Car News - Latest Indian Car News & Views | CarWalehttp://www.carwale.com/news/Latest news updates on Indian car industry, expert views and interviews exclusively on CarWale.Copyright 2012 CarWaleCarWale RSS Generator8961<![CDATA[The CarWale Daily Fuel – May 26, 2012]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8961-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-26-2012.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8961-the-carwale-daily-fuel-may-26-2012.htmlCarWale Team5/26/2012 12:26:00 PM997http://img.carwale.com/ec/8961/img/m/8961_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8961/img/m/8961_lGM announces weekend bonanza for Spark and Beat buyers, Mercedes to get the ML 250 CDI to India after the new ML 350 sold like hot cakes, BMW showed off the stunning Zagato Coupe concept while Maruti Suzuki gears up for Gujarat.

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  • General Motors has announced a weekend bonanza this weekend from 25th to 27th May where each booking would get an assured gift and a lucky customer can have his Spark for free. The offer is only on Spark and Beat with the showrooms open from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm.
  • Maruti Suzuki will sign an agreement with the Gujarat government on June 2 to set up a 2.5 lakh car per annum facility near Mehsana in north Gujarat ending the 5 months of speculation. Capacity of the Rs 6000 crore 500 acre facility will be scaled up in future as per the requirements.
  • As we have been reporting earlier, Fiat is working hard to gain formidable foothold in the Indian market after the failure if it previous joint ventures in India. Going solo this time, the company faces an uphill task to regain the diminishing customer confidence.
  • Toyota’s Etios sedan and Liva Hatch specifically made for the Indian market have crossed the one lakh sales mark in less than two years after their launch in December 2010. Toyota has also started expoting the cars to the African market eyeing around 20000 units per year.
  • Ssangyong unveiled the new Rexton at the Busan Auto show with radical changes in the looks as well as under the hood. The Rexton W as it is known, has a new 2.0 litre diesel engine that producs 154bhp and 367 Nm torque and returns a fuel economy of 13.7 kmpl for the automatic transmission. The new ‘work of art’ Rexton W would certainly help the Mahindra owned Korean manufacturer rebrand itself in the Chinese market.
  • After the overwhelming response for the new ML 350, where 100 cars got sold within a week of launch when Mercedes were targeting 500 units for the year, Mercedes are planning to launch the ML 250 CDI with a 2.2 litre four cylinder diesel engine making 205bhp and 500NM of torque. Probably priced about 5 lakhs below the ML 350, the Mercedes SUV range would start from 50 lakh in India luring the BMW X3 and Q5 buyers to upgrade to a bigger car by spending some more money.
  • Fiat has now suspended its exports to Iran due to the economic sanctions imposed for its nuclear activity. Fiat has joined Hyundai, Peugeot-Citroen and Porsche as automakers no longer doing business in Iran.
  • Fiat is developing the 500X crossover to compete with the Ford EcoSport and Nissan Juke and Renault Duster. Carrying forward the highly popular 500 brand, the sub 4.2 meter crossover is expected to debut at the 2013 Geneva Auto show.
  • BMW has showcased the Zagato Concept coupe at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este show in Italy. Based on the Z4 and body work by the famed Italian coach-builders Zagato, the stunning coupe is a treat to the eyes with the trademark BMW kidney grille,an old school long bonnet, the signature Zagato double bubble roof and the Kamm tail section.
  • After the Passat Alltrack for the US, Volksagen is keen on offering the Jetta and Golf in the lifted and cladded avatar. The Passat Alltrack may later house 3 roews of seating pushing it to the upper segment,.
  • Lotus CEO Dany Bahar has been temporarily suspended from office following an operational review. The parent company DRB Hicom stressed that it is business as usual at Lotus and onthing is to be onferred from the developments.

    • The CarWale Daily Fuel is your quick daily dose of automotive news from India and around the world. If you want to know whatever's in the news but want it short and sweet, here's your solution.

     

    ]]>    8383<![CDATA[Fiat 500 makes it on stage with Jennifer Lopez]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/8383-fiat-500-makes-it-on-stage-with-jennifer-lopez.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/8383-fiat-500-makes-it-on-stage-with-jennifer-lopez.htmlCarWale Team11/24/2011 6:12:00 PM1067http://img.carwale.com/ec/8383/img/m/8383_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/8383/img/m/8383_lThe new Fiat 500 performed alongside Jennifer Lopez during her performance of Papi, at the recent 2011 American Music Awards® (AMAs), in Los Angeles.Earlier this year the Fiat brand announced its collaboration with Jennifer Lopez, which included placement of the new Fiat 500C in her new music video, Papi as well as in a 30-second trailer of the video. The singer also appears in two additional commercials for the brand broadcast in the USA, My World and Elegance, which feature the Fiat 500C and the Fiat 500byGucci models.

    ]]>    The new Fiat 500 performed alongside Jennifer Lopez during her performance of Papi, at the recent 2011 American Music Awards® (AMAs), in Los Angeles.Earlier this year the Fiat brand announced its collaboration with Jennifer Lopez, which included placement of the new Fiat 500C in her new music video, Papi as well as in a 30-second trailer of the video. The singer also appears in two additional commercials for the brand broadcast in the USA, My World and Elegance, which feature the Fiat 500C and the Fiat 500byGucci models.

    "The Fiat brand is honoured to share the stage with Jennifer Lopez at the 2011 American Music Awards. Her drive and determination is the common thread that is shared with the brand and our philosophy of Life is Best When Driven”, says Olivier Francois, CEO of the Fiat brand.

    "This appearance allows us to continue to expose the Fiat 500 to a wide demographic. These past few days have been momentous for Fiat as we have recently revealed the new Abarth 500 at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.”

     

     

    ]]>    7516<![CDATA[Hyundai's all new Verna launched; we drive it]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/7516-hyundais-all-new-verna-launched-we-drive-it.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/7516-hyundais-all-new-verna-launched-we-drive-it.htmlCarWale Team5/11/2011 3:51:00 PM8009http://img.carwale.com/ec/7516/img/m/7516_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/7516/img/m/7516_lPriced between Rs. 699,000 and Rs. 1,074,500, the all-new Verna was launched by Hyundai Motor India in Delhi today. There are two petrol variants and two diesel variants with manual and automatic transmission providing a substantial range on offer.

    ]]>    Priced between Rs. 699,000 and Rs. 1,074,500, the all-new Verna was launched by Hyundai Motor India in Delhi today. There are two petrol variants and two diesel variants with manual and automatic transmission providing a substantial range on offer.

    The car is based on the new ‘Fluidic’ design philosophy at Hyundai. Hence, it features a large and sweeping headlamp and an equally sleek bonnet. It also sports the two-tier grille which is very similar to the refreshed i10. In profile the new Verna looks smart, the 16 inch alloys fill up the wheel wells and give the car a sporty touch of character.

    Inside the Verna offers a plush look and feel and the beige and black interiors are offered especially for India.The new dash features wood paneling and is bathed in blue light while it also offers a trip computer controlled via the steering mounted controls. The audio player supports USB as well as iPod and Bluetooth connectivity. There are plenty of stowage options inside the cabin including a cooled glove box and the overall theme is high on space.

    The car has been awarded a Five Star Safety Rating by C-NCAP (China- New Car Assessment Program) and is the first in class to have six airbags. It has several other segment first features and will be available in six new colours with eight trim options.

    The Verna will be up against the Honda City, Volkswagen Vento, Fiat Linea, Maruti Suzuki Sx4 and the Ford Fiesta Classic to an extent.

    You can also read the detailed first drive here.

    Model wise price

    Trim 

    New Verna Ex Showroom Price, Delhi ( Rs.)

    1.4

    1.6

    1.6 SX

    1.6 SX(O)

    1.6 SX(O) AT

    Petrol

    699,000

    764,500

    824,500

    894,500

    964,500

    Diesel

    809,000

    874,500

    934,500

    1,004,500

    1,074,500

    ]]>    1800<![CDATA[Fiat 500C]]>http://www.carwale.com/news/1800-fiat-500c.htmlhttp://www.carwale.com/news/1800-fiat-500c.htmlCarWale Team2/19/2009 12:41:59 PM2563http://img.carwale.com/ec/1800/img/m/1800_mhttp://img.carwale.com/ec/1800/img/m/1800_lThe Fiat 500C will be presented at the next Geneva Motor show, before its launch throughout Europe this spring. Featuring a soft top, the new 500C is the same size as the basic model (3.55 m x 1.65 m x 1.49 m) and has identical powerplants: the 1.3 litre 75bhp Multijet Turbodiesel coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission and the two 1.2 litre 69bhp and 1.4 litre 100bhp gasoline engines, available with either manual or Dualogic transmissions.

    ]]>    The Fiat 500C will be presented at the next Geneva Motor show, before its launch throughout Europe this spring. Featuring a soft top, the new 500C is the same size as the basic model (3.55 m x 1.65 m x 1.49 m) and has identical powerplants: the 1.3 litre 75bhp Multijet Turbodiesel coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission and the two 1.2 litre 69bhp and 1.4 litre 100bhp gasoline engines, available with either manual or Dualogic transmissions.

     

    The new 500C incorporates the “Start&Stop” system, a device controlling momentary engine shutdown and subsequent reignition. To this end, at every stop when shifting to neutral and releasing the clutch, the engine is switched off and then restarted simply by selecting a gear.

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