

Amongst the most noticeable changes in new Toyota Corolla Altis are its dimensions, which are 10 mm longer, 60 mm wider and 20 mm lower than that of the present model. Though the wheelbase has been kept unchanged, at 2,600mm, the car has been fitted with a wider track and has lower center of gravity. The engine of the new automobile promises you a power of 140bhp. A carryover model, the new engine has been provided with ECU and fuel injection system, for better performance.

The engine of Toyota Altius has also been equipped with improved emission conformity and better fuel efficiency. It will come with an option of four speed auto box also. The features of the new automobile have been enhanced with the addition of new suspensions. The car has an L-arm MacPherson strut setup which lowers the noise and vibrations as well as enhances steering awareness and provides a high-speed stability to the driver.

A total of 22 storage points are located around the interior of the Corolla. These include: a main glove box in the traditional lower dashboard location on the passenger side and second one with an internal shelf on the upper section of the dashboard on the passenger side; a drop-down holder for sunglasses, a selection of cupholders; generously proportioned door side pockets; and centre console storage.

Toyota claims the altis new efficient a/c will cool the cabin in just 11.3 seconds compared to the Civic’s 22 seconds. The new corolla altis gets a host of exciting features such as - sliding arm rest at the front and a first in class electro chromatic rear view mirror. A multi-information display - which tells you the Time, outside temperature and average speed,average fuel consumption / the mileage is also a novel feature in the new altis. Other novel features in the altis includes High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps with head lamp washer,cruise control,power seats and stick remote. Safety features in the new corolla altis inludes airbags and ABS with EBD.
The coolest feature of altis is electrochromatic mirror. An electrochromatic mirror uses advanced sensing technologies to detect ambient light and glare from headlamp glare of vehicles approaching from behind and other sources. It then varies the reflectivity of the mirror, dimming to give the driver just the right amount of rear vision and glare protection. The feature is currently available in BMW 5 series.

The torsion beam type rear suspension of the new Toyota Corolla Altius allows bigger boot space. The automobile boasts of having five-star Euro NCAP ratings, along with some excellent safety features, including EBD, ABS, Traction Control, Brake Assist and multiple airbags. While the official launch for Toyota Altis has been scheduled in September, it will be available for display in showrooms from third week of August. It is expected to have a launch price of Rs 13 to 14 lakh.

TATA INDICA VISTA

The Indica vista will come with three engines - Safire, Quadrajet and TDI. Of these 1.2L Safire (petrol) and 1.3L Quadrajet (Diesel) will be sourced from Fiat. Fiat currently uses the Fire petrol and quadrajet diesel engine in its Palio. However the 1.4L TDI mill is the same unit which currently powers existing Indica. The Indica vista 1.2 saffire mill churns out 65PS of peak power and 96Nm of peak torque. The indica vista quadrajet 1.3L motor pumps out 75PS of max power and 190Nm of maximum torque at 1750rpm. Remember this same engine propels the Swift DDIs in the same tune. However the swift still holds some advantage with better power to weight ratio. All the engines of vista is mated with a 5 speed transmission.

Dimensions - Indica Vista:

The new generation Indica is spacious than the current Indica larger dimensions (length - 3795 mm, width - 1695 mm, height - 1550 mm and wheelbase- 2470 mm). Fuel tank capacity of the new vista is 37 litres .

Features of the new tata Indica Vista include seating capacity for five, power –assisted rack and pinion steering, independent front suspension and semi independent rear suspension. Safety enhancers include warning buzzers and three-point ELR sea belts.

t is a major disappointment that neither ABS or airbags are offered in the Indica Vista. Considering the traffic situation on our roads and lawlessness, this is a major sin in my opinion. There are Indica models already offering airbags and ABS, so it reflects badly on Tata to offer a newer, better and more sophisticaled version in the Vista without them. Typical of Tata, I am sure they would introduce these a few months down the line - and that makes it worse.

The Indica Vista comes with a 24 months (75000 km) standard warranty. Seven variants of the Indica Vista priced from Rs.3.49 lakhs ex-showroom Delhi for the 1.2L petrol Safire at the low end to Rs.4.88 lakhs ex-showroom Delhi for the top end 1.3L diesel Quadrajet. The Indica V2 will continue to be sold alongside the Vista and amongst both models, buyers will have a wide price range to choose from between Rs 2.6 lakhs to Rs.4.88 lakhs.

FIAT 500 coming to India at last

The much hyped two-door lifestyle model from Fiat, the Fiat 500, will soon be on Indian roads. The car, is to be launched in India this year in line with the Italian car maker’s aggressive push at making India a potential market.

The Fiat 500 small car will be imported to India as a completely built unit, as an image building exercise for the car maker in the country. The Fiat 500 as a mass market product in India, considering that it will cost more than much larger cars in India, like the Skoda Octavia or Honda Civic. The Fiat 500 will be a flagship model for the company - Fiat’s image has not really recovered in India after their initial hiccups in the late 1990s. Their alliance with Tata Motors in India has taken care of the negativity somewhat, but customers are still nervous about going in for a Fiat. A high end, iconic model (for India) like the Fiat 500 should go some way in restroing Fiat’s credibility in India.

Expected to sport a price tag of Rs 15 lakh, the Fiat 500 is likely to find its clientele among the celebrities, youth and auto enthusiasts.

The Fiat 500 has three four-cylinder engines - a 1400 cc 100 bhp petrol, a 1200cc 69 bhp petrol, and a 1248cc, 75 bhp multijet diesel engine already in India on the diesel Suzuki Swift. The car is 3.55 metres in length, but features 7 airbags including a knee-airbag and comes with a five star rating in EuroNCAP tests.

Besides the Fiat 500, the company has also lined up a few other models that would follow. The launch of Fiat 500 is being positioned in such a way that it would herald the arrival of the other new models such as Bravo and most importantly the Linea.

The Fiat Linea is a mid-size sedan Linea which would debut in September 2008. The Linea is expected to come up with 70 per cent local content, and company sources said that Fiat’s successful 1.3 multi-jet engines with 95 bhp will be used in Linea. Yet another model Grande Punto will follow he Linea and would get set for a December launch. The Fiat Bravo too is expected soon in India.

Fiat’s largest selling model in India currently is the Palio which is available in seven versions. According to the company, Palio sells around 600 units a month. This, significantly, means is that the company sells all that it makes.

Volkswagen Jetta

The Volkswagen Jetta comes with three variants and 2 engines in India. The first is a 1.6 litre petrol and the second a 1.9 litre diesel pump deuse engine. At the current price, Volkswagen Jetta will compete with the Honda Civic, the lower models of the Skoda and the Camry.

The Volkswagen Jetta can reach a top speed of 187 kmph, which we think is a bit slow when compared to other cars which can attain nearly the same speed for a few lakhs less. The Jetta will come in 2 versions Trendline and Comfortline. The petrol Trendline Jetta comes with a 5-speed manual gearbox while the higher version - diesel Comfortline - will sport a six-speed automatic gearshift. The petrol Jetta, claims Volkswagen, can accelerate from standstill to 100 kmph in just 12.2 seconds, while the diesel Jetta will reach the same speed in 11.8 seconds.

Airbags are standard in the Volkswagen Jetta, though the full set of eight airbags are reserved for the higher diesel Comfortline model only. There are arm rests in the front as well as the rear, a quiet comfort while you go on long drives. The retractable armrests have thoughtfully-integrated storage space and cupholders. The Jetta has 2 AC vents at the rear too, besides 2-zone climate control. For added convenience, the Jetta incorporates coming-home and leaving-home lighting and rain sensors on windshields.

For safety, Volkswagen has loaded the Jetta with anti-lock braking system (ABS) and the Electronic Stabilisation Program with steering assist. The car comes with a built-in anti-theft system.

The design of the Jetta mostly sticks to the model being sold abroad. The Jetta has a sporty radiator grille, elegant chrome trim on the side windows (Comfortline) and colour-keyed bumpers, door handles and door mirror housings with integral twin signals.

Functions like opening and closing windows, boot etc can be done with a remote control in the Jetta. The interiors are spacious and the glove box come with a cooling facility. The VW Jetta’s digital display gives information about average speed, fuel consumption and range. The Jetta boot can hold a total of 527 litres.

Though a good car in many respects, we feel the Volkswagen Jetta is overpriced. The high price has more to do with the fact that components of Jetta are imported from Mexico and assembled at Skoda’s Aurangabad factory. Once Volkswagen completes its Chakan plant and start sourcing spares from Indian suppliers, as it has promised, we feel the Jetta can be priced lower to offer strong competition in the Rs 9 lakh- Rs 11 lakh segment. It’s a good car, which deserves to be sold to a lot more people.

SCORPIO HYBRID

An India maker which came into automotive business by assembling willy’s jeeps imported from United States is going to sell Indian made SUV’s in USA next year. Mahindra which wishes to be the Indian Land Rover will take on Toyota, Ford and Honda in United States in 2009. Mahindra is making a superior scorpio to suit the emission and safety norms. But Mahindra makes something more than scorpio to lure US customers. What is called Scorpio Hybrid which is an important product for Mahindra’s US game plan. This is India’s first Hybrid SUV and we got some exclusive information on the vehicle.

The new hybrid scoprio will look more like a regular scorpio, the powertrain is completely new. It uses diesel-electric parallel hybrid. Mahindra hybridized the scorpio with the help of FEV an internationally recognized powertrain and vehicle engineering. Mahindra scorpio hybrid operates in four modes.

1) Mahindra scorpio hybrid Motor assist mode: Both the combustion engine and electric motor simultaneously power the vehicle.

2) Mahindra scorpio hybrid Generator mode: Combustion engine powers the vehicle while charging the batteries during partial load conditions.

3) Mahindra scorpio hybrid Regenerative Braking mode: Part of brake energy wasted as heat is recuperated using the e-machine as a generator into battery

4) Mahindra scorpio hybrid Motor Idle Charging mode: if the battery state of charge is lower than the threshold, the combustion engine recharges the battery while idling.

A 2.2 Liter, I-4, second generation diesel common rail engine producing 113bhp of maximum power and 270 Nm of peak torque is under the hood of the hybrid scorpio. Assisting the m-Hawk engine is the electric motor which produces 40bhp. The combustion engine, the electric machine and the automatic transmission are coupled together through a mechanical torque converter. Mahindra and Mahindra earns the credit of making India’s first automatic transmission. The six speed automatic transmission is a fully electronic control system and simplifies the regular gear system to just four operations - parking,reverse,neutral and drive.

LIGHTNING GT-TESLA's Big Brother

100% ELECTRIC POWER - That delivers ultra smooth, full power immediately from zero rpm. True to its name, the Lightning GT could be charged in approximately 10 minutes for up to 200 miles of motoring, which would make long journeys a breeze. Full regenerative braking means the battery receives charge every time you decelerate.
UNCOMPROMISING PERFORMANCE - 0-60mph in just 5 seconds will be standard for the Lightning and we believe the sport version will provide an incredible 0-60mph in less than 4 seconds. A real driver's car!
COMMANDING PRESENCE - Full size, luxury spec. GT with carbon fibre/Kevlar crafted bodywork which makes an impressive statement wherever you drive.
EXEMPT FROM ROAD CHARGES - with limited emissions, you can forget congestion charges and road tax.
PHENOMENAL ECONOMY - 10 x cheaper to run. Using domestic electric power for charging costs around 2.2p per mile vs. 26.4p for the equivalent petrol engine.
SAFER THAN THE AVERAGE - The Lightning has no large fuel tank. Instead it incorporates a state of the art NanoSafe™ battery system. The composite monocoque structure uses the same technology as that used in F1 to protect the driver.Through development work with Amber Composites and Technical Resin Bonders the bodywork will incorporate aluminium honeycomb crushable impact cells, the same technology that is used in Formula 1 motor racing to protect the driver. This material will be used in the front, rear and sides of the car as well as around the battery area. The Lightning has no large fuel tank. Instead it incorporates a state of the art NanoSafe™ battery system. NanoSafe™ batteries use nano titanate materials instead of graphite which makes them far more thermally stable – there are no toxics or heavy metals used in NanoSafe™ batteries

TECHNOLOGY

Until now, battery technology has hindered electric vehicle innovation. In 2000, US company Altairnano Inc. established a research programme to create an ultra safe, high power battery using cutting-edge Nanotechnology. The result of their hard work is the NanoSafe™ battery.
SAFER - NanoSafe™ batteries use nano titanate materials instead of graphite which makes them far more thermally stable - there are no toxics or heavy metals used in NanoSafe™ batteries.
LONGER-LASTING - NanoSafe™ batteries have a life expectancy of 12+ years, versus the 3-5 year usable life of other batteries. NanoSafe™ can retain up to 85% charge capacity after 15,000 charges.
FASTER CHARGE - NanoSafe™ batteries can be recharged in approximately 10 minutes, rather than the hours required by many other rechargeable batteries.
MORE POWERFUL - With instantaneous power even at extreme temperatures, NanoSafe™ batteries deliver power per unit weight and unit volume several times that of conventional Lithium-Ion batteries.
NanoSafe™ is the power supply choice of Phoenix Motorcars for their Sport Utility Truck. http://www.phoenixmotorcars.com/
NanoSafe™ has also powered the world record beating EV dragster driven by Dennis Berube in Tucson Arizona on December 30th 2007, during which he achieved a top speed of over 160mph in under 8 seconds.
Hi-Pa Drive™
Hi-Pa Drive™ from PML Flightlink Ltd. is a revolution in motor technology and it's a British innovation to boot! With its integrated motor and drive electronics in one single unit it produces an ultra high power density - up to 20 times more than conventional systems.
The compact, energy-efficient, electric wheel motors produce unrivalled levels of torque with internal heavy-duty tapered roller bearings that can withstand heavy radial loads for robust use. Yet they achieve the power to weight ratio important for the performance sports car capability of the Lightning.
Other features include total weather proofing, total energy transfer and several levels of redundancy, so any single failure will not prevent the vehicle from operating safely.
Hi-Pa Drive™ has recently become the choice of Volvo who has incorporated it into its ReCharge concept, launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show towards the end of last year.

Drive system
We've chosen the very best drive system technology available anywhere in the world. This advanced motor technology now has phenomenal torque and power capability which is integrated within a wheel assembly. There are no gearboxes, differential, axle, drive shafts or propshafts to contend with. All of the power is generated at the wheel, the point at which it's required, which eliminates mechanical complexity and power losses experienced in standard sports cars. These lightweight and ultra powerful motors don't add significant extra unsprung weight and are therefore ideal in that position

Regenerative Braking

When you brake, the car's kinetic energy is converted to heat through friction - throwing away the energy that was previously used to accelerate the car. In city driving, about 30 percent of a typical car's engine output is lost to braking. This proportion drops to almost zero in highway driving, where braking is much less frequent.
An electric vehicle uses an electric motor to create torque to drive its wheels. When an electric vehicle is approaching a stop light, it doesn't create friction and useless heat in order to slow down. Instead it reverses its electric motor turning it into an electric generator, creating electricity which is fed back into the battery and stored for future use. In fact any time an electric vehicle decelerates it causes the system to use the vehicle’s momentum to generate electricity.

Lightning GT - Standard Features
Anti lock braking system
Traction control
Regenerative braking
Electronic door entry
Programmable external engine sound generator
Central door locking
Alarm and immobilizer
Electric windows
Acoustic information and entertainment system
Part leather/alcantara sports seats
Forged alloy wheels
Tinted windows
Home based charging system (EVCS) with integral safety features
Hella focused beam halogen headlamps
LED taillights, front, rear and side-mounted lights
Colours
Available in Electric Lightning Blue, black and silver as standard (as shown)
Options & accessories
Air conditioning
Tyre pressure and temperature monitoring system
Satellite navigation system
Non standard colour / metallic paint
Full leather trim
Mobile charging system
Car cover

On the road while the LIGHTNING GT cruises to 60mph in just 4 seconds ,the jaguarXK convertible takes almost 5 seconds to reach 60mph.While taking into account the car of same category,ie,environmental concious cars,the toyota pruis takes 10.5 seconds to cruise to 60mph.A massive power of 700Bhp is hidden under the hood of this lightning beast is enough to ashame any other car in the lot.

BUGATTI VEYRON -GRAND SPORT

Standard equipments
Premium "Nappa sensitive" leather and Italian alcantara interior surfaces, carbon fiber seats covered in leather, engine-turned aluminum interior accents, aluminum pedals, heated seats, CD player, seven speed DSG transmission with paddle shifters, two-tone paint scheme, variable tail spoiler for aerodynamics and air braking, front and rear carbon ceramic brakes, bi-Xenon headlamps. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 was designed to be a sportscar which would explore the limits of the technically possible and which would, in every respect, be committed to the extreme. The idea was to design a car that would uncompromisingly unite the passion of the designer, the skill of the engineer, absolute luxury and racing technology. The idea was to interpret the car as a work of art. The idea was to build a Bugatti. This incredible automobile can accelerate from 0-62 mph in 2.5 seconds on it's way to a top speed of 252 mph. Braking from 248 mph takes less than 10 seconds as a result of the Veyron's carbon cermaic brakes and rear spoiler that acts as an air brake.Priced at $2.25 per piece, only 50 Veyrons per year will be built for the world, a total production run of 300 cars will be built over 6 years.

The Bugatti Veyron is among the most exclusive cars in the world, a 1,000-horsepower super exotic owned by fewer than 150 people. Every one of them is about to be upstaged by the drop-dead gorgeous roadster Bugatti will unveil later this month at the Pebble Beach Concours.
Bugatti pulled the wraps off the stunning Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport this morning. The company isn't saying much about the car before its Aug. 16 premier, but does say that structural changes and other innovations make the roadster as rigid -- and safe -- as the coupe, which does zero to 60 in as little as 2.3 seconds (Bugatti claims 2.5) and tops out at 253 mph.
The top looks opaque but is actually clear, and the car looks just as good with it as without. Aerodynamic tweaks improve airflow, allowing the two lucky occupants to enjoy the growl of the Veyron's 16-cylinder engine and the blurred landscape passing at 250 mph without mussing their hair.

The first Grand Sport will be auctioned Aug. 17 at the concours.