Toyota Kirloskar Motors have launched the “Innova Special Edition” to commemorate five successful years of the Innova in India.

The new special edition variant gets power windows, power door locks and air conditioning  and has been priced at Rs. 8,86,960 ex-showroom Delhi. The new variant will only come in one color -Premium Super White and will also feature body colored bumpers, front grille, hood mould, rear door garnish and body stripes with special edition insignia.

The Innova Special Edition will be on sale for a limited period, i.e. June to September 2010. Only 700 units of the Innova Special Edition will be available for sale.

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The new Vento will pose a big challenge to the City, especially the Diesel

Volkswagen has officially announced the launch of the all new Vento ( or the Polo sedan as we know it) in Autumn this year. The new Vento will be launched as a premium entry level sedan making it the second volume model for Volkswagen in India.

The car was officially unveiled at the Moscow Motor show yesterday, the details of which will be posted very shortly.

The new Vento will be manufactured at company’s Chakan plant, Pune and has been designed to the needs and the expectations of the Indian consumer. The car will come with two engine options – a petrol and diesel, both having a 1.6 liter engine and will be available in manual and automatic (petrol only) transmission.

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Till then, Drive Safe and Keep your seat belts and helmets on (Mutually Exclusive)!

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Jaguar Land Rover have returned to proft once again for Tata Motors. The companies earned a pre-tax profit of £32 million for the year ending 31 March 2010 as global economy recovers from the aftermath of the worst recession since the World War II.

Jaguar Land Rover sold a total of 193,982 vehicles last fiscal year compared with 167,348 in the 10 months ended March 2009, the company said in the statement.

JLR’s sales in UK were up 25% year on year and strong demand in the chinese market catapulted the demand further. Jaguar sales rose 38% while the Land Rover saw the sales rise by a whopping 55% year on year in China.

“With the positive market reception of the enhanced product range in an improved market environment as well as continued cost reduction efforts, the business was able to show sustained quarter on quarter improvement towards solid profitability in Q3 and Q4,” said the statement released by Tata Motors.

“Jaguar Land Rover retail sales improved favorably in the second half of the year, after addressing the effects of the global economic turndown and launching new model year products.”

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Our friends at worldcarfans have reported that 2011 Range Rover will receive a brand new 4.4 Liter V8 diesel engine which will replace the current 3.6 Liter V8 engine.

The announcement was sent by the automaker to its German dealerships which stated that the new model will cost €3,000 (£2,540) more than the current model. The letter also mentions the release schedule of the new model and says that the press embargo on the new Range Rover will be lifted on June 17th with a full pricing release followed by a media event in London celebrating the 40th anniversary of the brand on July 1.

The new model will be officially revealed for the public at Moscow Motor Show later this year while the new models will go on sale in Germany from October 1 onwards.

The new 4.4 liter V8 diesel engine now produces a maximum power of 308 bhp and a maximum 700 nm of torque, a 15% and 10% increase respectively. The engine will be mated to a brand new 8-Speed automatic transmission which will power the SUV to 100 kph from rest in just 7.6 seconds on to a top speed of 208 kmph. Fuel consumption figure stand at 10.2 liters per 100 kms with a CO2 output of 264 grams/kilometer, a 10% reduction.

The new 2011 Range Rover will still be available with the 5.0 liter V8 supercharged  as on the current version but will feature the same 6-speed automatic transmission. The new diesel version though will come with the same gear selector  as the new Jaguar XF and XJ.

There are two new colors as well, Baltic Blue and Fuji Alaska White replacing the currently available Buckingham Blue and White.

The information has been released to the dealer so that they can start pitching the new Range Rover to the prospective buyers.

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Toyota has officially confirmed the launch of the diesel version of the already hot selling Corolla Altis in India. This should be a final nail in the coffin of the Honda Civic which has already dropped down to a low of 188 units sold in the month of April 2010.

The Toyota 1.4 D-4D Diesel Engine in Question

The news confirmed by our friends at Indianautosblog have quoted Sandeep Singh, Deputy Managing Director of Toyota Kirloskar Motors as saying

“We will launch the Toyota Corolla Altis diesel in August for India. We will bring it to India in the form of CKD.”

Jump over for more details.

The engine in question is a 1.4 liter D-4D turbocharged common rail diesel with maximum power output rated at a modest 89 bhp @ 3800 rpm but more importantly 205 nm of maximum torque which would aid driveability. While the engine is not going to win you any traffic light drags, it sure will sip fuel like a zero figure model with an ARAI rated fuel efficiency of 21.42 kmpl!

When launched the Corolla Altis will face formidable competition in the form of Chevrolet Cruze which is amazingly well priced and comes with a 2.0 litre stonker of a diesel engine with 150 bhp of maximum power and more than 320 nm of maximum torque. Yes the engine is less fuel efficient when compared to the Toyota but factor in the performance ( asb ten seconds to 100 kph) and ARAI rated fuel efficiency of 18.3 kmpl, things suddenly start looking above.

Whatever it is, we love our Toyota’s in India and the combination of the brand loyalty, reliability and efficiency will be hard to beat. Honda… still sleeping?

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Nissan India had officially started the production of the new Micra while also announcing that prospective buyers can book their’s for an upfront payment of INR 50,000.

We now have complete variant wise details of the all new Micra which would make your decision making a little easier. And as they say an informed buyeris a smart buyer (you can thank us for keeping you informed).

The new Nissan Micra will come in a total of four variants – the base XE, XE+, mid level XL and the top end XV. The car will be officially launched in the second week of July with deliveries starting immediately afterwards.

The headline features of new Micra are as follows:

• Intelligent Key System
• Push Button Ignition (a first in this segment)
• Request Sensor on Door (opens the door without the need of a key!)
• Automatic Climate Control
• SRS Aurbag (Driver side Airbag standard on all models, way to go Nissan!)
• 4.65 m turning radius
• ARAI Certified mileage of 18.06 kmpl

Now for the variant wise details:

Jump over for the variant wise details.

Variant: Nissan Micra XE

Exteriors

• Roof Antenna

Interiors

• Drive Computer
• Manual AC
• Interior Colour Scheme-Black

Comfort & Convenience

• Electric Power Steering
• Steering Tilt Adjustment

Safety

• Engine Immobilizer
• Driver Airbag

Variant: Nissan Micra XE+ (features in addition to XE above)

• OE Audio system with 4 speakers
• Seat cover – Fabric (Black & Silver color combination)
• Steering Wheel Cover (Pure Leather – Black & Silver color combination)
• Full Wheel Cover

Variant: Nissan Micra XL (features in addition to XE Variant)

Exteriors

• Full Wheel Covers
• Rear Wiper and Washer

Interior

• Tachometer
• Parcel Shelf
• Integrated audio system with 4 speakers aux-in port

Comfort & Convenience

• Power windows: Front and Rear with Drive Anti-pinch function
• Central Door lock
• Remote keyless entry

Safety

Same as XE variant

Variant: Nissan Micra XV (features in addition to the XL variant)

Exterior

• Electric Park and Fold Mirror (ala i20… goood!)
• Electrically Adjustable Outside Rear View Mirrors

Interior

• Automatic Climate Control
• Greige Interiors color scheme

Comfort & Convenience

• Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition

Safety

• Front Passenger Airbag
• ABS + EBD + BA
• Front Fog Lamps
• Security Alarm

The new Nissan Micra will come with 6 color options -

• Sunlight Orange
• Storm White
• Pacific Blue
• Blade Silver
• Onyx Black
• Brick Red

Detailed Technical Specifications:

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(From Left – Right) Mr. Rajesh Jejurikar, Chief Executive, Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra, Mr. Chetan Maini, Chief of Technology & Strategy, of the newly formed Mahindra REVA, Dr. Pawan Goenka, President (Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors), Mahindra & Mahindra, Mr. Sandeep Maini-Reva, Mr. Parthasarathy, Group CIO, EVP-Finance & M&A Member of Group Executive Board, Mahindra & Mahindra.

In a surprise announcement today Mahindra & Mahindra have declared that they have taken majority stake in Reva electric vehicle company. The new company will be called Mahindra Reva Electric Co Ltd.

Mahindra REVA NXG

Under the new agreement signed by both the companies today, M&M will own 55.2% equity in Mahindra Reva by a combination of equity purchase from promoters and fresh equity infusion of over Rs 45 crores into the company.

Post the buyout, the Board of Mahindra REVA has been re-constituted under the chairmanship of Dr Pawan Goenka, President Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors, Mahindra & Mahindra. The new board includes five nominees from Mahindra & Mahindra, two from the Maini family, and one from AEV LLC, California (co-founders of REVA). An independent director will be added to the board subsequently. Mr Chetan Maini will continue to play a leading role in Mahindra REVA as Chief of Technology & Strategy and will continue to be on the board.

Mahindra enters high growth electric car segment;

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Auto Bild, the popular German magazine has managed to get the leaked frontal image of the 2011 Volkswagen Passat which is expected to debut at the upcoming Paris Motor Show later this year.

The new Passat follows Volkswagen’s new design language as seen on the new 2011 Touareg and the recently unveiled 2011 Phaeton sedan.

source: AutoBild via Autospies

The styling goes from rounded to edgy with bold squarish lines and the new front end treatment. The new Passat will come with a range of engines starting with the base 1.2 liter TSi unit with 105 bhp of maximum power and 2.0 liter TFSi 211 bhp engine for the top of the line variant. Volkswagen is also planning a hybrid variant which would come in later.

We have already covered the 2011 Volkswagen Passat in our earlier post which you can read by clicking here!

Stay tuned to autoholiks!

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You can pre-order Micra from 25th May

Nissan has officially announced the start of the commercial production of its made in India hatchback Micra.  The car will be built at Renault-Nissan’s manufacturing facility in Oragadam, Chennai which has been built at a cost of $1 billion.

The new Micra will be displayed at Nissan showrooms starting tomorrow and can be booked by interested customers by paying an initial booking amount of Rs 50,000 throughout India.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Toshiyuki Shiga, Chief Operating Officer, Nissan Motor Company said, “The start of commercial production of Nissan Micra is the beginning of a new chapter for us in India. In an exponentially growing and challenging Indian automobile industry, we are introducing a product that has been specifically designed keeping in mind the discerning consumer needs of India. The India made Micra will supply to strategic markets such as Europe, Middle East and Africa and this is only possible due to the high quality skills of Indian team.”

Jump over for the press release.

Commenting on the momentous occasion, Mr. Kiminobu Tokuyama, Managing Director and CEO, Nissan Motor India said, “The day that all of us were waiting for has finally arrived and we are delighted with the roll out of the first car. We always had a clear strategy for India and this has been clearly reflected in our investments in the first manufacturing plant for the alliance in Chennai. We are now confident that the Indian customers will like our product offerings beginning with the Nissan Micra, and this is the right product at the right time.”

The sales of the new Nissan Micra will commence in July 2010 meaning that the official launch is very near.

The new Micra has a localization percentage of 85% from day 1 and hence would be priced very competitively. Expect the base petrol to be priced close to INR 4 lakhs going upto 5.2 lakhs for the top end petrol model.

Press Release

Nissan Motor India announces the start of commercial production of Micra

• To be produced locally at Renault-Nissan alliance plant at Oragadam, Chennai
• Car display at showrooms and Pre-order Bookings Open from May 25, 2010
• Sales to begin in July 2010
• Exports to commence in September 2010

Chennai, May 24, 2010: Nissan Motor India today celebrated the start of production of its ‘Made-in-India’ compact car (hatchback) Nissan Micra from its manufacturing plant at Oragadam, near Chennai. Mr. Toshiyuki Shiga, Chief Operating Officer, Nissan Motor Company, cut the ribbon to mark the roll out of the first car off assembly line. Mr. Akira Sakurai, Managing Director & CEO, Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Kiminobu Tokuyama, Managing Director & CEO, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd. joined the 1900 employees to commemorate the occasion.

The plant operates in full compliance with Alliance global manufacturing processes and quality standards. Its production management system, launched for the first time at any plant of Renault and Nissan, is based on mutual knowledge sharing and the best practices from both companies. The new manufacturing process allows the plant to seamlessly mix production of both Renault and Nissan products on same line.
Nissan is also looking at making the Chennai plant as a global hub for exports. The start of production for the Micra for exports will commence in July 2010 and the first shipment would begin from September 2010. Nissan is looking at exporting to more than 100 countries including Europe, Middle East and Africa.

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