Our Author Mr.Naren had taken a HD video of the all new Pulsar 200 NS during the launch event. We are posting the same here for your viewing pleasure. Let us know what you think about this video.
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Tuesday, January 31, 2012
MERCEDES-BENZ INDIA HAS LAUNCHED GL-GRAND EDITION
MERCEDES-BENZ INDIA HAS LAUNCHED GL-GRAND EDITION
Mercedes-Benz India has launched the GL-Class ‘Grand Edition’, further re-iterating its position of offering the widest product portfolio for the Indian luxury car market. The GL Class is one of the biggest luxury SUVs in its segment and the launch of the ‘Grand Edition’ further strengthens the company’s presence in the increasingly popular SUV segment in India.
Speaking on the launch of the vehicle Debashis Mitra, Director, Sales & Marketing, Mercedes-Benz India said, “India has burgeoning potential in terms of demand for SUVs. The superior connectivity and improved road conditions are fuelling this growth. Mercedes-Benz is an aspirational brand and GL-Class has received very encouraging response from the customers since its launch in India. The GL ‘Grand Edition’ has been aggressively priced for the Indian market and like its success in other markets; the introduction of the vehicle will further strengthen our dominance in the luxury Large SUV segment. The GL ‘Grand Edition’ with its proven off-roading prowess and luxurious interiors is ideal to suit the taste of the growing number of off-roading aficionados in India”.
The distinctive, new GL- Class Grand Edition’s level of spaciousness and comfort is at par with that of a luxury saloon. Features reserved exclusively for the ‘Grand Edition’ includes unique light-alloy wheels with 50.8 cm (20-inch) tyres, in Himalayan grey metallic with a high-sheen finish, append to the vehicle’s exclusivity. The rich quality, new design two-tone leather seats in the color combinations black / porcelain and black / maroon leather upholstery with individual fluting pattern and contrasting topstitching, is exclusive to the Grand Edition.
The exclusive front end design of the ‘Grand Edition’ is unique, the dark-tinted headlamps, a radiator grille with black, high-sheen louvres and a redesigned front bumper with integrated LED daytime running lamps define this special edition. There are other visual highlights too, such as metallic paint finishes, heat-insulating and infrared-reflecting laminated glass all round, aluminium-look running boards with rubber studs, and divided exhaust tailpipe trim. The ‘Grand Edition’ accommodates up to seven people with exceptional level of spaciousness. The comfort headrests for the driver and front passenger, ambient lighting, roof liner in black designo fabric, velour floor mats with contrasting stitching and ‘Grand Edition’ lettering, ‘Grand Edition’ badge on the centre console, adds to the allure of the vehicle.
The GL-Class Grand Edition packs convenient features like easy-pack tailgate and extremely practical electronically folding third row seat that ensures convenience for its occupants. Although the GL’s size is intimidating, parking it is one of the easiest tasks, as it comes equipped with Parktronic and Comand APS system with a reversing camera that help manoeuvre the car easily in tight parking spaces. The Thermotronic luxury automatic climate control helps maintain different temperatures for the driver, front and rear passengers giving each their own comfort zone.
The commanding GL-Class ‘Grand Edition’ offers remarkable handling and assures for an excellent ride comfort coupled with the most important safety features which is synonymous with Mercedes-Benz. With innovative 4matic all-wheel drive, Airmatic air suspension, Direct-Steer system and the Adaptive Damping System ADS, which also comes as standard adds to the already feature packed car. While the GL cuts an imposing figure on the asphalt, it also has legitimate off-road credentials. The modified Airmatic air suspension enables great ground clearance. For the challenging terrains the dynamic handling control systems such as Off-Road ABS, Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR) and Hill-Start Assist also make life easier for the GL-Class driver.
The GL ‘Grand Edition’ will be available in two variants Executive and Luxury. While the Executive will be priced at INR 60, 99,000 (ex-showroom), the Luxury variant will be priced at INR 65, 50,000(ex-showroom).
Source- WheelsUnplugged
Monday, January 30, 2012
Bajaj Displays All Previous Pulsar Models at the Next Gen. Pulsar Launch Venue
As we had posted earlier, the D-day has arrived. Bajaj will unveil the next generation Pulsar today at Mumbai. Our team members are at Mumbai now and it seems that Bajaj has displayed all the previous Pulsar Bikes in the venue. Here are the photos live from Mumbai.
We can see the registration numbers on these bikes which means that these bikes on display are probably owned by customers and Bajaj has borrowed it for today’s event.
2003 Pulsar
2004 Pulsar
2007 Pulsar – Present (Speed Lines)
2009 Pulsar – Present
2009 Pulsar – Present
Ducati Commences Panigale Production
Remember the Ducati Panigale? It broke its wraps off in the month of November last year. This new superbike from the high performance stable of Ducati launched this bike in Milan, Italy.
Ducati has now started the official production for this bike – The Panigale. It’s been manufactured in the company’s state – of – the – art manufacturing facility in Bologna. The first bike coming off the assembly line was ridden by The Doctor – Valentino Rossi who rides for the Ducati in MotoGp.
This historic event was witnessed by the entire team of Ducati manufacturing unit along with Mr Gabriele Del Torchio, President, Ducati, Mr Claudio Domenicali, General Director, Ducati and Mr Silvano Fini, Plant Director. The first Ducati 1199 Panigale is seen in the images here getting baptised by sprinkling sparkling wine.
To get a small flashback effect, this is what Ducati President Mr. Gabriele Del Torchio commented at the time of Panigale’s launch. ”Without doubt, this has been the most ambitious project in Ducati’s history and underlines our engineering excellence and ‘product emotion,’ an aspect of our brand which, in such a competitive market place, has become more important than ever. This motorcycle represents pure Italian style, the reference point for performance and a safety-enhanced, confidence-inspiring experience for our customers on road and track.”
The most interesting part of this bike is basically its frame which is a monocoque one, which reduces parts, reduces the weight of the parts and is designed to make the claimed 195 hp. Earlier, the Italian bike maker was making use of trellis frame and this is the first time the company is trying this out here. The swing – arm is also an all aluminium one which again aids in reducing the weight considerably.
Panigale makes use of the new Superquadro engine which is claimed to be most powerful twin – cylinder as on date. The name – Superquadro is named after it’s highly oversquare dimensions – 112 X 60.8mm L-Twin. Besides its standard L-configuration and Desmodromic valve control system, Ducati also started with a clean slate for the powerplant of this performance machine. The company also rotated the top end of the signature 90 -degree L backwards around the crankshaft which gives six – degrees more clearance on the front wheel and allowed the front-to-rear bias to be skewed slightly to a 52 per cent front bias.
The other features of this bike are Ducati Riding Mode which oversees functions of the ABS, Ducati Traction Control (DCT), Ducati Electronic Suspension (DES), Ducati Quick Shift (DQS), Ducati’s race – derived Engine Brake Control (EBC), and Ride by Wire throttle system. Even the full colour Thin File Transistor display changes according to the mode selected by the rider.
There were three variants of bikes launched under the Panigale badge Viz, the 1199 Panigale, 1199 Panigale S and 1199 Panigale S Tricolore (don’t worry, the spelling is not a typo error!).
The 1199 Panigale’s chassis represents a pioneering frame design in the history of bike industry. The frame designed for Panigale is unification of condensed and lightweight element. The Superquadro engine itself is main stress member of the frame, and forms an engine based frame design where engine itself acts as an integral part of frame and carries various load. The engine based frame is directly attached to the cylinder heads of the Superquadro engine, obtruding the engine forward to assemble the steering system. This arrangement helps to generate more space for the airbox, which got sheltered and preserved under the lightweight aluminium fuel tank.
The electronic front suspensions used on Panigale is fully adjustable with respect to spring length and damping ratio. These suspension tuning can be made either by using the pre-programmed Riding Modes, or in independent mode, which allows riders to generate and use their own special combinations. The rear suspension of the 1199 Panigale features a smart and convenient side-mounting instead of central monocross. This mounting helps to increase room for the rear cylinder head, which has been tilted more towards the rear to concentrate the mass. The exclusive positioning of rear suspension provides more free length of spring against pre-loading conditions and also helps to adjust seat elevation according to rider’s height.
Ducati 1199 Panigale uses the four pistons callipers, two pistons on each side of the front disc. 330 mm diameter front discs allow quick heat rejection to attain stunning braking performance. The 1199 Panigale carries a very newest and for sport adjusted ABS to allow full combination with the three different programmed Riding Modes.
This ABS operates with the latest generation 9ME Bosch processor. When kept in Race mode, the system applies full ABS on the front wheel only. This allows the rider to have braking drift on the rear wheel during extreme riding conditions on race track. This ABS system also possesses a sophisticated and precise “Rear lift-up” sensor to measure the rear wheel lift. This sensor reads and feeds the lifting amount of rear wheel to the processor to avoid stoppie. Obviously this is done to avoid power loss as well as saving lap time.
The 1199 Panigale comes loaded with newly designed 10-spoke wheels in 90 mm front rim width and 154 mm rear. All 1199 Panigale editions come with the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tyres. The front tyre has the same dimensions as other superbikes have which is 120/70 ZR17.
Her is the pricing details of the Ducati Panigale series. The 1199 Panigale is priced at USD 24,000, 1199 Panigale ABS variant at USD 25,195, the 1199 Panigale S ABS variant at USD 31,595, the 1199 Panigale S Tricolore variant at USD 37,585.
What do you guys have to say about this next generation production bike as on date? Leave your comments in the form of words below.
Bajaj Pulsar 2012 Count Down on Bajaj’s Website
We have hardly one full day left and that is all the time we’ve to talk about the next gen Pulsar. Post that no more speculations and expectations as the bike would’ve been launched and I’ll not have time to discuss about it as I’ll be covering the launch out there in Mumbai for our dear readers.
This time the launch crates more hype than any other bike for the reason that its not just one bike that’s getting launched but an entire series. So, for all reasons its worth to wait with fingers crossed for the bike which has completed 10 full year of nothing but success in India.
Bajaj has finally updated its MyPulsar website which is a website uniquely designed and dedicated for the Pulsar fans who are referred to as ‘PulsarManiacs’. The site features a bike covered in blue sheet and the most interesting part of the story is that not even a single part of the bike is exposed! So, no guesses this time too.
The webpage also has a clock running at the top which simply determines how much time is left for the bike to be revealed. Er, well! That’s the term I gotta use here. Here is the link that’ll direct you to that page – Pulsar 2012. The page also enables the users to share their views and expectations about the new breed via their fb account. We already have our readers pouring their comments right out there are can we have you joining them!
KTM’s New Adventure Motorcycle Spied in Canary Islands
As Indians we are only used to hearing and talking about two segments of bikes. One being sport – bikes and the other, the street bikes. The former is known for its speed and performance while the latter is known for aggressive and brutal looks. Yhese days, we slightly get involved with the third category – Cruisers. But, there is one more category which is least penetrated into the Indian sub – continent. It is nothing but what is commonly referred to as ‘Adventure Motorcycles.’
For a guy who is pretty familiar with this term, the first image that would strike his mind woulds be (and has to be) the BMW R1200GS. This particular model was launched way back in the year 2004 as a successor to the R1150GS. However, the R1200GS Adventure model was launched only towards the fag end of 2005 and came to market a year later.
According to Wikipedia, ‘The R1200GS is the best selling motorcycle that BMW has built, on 3 August 2007 it produced the 100,000th model. In 2006, the R1200GS was the best selling motorcycle in the United Kingdom. The two models had combined sales of 2,227 units, compared with the next best selling bike, the Honda Fireblade which sold 2,067 units. Nearly one third of the 100,000 units sold by BMW Motorrad worldwide in 2006 were R1200GS. In 2008, the R1200GS was once again BMW’s best selling motorcycle, with 22,845 standard models and 12,460 Adventure models being delivered’.
A typical adventure bike will have a kind of design that would be ideally suited for sheer off – roading kinda rides and for touring purposes as well. It’s become a signature for Adventure bikes to have high front mud guards or flaps and a small visor over the headlamp which’ll usually remain without a fairing.
Now, KTM is planning for a rival against the much reputed BMW R1200GS. The all-new KTM Adventure will house a 1290cc V – twin engine which is expected to produce around 130bhp . This figure is 25bhp more than its German rival, the BMW R1200GS. MCN has released the spy images of the KTM Adventure which were clicked in Canary Islands when being tested.
The bike being tested is very similar to the 990 Adventure (the one posted towards the beginning of this write – up) taking a look at its design cues. The prototype seems to be a hand built one which is very basic and hence would atleast take a couple of years or a few months less than that to come alive in the market.
When being asked about this prototype, KTM Product Manager, Mr. Jorg Schuller said, “The bike in the pictures is one of the prototypes KTM is currently developing. As you know, our development centre is working intensively on several projects, and the new Adventure is one of these. It is planned to introduce two new Adventure models onto the market in 2013.”
However one can be rest assured that this models will not be the one for India.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
CHEVROLET MAY LAUNCH ALL NEW TRAILBLAZER SUV TO INDIA
CHEVROLET MAY LAUNCH ALL NEW TRAILBLAZER SUV TO INDIA
Chevrolet may launch all new SUV, the latest Trailblazer, to India on end of 2013 or early 2014. Slated to compete with the likes of the Toyota Fortuner & Ford Endeavour, this body-on-frame SUV will be powered by a choice of 2.8-litre, 180bhp or 2.5-litre, 150bhp diesel units. The larger 2.8 common-rail diesel makes a very strong 47.8 Kgm, incidentally 10kgm up on both the 3.0-litre Fortuner & Endeavour.
The Trailblazer is an attractive looking SUV and the company says it will be the most clean-sheet truck it has designed in its 100-year history. On the inside too, the SUV is expected to have more space than the Endeavour and the Fortuner. Chevy claims the Trailblazer will sport car-like features and will be a proper seven seater.
GM is hoping to assemble the Trailblazer at its Halol facility, where it currently carries out all its CKD operations. We expect the SUV to be priced around Rs 17 -22 lakh.
The broad-shouldered design is neither overly geometric nor remotely feminine, conveying more strength than any GM sport-ute currently available here. LED lighting details add pizzazz, and the seven-seat, two-tone interior features modern treatments and a load of comfort and convenience features. We imagine some of these, such as the overhead video screens for the second- and third-row seats, would be quite a shock in developing markets.
For power, the TrailBlazer concept relies on a 2.8-liter turbo-diesel inline-four. The concept is all-wheel-drive, and, as a body-on-frame truck, boasts the ruggedness that is a virtual requirement in emerging markets where not all of the roads are as smooth and well-maintained as ours.
Indeed, despite our crumbling infrastructure, roads in the U.S. are veritable silk-covered ribbons compared to those in many parts of the Middle East, China, and South America & india . So, for the time being, GM feels it has America covered with its bevy of trucks and other truck-like things. Much of the rest of the world, though, is about to get a cool new SUV.
Source – autocarindia,, .caranddriver
NEXT – GENERATION LAND ROVER DEFENDER TO BE BUILT IN INDIA
NEXT – GENERATION LAND ROVER DEFENDER TO BE BUILT IN INDIA
If there’s one car the British industry can be proud about (apart from the Mini), it’s the Defender. Land Rover’s 4x4 has been in production since 1949 and, even though it evolved somewhat over the decades, at heart it was always the same.
& even though Land Rover has licensed the manufacture of some derivatives and clones of the Defender in countries such as Turkey and Brazil, it was always built in Solihull, UK.
In three years’ time, this tradition will come to an end as Land Rover's owner Tata Motors has decided to manufacture its 2015 replacement at its Prune plant in India and export it from there to the rest of the world.
According to the company’s chairman Ratan Tata who was interviewed by Autocar, the move will lower the manufacturing costs making the next Defender more affordable. Tata added that it will also bring its assembly closer to the Asia-Pacific region, where it is expected to be a strong seller.
Land Rover has already given us an early preview of the Defender replacement with its two DC100 concepts. According to the British magazine, the production version will likely be based on an updated version the T5 ladder chassis used by the current Discovery and Range Rover Sport.
Moreover , if Land Rover goes ahead with this plan, the next Defender will share many components with next generation Tata’s own Aria SUV that will be assembled at the same plant , making its production even more cost-effective.
Source – autocarindia,carscoopblog
MARUTI SUZUKI LAUNCHED REFRESHED 2012 A- STAR
MARUTI SUZUKI LAUNCHED REFRESHED 2012 A- STAR
Maruti Suzuki 's small car offering, the A-Star gets a refresh for the New Year. The company now offers the A-Star with new alloy wheels and an integrated rear spoiler.
On the interiors front, the 2012 A-Star gets dual tone beige and black upholstery. Maruti has also put in 50:50 split rear seats and more cubby holes in the cabin.
Airbags and ABS are now optional on the A-Star with two new colour options, Glistening Grey and Pearl Caffeine Brown.
Maruti Suzuki hasn't tinkered with the engine and the new A-Star retains the 998cc K10B petrol engine with 67PS of power and 90NM of torque, mated to a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission.
The new A-star is available in five variants - LXI, VXI, VXI AT, ZXI and ZXI (with ABS and airbags). Prices start from Rs 3.66 – Rs 4.40 lakh , ex-showroom Delhi.
Speaking at the launch, Shashank Srivastava, chief general manager, marketing said, "A-star is one of the most vibrant brands in our portfolio. Some of its high points such as contemporary styling, dynamic handling and ride quality, best in class turning radius, power, flat torque and superior performance has made A-star a popular choice especially amidst the youth. The smart modifications in the spiced-up A-star are in line with customer feedback and seek to enhance the overall look, feel and comfort of the buyers."
The car is MSI's Japanese parent Suzuki's fifth global model and it manufactured only at Manesar in India.
MSIL so sold a total of 3.81 lakh units of A-Star, which is the flagship export model of the company.
The company has exported over 2.81 lakh units so far to over 130 countries, primarily to the European markets such as the Netherlands, Italy, the UK, Spain & Germany. Other markets that have also contributed the car include Australia and South Africa.
Source - ibnlive
Friday, January 27, 2012
Upcoming Hyundai i20 picture
Hyundai will take the wraps of the i20 face lift at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March 2012.
BMW M Performance Range Revealed, New Tri-turbo Diesels
BMW M Performance Range Revealed, New Tri-turbo Diesels
BMW has revealed details of its new M Performance range, adding a new triple-turbo diesel engine and enhancements to each model's handling and technical packages.
The M Performance line-up launches with the M550d xDrive in Sedan and Touring wagon form, along with the X5 M50d and the X6 M50d - the latter also debuting in 2012 with a subtle styling makeover.
All four cars are powered by BMW's new triple-turbo common-rail diesel: a 3.0 litre six-cylinder mill that produces 280kW and 740Nm of torque - the latter coming online at 2000rpm.
The new engine represents a gain of 50kW and 110Nm over the 535d, and 55kW and 140Nm over the diesel driving the xDrive40d SUVs.
Matched with an eight-speed automatic Sports transmission and BMW's xDrive all-wheel-drive system, the engine gives the M550d a 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds for the sedan, and 4.9 seconds for the wagon.
Fuel consumption for the M550d sedan is listed at 6.3 l/100km, and the Touring wagon is only slightly short at 6.4 l/100km.
The same transmission and xDrive package shunts the X5 M50d to 100km/h in 5.4 seconds and the X6 M50d in 5.3 seconds, with the X5 listing 7.5 l/100km and the X6 listing 7.7 l/100km.
While all of the M Performance diesel models fall short of their petrol M car counterparts in the acceleration stakes, the much lower fuel consumption should prove appealing to buyers looking to strike a balance between guts on the road and pain at the bowser.
The M Performance range also brings a number of enhancements beyond the huge power boost, including M-tuned suspension, springs and dampers along with modified mounting for the body shell, engine and transmission.
On the styling front, the M550d gains 19-inch light alloy wheels, and the two X SUVs ride on 20-inch hoops. A new styling and aero package has been added to each model, drawing inspiration from the familiar petrol-powered M cars.
In the cabin, all four cars gets sports seats trimmed in black or dark grey, with a constrasting stitch and M logos everywhere. There's also an M steering wheel, paddle shifters, an Anthracite-coloured roof liner, and aluminium highlights.
Lastly, a new audio package has been developed to transmit the engine's noises into the cabin, sent through the car's speakers.
Source - themotorreport
2013 BMW FACELIFTED 7 SERIES
2013 BMW FACELIFTED 7 SERIES
BMW's 7 Series will receive its first extensive update next year, however these spy images of a 7 Series development mule show that we shouldn't expect much in the way of exterior changes.
Instead, for their midlife update the F01 and F02 7 Series will feature a raft of under-the-skin revisions that will aim to boost power and efficiency.
The turbocharged 3.0 litre six-cylinder petrol of the 740i could jump from 240kW to 260kW, and the 750i's 4.4 litre twin-turbo V8's output may rise to 335kW - an increase of 35kW.
Currently, only the V12-powered 760Li flagship utilises an eight-speed automatic, however BMW's latest version of its eight-speed is expected to be bolted to I6 and V8 variants from 2013.
The almost complete absence of camouflage on this development car ( very unusual for a BMW prototype ) suggest that the car's sheet metal will carry over unchanged, with only minor alterations to the front and rear bumpers.
New wheel designs should be offered though, and the headlamp clusters will likely make greater use of LED technology.
Inside, there appears to be no substantial design changes. However, expect more up-to-date electronic equipment to feature in the 2013 7 Series' cabin.
Source - themotorreport
2013 Hyundai Santa Fe (ix45)
2013 Hyundai Santa Fe (ix45)
Hyundai's next-generation Santa Fe SUV have draped in the brand's sharpened new styling language.
Revealing one-half of the new SUV's face (which we've duplicated for your viewing pleasure) and a proper look at the rear end, the shots show that the 2013 Santa Fe will take on an "upsized ix35" look.
The Santa Fe name could also be replaced in world wide with an ix45 badge, although the survival of the Accent and Elantra names leaves the door open for the big wagon's existing name to continue.
Technical details for the new model remain a secret for now, although we can likely expect the new Santa Fe to continue with the 145kW 2.2 litre R-Series diesel that features in the current model.
We could also see the Genesis Coupe's 205kW/372Nm 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. If so, this would sit as rival for Ford's EcoBoost-powered Explorer.
The 2013 Santa Fe is rumoured to be heading for a New York Auto Show debut in April, although Hyundai has yet to confirm plans on that front.
Source - themotorreport
2013 facelifted BMW X6
2013 facelifted BMW X6
BMW's big X6 "Sports Activity Vehicle" has come in for a 2012 upgrade, picking up a modest facelift, new technologies and the carmaker's new M Performance package.
Spot-the-difference styling tweaks include a lightly updated grille, along with restyled foglight housings, wrapped in a more prominent satin silver garnish.
The X6 gets new adaptive full-LED headlights as an option, upgradeable from the standard-fit Xenon lights, and there is also a new twin-bar LED design for the taillights.
Mechanically, the updated X6 will continue with its existing powertrain line-up, including the xDrive50i's 300kW 4.4 litre V8 and the 225kW inline-six driving the xDrive35i. The current eight-speed automatic transmission will also carry over.
BMW's new M Performance package has been added to the updated X6's options list however, with the xDrive35i gaining an additional 12kW and 40Nm of torque, while the V8 picks up a bonus 30kW and 40Nm.
The M Performance range also debuts a new triple-turbo 3.0 litre six-cylinder diesel engine, marking the launch of the top-end X6 M50d.
The new mill kicks out 280kW and 740Nm of torque, making for a 55kW and 140Nm boost over the current xDrive40d model
The X6 M50d lists a 0-100km time of 5.3 seconds, with fuel consumption listed at 7.7 l/100km. (read more about the M Performance diesel models here.)
The updated X6 gains new exterior colours, with the arrival of Orion Silver, Midnight Blue and Marrakesh Brown. Inside, there is new Vermilion Red Nevada leather and Ivory White Nappa leather.
The range-topping X6 M gains the same styling and interior upgrades for 2012, while the current 408kW and 680Nm 4.4 litre twin-turbo V8 will carry over unchanged.
Source - themotorreport
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