Launch Report: Refreshed Maruti Suzuki Swift

Maruti Suzuki has finally launched the refreshed version of its successful hatchback, the Swift with prices starting at Rs.4.42 lakhs ex-showroom Delhi. There are a few subtle changes made to the car to make it a more desirable package. 

The new Swift is powered by the same engines present on the existing cars, that is the 1.3l multijet diesel engine sourced from fiat and maruti's own 1.2l K-series petrol motor. The diesel engine produces 74 bhp @ 4000 RPM and 190 Nm @ 2000 RPM,  ratings are identical to the outgoing car. The petrol engine produces 83 bhp @ 6000 RPM  and 115 Nm @ 4000 RPM. Power is down by 3 bhp and torque is up by 1Nm. 

These changes have resulted in  increased mileage figures of 25.2 kmpl (diesel) and 20.4 kmpl (petrol), both up by around 10% with respect to the outgoing car. Enhancements such as low friction oil, modified fuel injection and advanced thermal management system have been made to reduce frction loss and decrease engine warmup time. The compression ratio on the petrol engine has been increased to improve engine efficiency. 

Exterior changes include a new front bumper and grill, silver accents in the fog lamp housing (look like wannabe DRL's), new chunkier alloy wheels and electric ORVMs with integrated turn indicators. 


The interior changes are far more minimal. The new swift comes with an engine start/stop button, steering mounted controls, reverse parking sensors, 60:40 split seats, silver accents on the dashboard and a new upholstery.  All these changes make the swift a little more desirable. 

The Swift will be available in 6 colours  -  Fire Red, Glistening Grey, Granite Grey, Mysterious Violet, Pearl Arctic White and Silky Silver.

Prices:

• LXi - Rs.4.42 lakh
• LXi (o) - Rs.4.49 lakh
• VXi - Rs.5.08 lakh
• ZXi - Rs.5.90 lakh
• LDi  - Rs.5.56 lakh
• VDi - Rs.6.00 lakh
• ZDi - Rs.6.95 lakh.

All prices are ex-showroom Delhi. 

Link to the site:www.marutisuzuki.com/swift

Looking forward to your comments!

Keep revving! 
Speed pujari

Unveiled: Honda City 2014

Honda City, one of the most revolutionary and successful cars to be launched in the Indian market. The first generation was launched way back in 1998. With Japanese reliability, a fuel efficient engine and a competitive price tag made the City undoubtedly the segment leader. Few years down the line Honda launched the Honda City VTEC which is still quite a popular choice amongst performance car enthusiasts. Following that two other generations came out. And they were also equally successful. It has always been the petrol segment leader but then the recent market conditions have favoured Diesel vehicles and as a result the City lost out to it's rivals.

So finally the Fourth generation Honda City has been officially unveiled in India, where it makes it's global debut and yes,with a much awaited diesel engine. Will this be a segment leader just like the petrol city? For that we will have to wait till January next year when they officially launch it.

Honda have not revealed much information of the new City as this was merely just an unveiling event but some of the important points have been discussed below.

Some important points of the new 2014 City:

• Powered by 2 engines. The petrol will be a re-tuned version of the 1.5L i-VTEC from the earlier car. The diesel motor is the 1.5L i-DTEC already seen on the Amaze.( Unfortunately no specs have been officially revealed)
• Both engines will come mated to a 5-speed manual transmission and the petrol will also come with an automatic transmission(with paddle shifts). Honda could surprise us though by also launching a much needed diesel automatic down the line. But that could push the price tag dangerously higher.
• Dimensions (in mm) : 4440 x 1695 x 1495. Wheelbase has increased by 50mm, Height by 10mm. Rear seat much more spacious than the outgoing car.
• All-new body shell and chassis. We could expect it to be a little more performance-oriented and fun to drive!
• Biggest improvement has to be the interiors. All new instrument cluster and dials, feather touch AC controls, new LCD head-unit with  reversing display.
• Features include push button start, four 12V charging points, Sunroof, Cruise Control, Automatic climate control, Airbags, ABS&EBD and rear seat AC vents.
• Honda has also increased the production capacity by adding a third shift. A special mention for Honda in this area as they anticipate their demand and waiting periods well. No fiascos like  what Ford had with the Ecosports.

So on paper it looks like a winner already. Lets hope Honda get the pricing right. Hyundai have a lot to worry about. Can't wait to get my hands on it in January next year when we will be bringing you the Official review!

Looking forward to your comments.

Keep revving!
Speed pujari

Launch Report: Mahindra XUV5OO W4

The Mahindra XUV 5OO has been the most successful SUV for Mahindra after the Scorpio. It had been developed from scratch and the biggest advantage was the monocoque chassis when compared to the traditional body-on-frame construction. With futuristic looks, loads of gizmos and features and to top it all a reasonable and value-for-money price tag meant that the XUV 5OO was an instant success. And over a period of time Mahindra have also ironed out the issues based on customer feedback. Now all the XUV5OO needed was a most aggressive starting price, so Mahindra have finally launched the much awaited base W4 variant of their SUV, the XUV 5OO. With a starting price of 10.83 lakhs(ex-showroom Mumbai). But even though it the lower-end variant it still comes with bells and whistles. It is powered by the same 2.2L mHawk diesel engine producing 140bhp of power and 330Nm of torque. It comes mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

  

Some of the important features available in the W4 variant of the XUV 5OO are:

• All-round disk brakes
• Dual airbags
• ABS and EBD
• Twin HVAC
• Projector lights with LED’s
• Tilt adjustable power steering
• 6 way adjustable driver’s seat
• Integrated music system with 4 speakers(no infotainment system)
• Power adjustable ORVM’s

Thus with this aggressive pricing the W4 variant of the XUV 5OO will cater mainly to the sedan buyers who can stretch their budget just a little bit more to own India’s Global SUV. 

Link to site:  http://www.mahindraxuv500.com/

Looking forward to your comments.

Keep revving!
Speed pujari

Review: Chevrolet Cruze 2013 (Facelift)

Chevrolet India have launched a facelift of their premium sedan the Chevrolet Cruze with a price tag of 13.75-16.15 lakhs (ex-showroom delhi). This is the second facelift that Chevrolet has offered on the current generation vehicle. The previous version got a mildly tuned 2.0L diesel motor and all-black interiors. The Cruze has been getting in decent numbers for Chevrolet each month but it is literally annihilated by it's competitors like the Volkswagen Jetta and the newly launched Skoda Octavia. So in desperate attempts to gain back some market share Chevrolet have launched this facelift, but does it really click? Well we should get to know soon.

The Chevrolet Cruze if offered with only one engine option, a 1998cc VCDi four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine producing 166Ps of power at 3800rpm and 380Nm of torque at 2000rpm. It is available in two transmission options, a 6-speed manual transmission for purists and also a 6-speed automatic transmission for the people who want convenient and easy to drive vehicle. It is good to see that Chevrolet have never launched a petrol version as there is hardly any scope and demand for a petrol luxury sedan. This way they can concentrate on developing the diesel mill.

The motor has a lot of power and torque on tap which make it extremely fun to drive. The Cruze has a sophisticated suspension setup with gas-charged McPherson struts upfront suspension and U-shaped rear suspension with torsion beams and gas charged shock absorbers. This setup gives the Cruze a pliant and comfortable ride. The Cruze comes equipped with a four-wheel disc brake set-up which provides excellent stopping power.

Updates:
The updates on the Cruze facelift are purely cosmetic in nature. The facelift now gets a redesigned grille, which is marketed as a “dual port grille”. This is based on Chevrolet's all-new family look which it shares with the Beat and Spark facelift. The bumper has also been modified mainly around the fog lamp region which now gets a totally new housing and chrome inserts. Other than that there is a new alloy wheel design which has an uncanny resemblance to the ones seen on the Sail U-VA. The Cruze facelift is available in 3 variants:

• Cruze LT
• Cruze LTZ (manual transmission)
• Cruze LTZ (automatic transmission)

The Chevrolet Cruze interior has been carried on from the previous generation,no changes have been made. That said, this cockpit design inspired by the is quite futuristic and funky. Everything right from the dials to the console to the choice of materials is funky and eye-catching. The Chevrolet Cruze is generously equipped with features such as 16'' alloy wheels, 4-wheel disk brakes, ABS, EBD, four airbags(on LTZ) or two airbags(on LT), Power steering and windows, trip computer, integrated music player(supporting CD, radio, USB, Aux-in), steering mounted audio controls, follow me-home lights, push button start and cruze control.

So to conclude, Chevrolet have not done much work on this facelift. To sum it up,only a few changes to the front end and the addition of side airbags are the additional features over the previous version. In my opinion, these minor changes are not going to help Chevrolet in terms of volume at all. Hopefully the next-generation Chevrolet Cruze which is already under development and is set to launch in 2015 will be able to compete with strong competition!

Link to official site: http://www.chevrolet.co.in/cruze-sedan-luxury-car.html

Hope you liked the review and look forward to your comments.

Keep revving!
Speed pujari

Review: Skoda Octavia 2013

Skoda have launched the all-new Octavia with a price tag of Rs 13.95 - 19.45 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi). Skoda started their journey in India with the launch of the Octavia in 2001. With German build quality, a turbocharged diesel engine, good looks and a lot of segment first features the Octavia was a huge success. Few years down the line Skoda even launched a performance version of the petrol motor called the Octavia vRS which continues to be one of the most fun-to-drive cars ever launched in India. But unfortunately it did not stay the same for Skoda as competition evolved, Skoda’s after-sales service gained quite a bad reputation and finally to top it all the hasty decision of launching the newer generation Octavia as the Laura and continuing the old-generation Octavia which created a negative impact on the brand. The Laura was successful but not as much as the Octavia had ever been. In these difficult times Skoda really needed a product which would get them some volumes and improve their brand image and as a result the Octavia has been launched.

The Octavia is based on Volkswagens all-new MQB chassis. The construction is more rigid and slightly lighter than the older chassis. Skoda has equipped the Octavia with two different rear suspension setups. The 1.4L TSi and 2.0L TDi engines get a torsion beam rear suspension while the 1.8L TSi gets a more sophisticated multi-link rear suspension. It comes with 3 engine options:

• 1.4L TSi petrol(manual)
• 1.8LTSi petrol(only automatic)
• 2.0LTDi diesel(manual or automatic)

The 1.4L petrol engine produces a respectable 140bhp and is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. It is the same one seen on the Jetta. But if you are an enthusiast then Skoda has another petrol engine to offer, the 1.8L TSi petrol engine. It produces 177bhp and is available only with the famous 7-speed DSG gearbox. The 2.0L diesel engine produces 141bhp and comes with two transmission options, a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed DSG gearbox.

The Octavia has been designed by Jozef Kaban, the designer of the well-known hypercar the Buggati Veyron. As a result the Octavia looks quite elegant and stunning. The design is clean and simple yet it has some sporty touches like the sharp headlamps and a sporty set of alloy wheels. The interior feels spacious and roomy, partly because of the lighter coloured materials used. It is available in 3 variants:

• Active
• Ambition
• Elegance

The Octavia is loaded with exciting new features like dual-zone climate control, cruise control, panoramic sunroof, leather seats, automatic wipers and headlamps, ABS, ESP, 6 airbags, alloy wheels, Bi-xenon lights with DRL’s, Parktronic system, Electrically powered driver seat and a touchscreen bolero music system with a 6 CD changer, USB, Aux ,Bluetooth support and steering mounted controls.

The Octavia is huge improvement over the previous generation. This car is bigger, faster and better in every way and kudos to Skoda for developing such a good product. With a good choice of engines and transmissions, plush interiors, reasonable price, a lot of features, sophisticated construction the Octavia is sure to be the segment leader. 
Link to Octavia site: http://www.skoda-auto.co.in/models/octavia/Overview
Link to Skoda Online booking site: http://www.bookyourskodaonline.com/

Hope you liked the review and look forward to your comments.

Keep revving!
Speed pujari

Review: Hyundai Grand i10 2013

Hello , this is my first post on the blog. So I would like to start off by talking about the newest arrival in the hatchback segment,the Hyundai grand i10. It has been launched in India with ex-showroom price of rupees Rs 4.29 - 6.41 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi). Hyundai has launched the grand i10 in India after rigorous testing. The grand i10 is based on the international model but it has been specifically modified to suit the Indian market and consumers. Hyundai have put in a lot of development for this product. It is finally given a much desired and awaited diesel engine. So is this the vehicle which which will eat in Maruti Ritz and Swift sales? Will it get the response that the i10 got when it was initially launched? We will have to wait and watch.

It is powered by a 1.2l kappa petrol engine seen on the previous gen i10 and i20. It produces 82bhp and 114nm of torque which is more than adequate for city driving but could be a little underpowered on the highway. It also comes with an all-new 1.1L 3-cylinder diesel motor which produces 70bhp and 160Nm of torque. Both engines are mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The clutch and gearbox are typically Hyundai-esque. Very light, slick and easy to use. Even though the engines are not exactly powerful they are more than enough as the Grand i10 is quite light so the power to weight ratio is quite good.

The Hyundai grand i10 has been specifically designed keeping the Indian consumer in mind. The design has been derived from the stylish euro spec i10. It is based on Hyundai's well-known fluidic design language. The i10 looks very sharp and modern. The rear looks a little simple comparatively.
The grand i10 is loaded with features just like all Hyundai cars. It's available in the following variants:

• Era
• Magna
• Sportz
• Asta
• Asta(o)

The Grand i10 is packed with new equipment and features. It comes with airbags, ABS, Brake assist, EBD, Push button start, Electric mirrors, Rear AC vents, 1GB internal memory storage for music system which supports CD, AUX, USB with Bluetooth connectivity and steering mounted audio controls. This is one area where Hyundai never leaves a stone unturned. Customers can never complain for lack of features.





Thus the Grand i10 is not merely a case of old wine in a new bottle. It's an all-new avatar of the i10. The car has completely grown and developed in every aspect which finally leaves us with an extremely good value-for-money proposition. All this backed by a brand name like Hyundai makes this car a complete package which could provide some real competition to the segment leader, the Maruti Swift.
Link to site: http://www.hyundai.com/in/en/Showroom/Cars/Grand-i10/PIP/index.html

Hope you liked the review and look forward to your comments.

Keep revving!
Speed Pujari