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.

• Audi has launched the new A4, with a starting price of Rs 27.33 lakh, ex-showroom, Maharashtra. It will be available with three engine options, of which two are diesel.
• Fiat and Tata have decided that it will be better to go their separate ways in India - the JV that saw Tata Motors govern the Italian company in India is no more. A new entity will be formed for the purpose. 
• GM India's sales dipped by a fifth in the month of April - despite the presence of the diesel Beat and the newly-launched upgraded Tavera. 
• Tata-JLR will invest in a new plant in the UK. The plant is expected to create 500 jobs, and will manufacture the upcoming F-Type.
• Aston Martin is likely to launch an all-new model in time for the firm's 100th anniversary next year. A 6.0-litre V12 is expected to produce 550bhp and a 0-100kph time of 4 seconds dead.
• If you're the kind that prefers virtual reality to the real thing (or just are a hardcore gamer) then this one's for you: Motion Simulation has a driving simulator that will give you a complete view of the track in your racing game. The price? A measly USD 18600. In real money, of course. 
• We've saved the best for last today - Nissan UK is now accepting orders for the bonkers Juke R. Think Premier Rio powered by a V8 and you'll get there. Nissan will be accepting orders over the next four weeks until it starts production in earnest. Three have already been spoken for.

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. 

The Chevrolet Beat is known as the Spark in markets worldwide, and it is going to go on sale in the US Market as a 2013 model. This is significant because the US market has never taken a shine to small cars, even if they were desirable little cars like the Fiat 500. Of course, big names like the VW Beetle and Mini Cooper have a stylish advantage over less-endowed competition. 

The Beat will be sold in five-door version in a nod to practicality (and, we suspect, cutting the cost of engineering a three-door despite there being a concept with that particular number of doors.)  It will be available in three trim levels; the base model, called LS, will have ten airbags, an air-con, power windows, 15-inch alloy wheels and GM's OnStar satnav system. Choose the 1LT and GM will add a seven-inch colour touchscreen with an audio system, USB connectivity, satellite radio, keyless entry, power mirrors, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity etc. Go to the top-spec 2LT and you'll get alloy wheels with a different design, fog lamps and leather upholstery added to the mix. 

All three variants will be powered by a 1.2-litre four-cylinder Ecotec engine with a five-speed manual. A four-speed automatic is an option. A pure EV is also slated for launch next year, but details aren't forthcoming yet. 

The launch is significant for two reasons: GM USA believes that the US customer will warm to such a product - the Beat is a completely opposite to the new Cadillacs that have made their presence felt at the other end of the car-buying spectrum - and that mile-long features list could easily be transferred to the Indian marketplace. Sure, the ten airbags won't be so popular, and neither will the expensive 1.2-litre engine, but if the Beat were to offer an audio system with a colour touchscreen, we certainly cannot see many people refusing the option if it was offered at a reasonable markup in price. 

The primary difficulties faced by the smartphone user, however, was the phone's screen size, which may be too small to see effectively while driving, and the inadequacy of the phone's speaker. GM neatly addresses both these issues with the car's screen and audio system - but there is an option that needs to be added to your GM product. 

Customers have to opt for Chevrolet's MyLink touchscreen system, which is standard on premium models but an option on the products at the budget end. The system's exact cost as an option has not been revealed by the company, but they have said that it will debut on the Spark (what we know as the Beat) and Sonic hatchbacks later this year. 

Given the Beat's positioning as a budget car in a marketplace as price-sensitive as the Indian marketplace, it is extremely unlikely that this option will make it to the Beat, but it sure will be an interesting alternative to aftermarket sat-nav systems that are currently the only option for the small- to medium- budget car buyer. India is well-versed with smartphone technology and navigation apps on handheld devices, so it won't be as much of a paradigm shift in thought as it will be to the American market, which has gotten used to in-car navigation systems.

Toyota had launched the Etios Liva, its first hatchback for the Indian car market. The prices commence at Rs 3.99lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Liva at present will be available with a 1.2-litre petrol engine which will produce 80bhp of power. The Liva is based on the Etios platform and most of the interior bits of the hatchback and sedan will be shared. The ARAI mileage figure for the Liva is 18.31kmpl. Read our review of the Etios Liva. Read our first drive for the Etios Liva.

This year no other new hatchback except for the Etios Liva has been launched. The next most spoken hatchback the Beat Diesel will be launched sometime next month. The Beat Diesel will come a 1.0-litre engine which will produce about 58bhp of power and 150Nm of torque. This three-cylinder diesel engine is derived from the 1.3-litre fiat multijet engine. The engine will be called the 1.0SDE Smartech Diesel engine. It's been spectulated that the Beat will get electronic power steering. For more, you will have to wait until we drive the Beat diesel. The ARAI mileage for the Beat diesel is 24kmpl.

Leading a ‘tailored for India’ demo program, General Motors India today showcased the Chevrolet Beat Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) as part of the ongoing celebrations of World Environment Day. The demonstration vehicle will be used by GM India to showcase the effectiveness of battery electric vehicle technology in India.  GM India engineers will also use the vehicle to address potential cost savings to help make BEVs more affordable for global customers.  

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Karl Slym, President & Managing Director, General Motors India said, “General Motors is committed to providing customers around the world with electrification technologies that will reduce their fuel consumption, helping them save money.  GM India will lead in this ‘tailored for India’ demo program for battery electric technology, with Chevrolet Beat chosen as the best way to evaluate the technology. We are delighted that Chevrolet selected India as an important market to test battery electric technology, while recognizing the capabilities of our engineering team to help identify ways to make this technology more affordable.”

Powered by a 300 cell lithium-ion battery with a total energy capacity of approximately 20 kWh, the 270 kg battery can power the Beat for at least 130 km under normal driving conditions. The liquid cooled battery can operate in temperatures ranging from approximately -20?to 45?, with charge times of less than 8 hours using a 240V outlet. Power from the battery is transferred to the drive wheels through a single speed drive unit and an electric motor producing approximately 45kW of power.

This demonstration project is the latest example of GM’s commitment to be a leader in the development of vehicle electrification technologies. GM has already announced demonstration programs in Korea, China and Germany.  The company is committed to delivering customers around the world with electrification solutions that best fit their lives, including the industry’s first extended-range electric vehicles: Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera. 

Learnings from this demonstration fleet, and others around the world, will strengthen GM’s core vehicle electrification competencies including batteries, electric motors and power electronic and controls, and charging. GM India is already offering a range of alternate fuel vehicles including Chevrolet Beat LPG, Chevrolet Spark LPG and Chevrolet Aveo CNG to its valued customers.

He also went on to say that the engine and the car will be manufactured in the company's Talegaon plant. The engine was designed at its Halol plant and the company has made the engine keeping in mind the driving habits of the Indian consumer. The company plans to bring 6 variants from the year 2011-2012. The engine to be efficient has undergone several tests and like all the other chevrolet cars the Beat diesel will also get the 3 years/100000 km warranty. The car is on its way and we hope to see it soon.

Chevrolet Spark - 3272 units

Chevrolet Beat - 3345 units

Chevrolet Tavera - 1691 units

Chevrolet Cruze - 715 units

Chevrolet Aveo - 243 units

Chevrolet Aveo U-VA - 331 units

Chevrolet Optra - 296 units and 

Chevrolet Captiva - 91 units

Commenting on the performance, Mr. P. Balendran, Vice President, GM India said, "The increase in  sales was primarily driven by the response to Chevrolet Beat, Spark and Cruze. These cars  have set benchmarks in their respective segments  with the best-in-class design, performance and other product attributes."

General Motors India recently launched its new locally developed, 1.2-litre SMARTECH engine demonstrating GM’s engineering and manufacturing capability across India. The company will be celebrating 100 years of successful operations globally and with new cars in the offing like the Chevrolet Beat LPG and the Diesel in the pipeline this year we will see some fireworks. We will keep you posted with the latest so keep those clicks coming!