Ford Ikon-Facelifted

The Ford Ikon was launched in India way back in 1999 and to day remains one of the more fun to drive sedans in the country. The major facelift came along in 2003 when Ford revamped the interiors with better quality trim and more equipment and the 1.6 ROCAM engine was also re-tuned for better economy.

Ford India has now launched a new facelifted model of Ikon. The external changes this time around are substantial with all new front, revamped interiors and slightly revised rear end. The short stubby grille at the front give it an aggressive look while the new head lights do their bit accentuate the aggression. New model is available in both petrol and diesel priced at Rs. 459000.00 & Rs. 520000.00 respectively.

Additional Features/Changes in New Ikon:

1) All New Front with clear headlights & new bumper.
2) Clear Tail Lights.
3) Factory fitted CD Player.
4) Full wing Spoiler.
5) 13" Alloy Wheels.
6) Remote Central Locking.
7) All New Biege Interiors.
8) Chrome Boot Lid.

The subtle front has styling cues taken from the European Fiesta. The rear has been left almost untouched with just slightly redesigned tail lamps. The interiors are much the same too except for the instrument cluster which gets all new dials & factory fitted CD Player system.

The suspension layout follows the highly successful Ford MacPherson strut configuration, with lower A-shaped arms, to improve running refinement and dynamic control. The twist beam rear suspension design matched to the front suspension provides well-balanced handling.

The diesel variant of the new Ikon would come with a 1.4 litre DuraTorq TDCi engine, while the petrol variant would be available with a 1.3 litre RoCam engine. The diesel engine produces 68PS at 4000 rpm and give maximum torque of 160 nm at 2000 rpm. On the other side, the patrol mill is slightly better giving 70PS at 4000 rpm and maximum torque of 105nm at 2500 rpm.

The new engine is derived from Fiesta. The older diesel train was making it hard to comply with the current emission norms. The good thing about new engine is that its lighter than older engine and thus giving more advantage to IKON. It will also add a plus point in terms of mileage. Priced at





The new Ikon is available in exciting 8 new colours:Diamond White, Panther Black, Moondust Silver, Paprika Red, Platinum, Brush Steel and a new colour Morello.

Suzuki finally launches its superbikes in India.

Suzuki motorcycles India has launched 1,340 cc Suzuki Hayabusa and 1,783 cc V-twin Intruder M1800R in India, both priced at 12.5 lakh (ex-showroom) each, the Hayabusa and Intruder M1800R would initially be available in Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

Intruder M1800R

Introducing to the Indian market, a new level of excitement on the roads, INTRUDER M1800R is a style statement in itself. One look is all it takes to tell that INTRUDER M1800R is not an average cruiser. The most striking feature of this model is an all-new 1783cc, v-twin engine, liquid cooled with DOHC and digital fuel injection. Presenting to you the new classic look with an engine designed to produce a massive wave of tractable power and responsive torque starting just off idle and reaching to redline. The bike has an unmatched combination of the latest high-performance technology and a unique, exciting style.

The INTRUDER M1800R is simply the most powerful cruiser Suzuki has ever produced. It comes to you in a new look worth dying for and an ultimate appeal which would leave you drooling over; in Pearl nebular Black and candy Dark Cherry Red.

Dimensions;

Overall Length - 2,485 mm Overall Width - 940 mm Overall Height - 1,180 mm Wheelbase - 1,715 mm Ground Clearance - 135 mm Seat Height - 700 mm Dry Mass - 2315 kg Fuel Capacity - 19.0 litres Engine; Engine Type - 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 2-cylinder, 54 degree V-Twin Bore x Stroke - 112.0 mm x 90.5mm Piston Displacement - 1,783 cc Compression Ratio - 10.5:1 Carburettor - Fuel injection 56 mm Lubrication - Semi-dry sump Electrical System Ignition Type - Electronic ignition (transistorized) Starter System - Electric Transmisson; Transmission - 5-speed, constant mesh Chassis; Front Suspension - Inverted telescopic, coil spring, oil damped Rear Suspension - Link type, oil damped, coil spring, spring pre-load 7-way adjustable Rake/Trail - 32 degrees/130mm Front Brake - Radial mount, opposed 4-piston calipers Rear Brake - Pin-slide 2-piston caliper, 275mm disc Front Tyre - 130/70R18M/C 63V, tubeless Rear Tyre - 240/40R18M/C 79V, tubeless

SUZUKI HAYABUSA

The 2008 Hayabusa comes with a ram air equipped 1,340cc inline four engine that develops 190 bhp with the help of high tech features like twin swirl combustion chamber. The sleek aerodynamic design offers high speed stability and S-DMS (Suzuki Drive Mode Selector) .The bike sports the new advanced digital fuel injection system with three way selectable engine mapping to suit personal preferences. The bike also comes with a hydraulic slipper clutch (a standard thing in the litre class bikes) and radially mounted brakes for efficient braking.The Hayabusa will be available with 4 color options - Solid Black, Metallic Majestic Gold and Pearl Nebular Black, Metallic Phantom Gray

The Hayabusa’s instrument cluster features a set of four analog gauges, including step-motor—driven tachometer and speedometer, fuel meter and coolant temperature meter. It comes with wind-cheating, wind-tunnel-developed aerodynamic shape, and the giant weights 220kg.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine : Bore : Stroke : Displacement : Compression ratio : Air Cleaner : Starter : Lubrication : Fuelling : Overall length : Overall Width : Height : Wheel base : Ground clearance : Seat height : Dry weight : GMV :	In-line 4 cylinder 4 stroke DOHC TSCC 81.0 mm 65.0 mm 1340 cc 12.5 : 1 Non-woven fabric Electric Wet sump Electronic Fuel Injection 2190 mm 735 mm 1165 mm 1480 mm 120 mm 805 mm 220 kg 449 kg
Instrument Panel/Dashboard :	Speed, Rev meter, Fuel, Engine Temp, Clock, Gear indicator, Power mode indicator, Odo meter, Trip meter, Neutral indicator, Rev limit indicator, left and right indicators.
Security :	SAIS - Suzuki Advanced Immobilizer System
Suspension (front) :	Inverted telescopic, coil sprung, oil damped, spring preload fully adjustable rebound damping force 10-way adjustable compression damping force 10-way adjustable
Suspension (rear) :	Link type, coil spring, gas/oil damped, spring preload fully adjustable force 22-way adjustable?, compression damping force 22-way adjustable?
Caster : Trail : Steering angle :	23* 25' 93 mm (3.8 in) 30* right to left
Suspension Settings :	STANDARD
Brakes / Tyres / Tyre Pressures:	320mm Tokico - Front twin 6 piston caliper 260mm Back single 4 piston caliper Recommended Pressures Front and Back: 42psi Front 120/70 ZR17 Bridgestone BT-015 Front Wheels : 17 M/C x MT3.50, cast aluminum alloy Rear 190/50 ZR17 Bridgestone BT-015 Front Wheels : 17 M/C x MT6.00, cast aluminum alloy
Fuel tank : Oil Capacity :	2008 : 21 litres Canadian : 20 litres 3100ml
Fuel consumption :	Run-in period 6.1lts per 100kms
Exhaust :	4 into 2 into 1into 2 (standard)
Colours :	Model history
Ignition type : Spark plug : Battery : Generator : Headlight : Headlight : Turn signal : Brake light tail light : License plate light : Dash lights all :	Electric NGK CR9EIA-9 or DENSO IU27D B12V G3 Phase 12V 65w 12V 55w 12V 21W LED 12V 5W LED
Gearbox :	6 speed constant mesh Wet multi-plate hydraulic clutch Drive chain RK GB50GSV Z4 114 Links
Primary Reduction Ratio 1st Gear 2nd Gear 3rd Gear 4th Gear 5th Gear 6th Gear Final Reduction Ratio	1.596 2.615 1.937 1.526 1.285 1.136 1.043 2.388
Power : Torque :	A mode (Claimed) 197hp 15kg-m Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (S-DMS) - 3 Modes (Claimed) 146Kw @ 9800rpm (Claimed) 154Nm @ 10200rpm B Mode: 130Kw and 127Nm (Approx) C Mode: 100Kw and 105Nm (Approx)

TATA nano out on roads??

FIAT LINEA

The Fiat Linea which was designed by the 'Fiat Style Centre' made its debut in Istanbul with a beautiful show to unveil the Fiat Linea with the new red fiat badge. The Fiat Linea will be manufactured in Brazil, Russia, China and yes our very own land India. The car which was developed by a 50-50 joint venture between The Turkish Tofas and Fiat Auto, this car is already launched in Turkey. The Linea will be marketed in European countries since it has the "Italian" look, which is most liked by these guys. The Linea along with the Grande Punto will be made at the Tata-Fiat Ranjangaon plant and is expected in dec of this year.. but worth the wait.

Engine and Gadgets:

The Fiat Linea has 2 engines launched in Turkey, the 1.3 multijet diesel engine which is found in the swift, and a 1.4 petrol engine. The 1.3 Multijet diesel engine with a variable geometry turbo, 16v produces 90bhp and the 1.4 FIRE petrol produces 77bhp and torque of 115Nm, underpowered compared to the rivals here in India. A 1.4 petrol engine is likely to come later with a 16v Turbo that produces a whooping 120bhp. A 1.8 and 2 litre engines will be available by next year and is mostly expected to launch in India, and another fast and fun to drive engine the 1.4 T-jet that produces 88bhp and torque of 206Nm and we might also see a 1.9 Multijet Diesel which was put up in the Bravo and the Grande Punto. According to Fiats website, the Linea 1.4 FIRE has the best in class mileage - 6.3lit in 100km and the multijet 1.3 4.9Lit in 100km. The !.4 T-jet reaches 100 in just 9 seconds and a top speed of 200 Km/h and the multijet goes

A special version will be launched in Brazil,which will be powered by the new 1.9 Flexfuel engine that shoots 130 bhp, it runs on gasohol, which contains ethanol and pure bio-ethanol.Now coming to the Gadgets(all are international version, some might not come to India) this is a part where cars of the same segment dosent have it and compares itself with higher sedans, such as certain sophisticated climate and infotainment devices improve the comfort and quality for long runs for passengers, automatic climate control,USB port, Cruise Control, a radio with CD-Mp3 player, parking sensors and other lovely guddies.

As the launch nears, we have more details about the Fiat Linea that is coming our way. One of the most anticipated car launch of the year and one of the most important as far as Fiat India is concerned, the Linea will come with a 1.4 Litre 16 Valve twin-cam 95 bhp petrol engine. The same engine lies beneath the hood of the Grand Punto sold in Turkey and will be offered in that car as well when it goes for sale in India sometime early next year.

Performance of 1.3 Multijet

Those of you watching NDTV. This Test is done by the Ndtv car and bike show
"The Car was surprisingly responsive for a 1.3 diesel engine, for a car of this size. While the gearbox was quite annoying in traffic conditions, which might be a major problem in India, like the notchy gearbox of the Chevrolet Aveo, which got many complaints, Fiat better fix up the problem. The Torque is a sweeping 200nm and is offered in 5-speed manual, 6-speed dualogic automatic, it has a very satisfactory pickup, and solid dynamics even at sharp curves, overall the car is great to drive and might work well for India. The Diesel Engines might come as a success in India as the only competitor is the aging Skoda Octavia."

xteriors of the Linea

The Fiat Linea was designed by the Fiat Style Centre. The exterir styling is elegant, dynamic and typically ‘Italian’. It screams ITALIAN everywhere..the new red Fiat logo looks great and the Grill was placed and made nicely. The headlights are big and gives the car a maseratish and astonmartonish look, the front looks classic and awesome. The front curves beautifully that gives it a sport look and a little bit of aeroplane is shown.. i think they treid streamlining.. The fog lamps go well with a nice plastic finish. Coming to the side body colored side mirrors with a little bit of plastic and chrome finish for the door handles, We Indians have love with chrome that it makes it feel that Chrome gives a rich look. Heres another interesting thing that the side mirrors are placed on the door.The Wheel arch has been nicely curved and made and the curves goes through the back doors. More chrome works had been done to entertain those chrome fans, down in the doors and bekow the lights. The front shape of the car has given it a fiercing sport and muscle look, as for the back a nice and class style. The bodys line and curves are nicely made and gives it a muscle look, rather than a boxy shaped look like the WagonR.. The taillights are clear and overall the car calls itself "Italian". Awesome design and we better keep our hands tight for this beauty, its a looong way to Alabama mamaa..
Dimensions:-

Width - 1730mm
Length - 4560mm
Height - 1500mm
Wheelbase - 2600mm
Boot - 500 Litres

Comparison of Dimensions

1 Width - Linea beats the Aveo, City, Fiesta, Verna, Indigo Xl,Optra, Corolla, Mercedes C-Class and the Lancer Cedia. Wow!! beating the C- Class, cool, but the new c class definately beats it amd the octavia beats it by a mere 1mm, and the SX4 by 5mm and the 3 series with a huge 87mm and the civic by just 20mm.

2 Length - With 4560mm the Linea beats everyone in the category making it the longest car. Cool!!

3 Height - Aveo - by 5mm , SX4 - by 60mm and the Indigo XL - by 40mm defeats it in Height

4 Wheelbase - Beats every car but Indigo Xl, Civic, C-Class and 3 series, but ties with the Optra, Cedia, Corolla.

5 Boot:- Beats every other car but Ocavia and ties with City


Interiors

Class.. Pure Class.. The Interiors are great and upmarket products are used.. starting with the dash.. The Gauge is not bulging out like the other cars in India, it stays low and can be seen clearly through the steering wheel, and hence better view of the road. Audio controls, cruise control, climate control and other stuff are embeded within the steering wheel. Nice rectangular aii vents give the dash a clean and poper look.. The center console is given a steelish kind of look and an indash CD-player.The Gauges with metallic elements look sporty good. Rear AC vents are available for the rear passengers!! The BlueAndMe is a technology that allows to use the phone in the car with bluetooth technology and to listen to various music formats with USB ports. The Seats finish is nicely done and looks great. Rear Headrests are available in threes and is adjustable, an armrest for the driver and rear armrests for the passengers at the rear. If you look from the side the driver side of the dash is pulled toward the steering wheel that denies other passengers to peek into the instruments and gauges. this car has lot of button that takes some time to learn all those.. Its like a cockpit.. a mini cockpit though.

Overall:-

The Linea is Fiats next big hope after the Punto and the Bravo and will definately bring sales to Fiat.. Great Interiors, sporty and classy exteriors and good performance and a price range of 8-11 lakhs, the Octavia, Corolla, Civic and other cars better watch out and out of the 1.4 engine s the Fiesta, Verna, Aveo and SX4 better stay tuned..looks like Fiat got a winner in their hands.

Maruthi Suzuki A-STAR

Maruti Suzuki has launched the A-Star in the market today. Like all the popular Maruti hatchbacks now a days, the car comes in three versions - Lxi, Vxi and the ZXi. The top-end ZXi variant comes ABS + EBD (Electronic Brake Force and Air-Bags as standard and rear window de-fogger along with a dash integrated music system with 4-speaker and an AUX-IN to connect your iPods, which is also shared with the VXi variant.

The car comes with Suzuki’s 3-Cylinder, 1 Litre KB series engine with 67 Ps of maximum power @ 6200 rpm and 90 nm of torque @ 3500 rpm. Interestingly, this is the only 3-Cylinder engine currently on sale in the Indian market except for the 800 cc unit in another Maruti, the 800. 3 Cylinder engines are inherently imbalanced compared to a 4-Cylinder unit which is better balanced and it would be intesreting to see how maruti suzuki have taken care of the NVH.

The car rides on 13-inch tubeless tyres 155/80 R13 and comes with gas-charged dampers, which reacts to bumps instantlty, and hence are better. Front suspension is the universal Mc Pherson Struts and Coil Springs while rear is an Isolated Trailing Link Suspension with Coil Springs.

The car will be built exclusively in India for the domestic market and will be exported to 150 countries accross Europe, Middle East, Latin America, Asia, Australlia and Africa.

The A-Star comes in a total of 9 colors: Azure Grey, Arctic White, Sunlight Copper, Midnight Black, Paradise Blue, Silky Silver, Healing Green, Bright Red and Desert Brown. The A-Star replaces the Alto in Europe and will be named Suzuki Celerio for some markets. Nissan will also market this car as Pixo in Middle East and African markets.

Maruti Suzuki has launched the A-Star in the market today. Like all the popular Maruti hatchbacks now a days, the car comes in three versions - Lxi, Vxi and the ZXi. The top-end ZXi variant comes ABS + EBD (Electronic Brake Force and Air-Bags as standard and rear window de-fogger along with a dash integrated music system with 4-speaker and an AUX-IN to connect your iPods, which is also shared with the VXi variant.

The car comes with Suzuki’s 3-Cylinder, 1 Litre KB series engine with 67 Ps of maximum power @ 6200 rpm and 90 nm of torque @ 3500 rpm. Interestingly, this is the only 3-Cylinder engine currently on sale in the Indian market except for the 800 cc unit in another Maruti, the 800. 3 Cylinder engines are inherently imbalanced compared to a 4-Cylinder unit which is better balanced and it would be intesreting to see how maruti suzuki have taken care of the NVH.

The car rides on 13-inch tubeless tyres 155/80 R13 and comes with gas-charged dampers, which reacts to bumps instantlty, and hence are better. Front suspension is the universal Mc Pherson Struts and Coil Springs while rear is an Isolated Trailing Link Suspension with Coil Springs.

The car will be built exclusively in India for the domestic market and will be exported to 150 countries accross Europe, Middle East, Latin America, Asia, Australlia and Africa.

The A-Star comes in a total of 9 colors: Azure Grey, Arctic White, Sunlight Copper, Midnight Black, Paradise Blue, Silky Silver, Healing Green, Bright Red and Desert Brown. The A-Star replaces the Alto in Europe and will be named Suzuki Celerio for some markets. Nissan will also market this car as Pixo in Middle East and African markets.

SPECIFICATIONS

Name:	A-Star
Model:	Vxi
Car Body Type:	Hatchback
Segment:	A Segment
ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS
Displacement:	1000cc, 3 cyl, MPFi, K-series
Engine Type:	Petrol
Maximum Power:	64 bhp (expected)
Maximum Torque:	0
DIMENSIONS
Length:	3580 mm
Width:	1680 mm
Height:	1400 mm
OTHER SPECIFICATIONS
Seating Capacity:	4
Tyre Size:	205/45 R17
Steering:	Power
Brakes:	Front Disk, Rear Drum
Gears:	5 Manual
Fuel Tank:	35.00
Body Color Bumpers:
Tachometer:
Alloys:
ORVM Indicator:
Xenon Headlamps:
Trip Meter:	3
Headlamp Washer:

COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE
AC:	AC without Climate Control
Power Windows:
Central Locking:	Manual
Remote Boot:
Remote Fuel Filler:
Rear Wiper:
Rear Defogger:
Rear Armrest:
Streeing Adjustment (Rake/Reach):	/
Driver Seat Adjustment:	Manual
Leather Seats:
Door Mirror:	Driver Side Manual
Tinted Glass:
Rear AC Vent:
Folding Rear Seats:
Sun Roof:
Buttons/Controls on Steering:
Auto Viper:
Auto Headlamp:
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SAFETY
Airbag:
Parking Sensors:
Fog Lamp:
Traction Control:
EBD:
ABS:

The pricing Ex-Showroom Delhi is as follows:

* A-star Lxi - Rs3,46,775

* A-star Vxi -Rs3,74,775

* A-star Zxi - Rs4,11,775