Rolls Royce Drophead-coupe

Fully convertible luxury :

This year round, Detroit was uncommonly mild for the January chill - with only light snow flurries and a temperature hanging around zero. And even then, the crop of luxury convertibles unveiled at the Motor Show seemed somewhat incongruous.
Of course, the new soft-tops launched by Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Benz are more in keeping with Malibu than Michigan - to attract potential buyers for the Rolls Royce Phantom's Drophead Coupé and the Mercedes-Benz Ocean Drive - who are mainly Hollywood celebrities and other wealthy Californians.

Mercedes at least acknowledged the colder climate of Detroit by displaying the Ocean Drive on a part of its stand that had been turned into an ice rink. The V12-engined car is basically a convertible version of the S-Class with a custom, coachbuilt body. It's something Mercedes is actively considering, and it could be called CLC in the Merc range. It definitely looks good, and we say bring it on!
The good news for those with the money is that Rolls-Royce is definitely building the Phantom Drophead Coupé, and production will start at Goodwood in the summer. The two-door, four-seat convertible is described as "a less formal interpretation of classic Rolls-Royce design". It is derived from the 100EX concept car and uses an aluminium spaceframe to give a combination of rigid bodyshell and low weight. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Chairman Ian Robertson, told reporters: "The Drophead leads us in a more informal direction, attracting new buyers to the marque." And he confirmed Rolls would expand its range: "In the coming years, other new models will strengthen the company still further.

For people who are considering buying a convertible and are on a slightly lower budget, BMW's new 3 -Series Convertible made its debut too. It's the first BMW to have a retractable electric hardtop roof. The vehicle, which is bound to capture the imagination and the approval of BMW fans, will be launched in the UK in April. Options have already been announced - you can lay your hands on a 325i or 335i version, priced at £33,030 and £37,895 respectively. So does the convertible stand a chance of coming to India? Since it's a hard-top convertible and BMW has big plans for this country, we actually see a good reason to offer it here too...

Volkswagen Passat for India launched

Volkswagen has launched its luxury car Passat for India with a 2000cc diesel engine and state of the art features. There will be two versions of the Passat, both diesels, powered by four cylinder TDi 2.0 litre Highline engines. Maximum power will be 103 kW (140 BHP) and torque of 320 Nm at 1750-2500 RPM. Top speed claimed for the Volswagen Passat versions in India is 209 kmph, while the car would reach 0-100 kmph in 9.8 seconds. It is also an acknowledgement to the realities in India that VW has launched the car without a petrol version to begin with.
Passat and the other models will be assembled at the Aurangabad plant of Skoda, a VW subsidiary, until its own Rs 2,450 crore plant coming up in Pune is ready.

In two variants priced at Rs 22.35 lakh and Rs 24.35 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), Passat will take on the likes of Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Skoda Superb. It will be available only in the diesel version through a dealership network of three, which is to expand to 10 by the end of the year.
“Passat will set the pace for our future product launches in India as it is the key market for our overall strategic growth plans,” said Joerg Mueller, managing director, Volkswagen group sales India. The Passat one one of Volkswagen's most succesful cars in the world, notching up sales of 14 million units since its launch in 1973.
Two popular VW cars namely Phaeton and Touareg are already being imported by dealers. Passat will be imported in India as CKD kits.
Safety features in the Volkswagen Passat are impressive, including eight airbags, Anti-brake locking system (ABS) and electronic stabilisation programme (ESP).
The top end VW Passat for India will feature additional features such as front seats with electronic 12-way adjustment, rear and front parking sensors, bi-Zenon headlights with self-cleaning system, electric sliding/tilting glass roof, anti-theft warning system and a multi-function steering wheel with operating facility for gear change.

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Honda Civic....Since 1972

Honda Civic,Since 1972 satisfying customers :

The Honda Civic is a compact car manufactured by Honda. It was introduced in July 1972 as a two-door coupe, followed by a three-door hatchback version that September. With the transverse engine placement of its 1169 cc engine and front-wheel drive, like the British Mini, the car provided good interior space despite overall small dimensions.
Early models of the Civic were typically outfitted with a basic AM radio, rudimentary heater, foam cushioned plastic trim, two-speed wipers, and painted steel rims with a chromed wheel nut cap. The current Civic has become much more luxurious with satellite-linked navigation, a six-speed manual transmission, power locks and power windows available.
The Civic evolved from having an 1170 cc engine (1973) to having engines with larger capacities and more creature comforts (air conditioning, power windows, etc.) through the 1980s, 1990s and into the 2000s.
In the United States of America, the Civic is the second-longest continuously-running nameplate from a Japanese manufacturer; only the Toyota Corolla, introduced in 1968, has been in production longer.

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BMW X3

The BMW X3 is a compact luxury crossover SUV (though BMW advertises it as an SAV, or Sport Activity Vehicle) produced by the German automaker BMW. It is based on the BMW 3-Series automobile platform. The X3 3.0i won the Canadian Car of the Year Best New Sport Utility Vehicle award for 2005.

Along the heels of a very successful and ongoing production run of the BMW X5, BMW decided in the early millennium that it wanted to compete with the likes of the Land Rover Freelander and other small luxury SUVs just as the X5 had previously done so well in its respective classes. Thus the X3 (internally known as E83), was born.
What thus emerged was a concept unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 2003. Dubbed the xActivity, BMW previewed to the public for the first time what a smaller SAV based on a 3 Series platform would look like. The concept had no windows, for the most part no roof, and a sleek futuristic interior. Only the basic shape of the car would emerge as the BMW X3.
Just as BMW used many parts from the E39 5 Series parts bin in the making of the X5, the same occurred in the X3's development, whereby BMW engineers reused 3 Series parts. In fact, complete sets of parts came straight out of the E46 330xi unchanged in the X3 (e.g. rear suspension).
Austrian automotive contractor Magna Steyr of Graz, Austria performed additional development work and has been contracted to manufacture all first-generation X3s.

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Nissan X-Trail

The Nissan X-Trail is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan since 2001. It was Nissan's first crossover SUV and used the Nissan FF-S platform. It was released at the same time as several companies introduced car-based compact SUVs including Ford with their Escape and its Mazda Tribute sibling, Hyundai with their Santa Fe and GM with their Pontiac Aztek. It is sold in Japan, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Malaysia, Philippines, India, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, New Zealand, Australia, Trinidad & Tobago, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The company currently offers a hydrogen fuel cell model named the X-Trail FCV on lease to businesses.
In Canada, it is positioned below the truck-based Xterra. The X-Trail did not arrive in the Canadian market before 2005. The X-Trail was only sold in Canada for the 2005 and 2006 model years. Its successor, the 2008 Nissan Rogue, which shares the same platform as the 2008-present X-Trail, will appear in North America, and will be very similar to the Qashqai that was available in Europe and elsewhere from early 2007. Nissan Canada's website removed the X-Trail as of September 2007 to promote the new Rogue.
In Latin America, X-Trail was positioned below Nissan Pathfinder. It was very popular and in many countries represented the best selling SUV because of its practical size, comfortable driving and low price. As 2007, Nissan sells the second-generation X-Trail alongside the related Rogue.
The 2008 Nissan X-Trail gave its public debut at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show in March, and will go on sale in Europe this summer. A new slightly bigger version, now 4630mm long, introduced in 2007 based on the new Nissan/Renault Alliance C-platform platform. This will appear in Europe in the first part of the year and towards the end of 2007 in Australia but is not currently planned for the United States and Canada.
Available only in the Japanese market is the SR20VET that produces 206 kW (280 hp). The Australian model is powered by a QR25DE 2.5 L 4-cylinder engine initially producing 132 kW(177 hp) From January 2006, the Australian spec engine was detuned to 123kw. Also available is the QR20DE 4-cylinder engine, producing 103 kW (140 hp) or 110 kW (150 hp) with manual or automatic transmission. The biggest selling engine in the UK is the YD22DDTi, a 2.2 litre turbo-charged common-rail diesel. The X-Trail has had three model revisions, the Series 1 and Series 2 (using Nissan FF-S platform) and the imminent Series 3 (using Nissan/Renault C platform). There were various cosmetic and engineering changes made between series 1 and 2 but the series 3 is all new despite a similar appearance with new engines apart from the 2.5L which has been retained.
Available only in Iceland is the Nissan X-Trail Adventure. You can choose between two base editions (Sport or Elegance, Comfort is not a choice). Included in the Adventure Edition are 29" tires, the lowest part of the vehicle has been raised, reverse backup sensors, step plates and a towing hook. Prices are ranging from 50-54 thousand dollars. It includes active headrests.

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Tata Sumo Victa

Tata Sumo Victa comes with a powerful 1948 cc engine that delivers a maximum power of 90 PS @ 4300 rpm. It is one of the most popular Multi Utility Vehicles (MUV) running on the Indian roads. Tata Sumo Victa is an upgraded version of the earlier available Tata Sumo. The all-new cockpit offers more comfort and convenience. The ergonomically enhanced seats with a 60.40 split option give the Victa's spaciousness more flexibility. With a turning radius of just 4.9m, driving Victa through congested roads is not much of a problem. Tata Sumo Victa is available in four variants - VICTA GX TURBO, VICTA GX, VICTA EX, and VICTA LX

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Hyundai Verna -feel it

All about the new Hyundai Verna :

The Verna is larger than the Accent in all aspects, but more importantly, it comes with a longer wheelbase than the above-mentioned competition. Which translates to better room, especially for rear passengers. Dimensionally, it is similar to the City, though it does not look as funky as the Honda.

In terms of appearance, the new Verna will not exactly set your pulse racing, but it is neat and well-tucked in like a well-groomed schoolboy.
While the Honda looks avant garde, the Verna looks contemporary, almost a generation ahead compared to the architecture of the Fiesta and Aveo. If you remove the Hyundai logo, and fit the Toyota badge, it won't look out of place either, it's that safe when it comes to design. And comparable in build quality too.

Hyundai's now putting together cars better than ever before, and the Verna comes through as a quality product with tight shutlines and an attention to detail.

The overall layout of the interiors are not that exceptional, but the quality of materials used in Hyundais has been substantially improving. The look of the entire dash is more Korean rather than European (like in the Getz and Sonata), but expect it to be comprehensively equipped.
But a contemporary design language, quality materials and better engineering tolerances is not enough for the Verna to grab some market share.

What's critical is the drivetrain package, and it looks as if Hyundai has done its homework in this area. Two all-new four-cylinder engines are on offer, a 1600cc CVVT petrol and a 1500cc

CRDi.

A new five-speed manual gearbox will transfer the power to the front wheels, that promises to be much more crisp than the one in the Accent. The 1599cc all-aluminium gasoline motor is from Hyundai's new Gamma family and features double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and Continuous Variable Valve Technology.

Which means a free-revving engine that, with CVVT, will save fuel at lower revs and offer better performance at higher rpm. Developing 110 bhp at 6000 rpm and 14.8 kgm of torque at 4500 revs, this engine looks quite fit and ready to take on the City VTEC and the 1.6 variants of both the Fiesta and Aveo.

Still, the engine to watch out for is the new CRDi motor. The Accent, with the three-cylinder CRDi engine was no shrinking violet, and now, the Verna's diesel version will just put that in retrospective.

Firstly, it is now complete, with the addition of a cylinder. Then, it incorporates a variable geometry turbocharger, which makes it less wild than the three-cylinder CRDi, allowing for seamless and virtually lag-free performance.

And boy, will it be torquey! Displacing 1493cc, this new CRDi motor develops 108 bhp at 4000 rpm, and a whopping 23.8 kgm of torque between 1900 and 2750 rpm.
That's better than the turbodiesel that all performance enthusiasts love, the Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDi, and comes close to the Laura's 25 kgm. If Hyundai manages to keep these figures intact without having to modify them to adapt to Indian fuel quality and operating conditions, then we'll have a diesel car for petrolheads indeed.

The suspension setup on offer includes McPherson struts at front and torsion beam axle at the rear. Of course, the whole setup will be modified to adapt to Indian conditions, in terms of being able to tackle bad roads, while keeping the ride comfortable for the rear passengers.
The new Verna has spent some serious time at Hyundai's proving grounds at Namyang in South Korea to get its ride and handling sorted, while its architecture is stiffer than the Accent - allowing it to give a more integrated feel. But we'll wait for a full test in India to tell you how good its dynamics are.

So will the new Hyundai Verna manage to garner some marketshare at the expense of the strongly entrenched competition?
A safe reply would be it depends on the pricing. Expect the Verna to be competitively priced - between Rs 6.5 and Rs 7.5 lakh - and loaded with plenty of equipment too, including safety features and other modern conveniences.But more important, it has two promising engines that can tilt the balance in its favour - the CVVT petrol tackles the Honda City variants, while it looks like the turbodiesel will beat the Fiesta's 68 bhp/16 kgm TDCi outright in the performance stakes. It's pretty exciting, isn't it? So hold on till we get behind the wheel of the new Verna.

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Chevrolet Tavera

The Chevrolet Tavera is a compact MPV(multi purpose vehicle) produced in Indonesia by Japanese automaker Isuzu Motors and in India by American automaker General Motors sold in ASIAN and Indian markets. It uses the platform of the Isuzu Panther, a diesel-powered multi-purpose vehicle sold in Indonesia. In other markets it is known as the Isuzu AUV, HiLander or Crosswind.
In India, this MUV's main competition includes such vehicles like the Ford Fusion, Toyota Innova, Hindustan Pushpak, Mahindra Bolero, Tata Sumo, and similar vehicles. Unlike some MUVs like the Fusion (which is based off of the Ford Fiesta and also sold in Europe), this MUV is based off of a pickup truck, in this case an Isuzu model.
Isuzu designed the original Tavera, known as the Panther. Chevrolet's version is a consumer-grade version of the Panther, which is more designed for businesses.
Recently, because of Chevrolet's marketing of their Indian lineup as "an Indian revolution" (similar to their US marketing campaign), the Tavera is now sold as two models. The original Tavera is still being sold; however more upmarket models in India are now sold as the "Tavera Neo".

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Mahindra Scorpio

An SUV from INDIA :

Mahindra Scorpio has redefined the expectations of the SUV (sports utility vehicles) buyer and has set a new benchmark for the industry to follow. Its strong engine complements its good looks and sophisticated interior design.The Scorpio's chain-driven SZ 2600 Plus DI diesel engine pumps out an adequate 1i5bhp of power and a massive 26 kgm of torque. The wraparound, multi-reflector, clear lens type headlamp, the aggressive grille, curvaceous, impact-absorbing side cladding, fire resistant interiors, the stepped roof design to allow more headroom for passengers in the rear and the minimalist, but user-friendly dashboard have set a benchmark for the others to follow. Scorpio is available in 4 variants - Turbo 2.6, Turbo 2.6 DX, Sportz, Turbo 2.6 SLX.