India Yamaha Motors which is the fully owned subsidy of Yamaha Motor Company of Japan is organizing what it calls the Yamaha Safe Riding Science schools in various parts of the country for kids. Yamaha’s approach to things here is commendable given the fact that traffic and riding in India are chaotic with people not knowing and respecting rule of riding and driving. Yamaha has taken on the challenge of educating people about good riding and has wisely chosen kids to start their training with. Thus far Yamaha has organized similar programmes in Varanasi and Kolkata. The latest round is on the 28th of April at Delhi. The venue is Delhi Public School, Sector Gama 2, Greater Noida – 201308 and time is at 10.30 AM. Way to go Yamaha, a truly wonderful initiative.
Yearly Archives: 2011
Peugeot Style Studios of the China Tech Center in Shanghai, has come up with the SxC Concept, that was unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show. If you think you know what SxC stands for, well you’re wrong. SxC is Shanghai Cross Concept. Athletic, powerful, elegant, is how Peugeot describes the “SxC”. Modern, Exclusive, Luxury seem to be the buzzwords in China this time of the year.
Essentially a crossover, the sleek lines on the SxC were a crowd puller at the Shanghai Motor Show. Puegeot has at the front what they called the floating grille, as it appears to be detached from the rest of the bodywork. The headlamps are again ‘sleek’ and use LEDs. The concept also had suicide doors, the candy you can only wish for, but never have. The rear is muscular and the tail lamps carry on with the ‘sleek’ theme.
The dash is aglow with the brilliant blue display and the futuristic theme is obvious here. The tapered mirrors house rear view cameras.
The SxC will be powered by Peugeot’s HYbrid4 system, mating a 218bhp 1.6-liter turbodiesel driving the front wheels and a 95bhp electric motor that drives the rear. Working together, they give more than 313bhp with a combined fuel consumption of 48.7mpg and carbon dioxide emissions of 143g/km.
Peugeot SXC Concept Car
Strength and appeal
Strength and appeal
Athletic, powerful, elegant, the “SXC”, a Concept Car from the Peugeot Style Studios of the China Tech Center in Shanghai, explores the world of an exclusive and modern Crossover.
With the SXC, unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show, Peugeot reasserts its international ambitions, refining its ability to adapt to the specific expectations of each market, while expressing in all areas its vision for the future and its skill in combining pursuit of excellence and emotion.
Concept: reinterpretation of the Crossover
In 2010, Peugeot unveiled an evolution in its stylistic codes through various concept cars: the SR1 (grand tourisme roadster), the BB1 (city car, 2.50 m long, for 4 people), the EX1 (two-seater roadster, 100% electric, which beat the homologated acceleration records in France and in China) and the HR1 (exclusive, innovative and hyper-connected city car). At the Shanghai Motor Show, the Marque’s stylists express themselves in another category, which is becoming increasingly popular in the Chinese market, that of the Crossover. So, with the SXC (which stands for Shanghai Cross Concept), this theme is revisited: this concept car adopts certain characteristics from the world of the SUV (strength, high driving position, protection, etc.), without caricaturing them, inspired by the modern styles, elegant and refined, close to the upmarket world of the saloons.
It was Peugeot’s international style teams based at the China Tech Center in Shanghai who designed the vehicle. As a result, Peugeot asserts the vision of a style that is strong and recognisable, and that is able to adapt to different body types, as well as to the different expectations of the markets.
A strong Style, both statuesque and refined
The SXC is a vehicle with a strong, asserted character, its style expressing strength and power, without ostentation, through lines both simple and refined, elegant and fluid, which subtly emphasise the athletic, even muscular, character of the vehicle. Each detail is precisely sculpted on a body of impressive size (with a length of 4.870 m, a height of 1.610 m and a width of 2.035 m).
At the front, the SXC bears the ‘stylistic codes’ of Peugeot. The theme of the unique “floating” grille, which appears to be independent from the bodywork, fits harmoniously with its stature. The feline headlamps, precisely chiselled, give it a piercing gaze echoing the Marque’s emblem, the lion, proudly affixed on the front of the bonnet. This gaze is emphasised by a luminous LED signature, recognisable both by day and night. This visual signature returns with the rear lamps, the boomerang shape of which accompanies the movement of the rear, which has been designed with particular care.
Other “High Tech” details have been studied with great attention, in the same way as the tapered mirrors housing rear view cameras.
The roof bars, of very original design, the border of the side glazed surface,… numerous components are made of brushed aluminium, a light material, dignified and upmarket, which subtly enhances the exclusive nature of the vehicle.
Its wheel rims, of generous dimensions (22″), the design of which suggests refinement and strength, also contribute to the general balance of the vehicle.
Finally, the very protective style of the vehicle, its generous volumes, it two-part panoramic roof, its accessibility through reverse-hinged doors, … promise a particularly vast passenger compartment in which each of its 4 passengers will benefit from all the attention they desire.
Driving sensations
One of Peugeot’s priorities is to continue its environmental leadership in the years to come. This concept car incorporates the HYbrid4 technology: with an internal combustion engine at the front (which drives the front wheels) and an electric motor at the rear (driving the rear wheels), this technology permits all 4 wheels to be driving wheels when the engine and motor are operating at the same time, benefiting safety and grip in extreme conditions. It also permits driving, at low speeds, in “zero emissions” mode with the electric motor only.
Under the bonnet, the internal combustion engine is a 1.6 l THP delivering 160 kW (218 bhp): continuing its downsizing strategy, the PSA Group uses the most advanced technology to manufacture small capacity engines combining a high level of performance and environmental efficiency.
Coupled with an electric motor of 70 kW (95 bhp), the combined potential is 230 kW (313 bhp) with a combined fuel consumption of only 5.8 l/100 km and CO2 emissions of 143 g/km.
The efficiency of this drive train, coupled with the acknowledged expertise of the Marque in terms of road holding, allows the SXC Concept Car to combine the emotion of real driving pleasure with the pursuit of excellence for a high level of environmental efficiency… promising its driver a unique driving experience.
Peugeot
Present in 160 countries, with 10,000 outlets, Peugeot combines motion and emotion everywhere. In 2010, the year of its 200th anniversary, Peugeot confirmed its place as the world’s leading French car brand, also gaining a place in the global brands’ table (9th) and sold 2,142,000 cars.
Peugeot is the only brand to have an integrated mobility offer with both private cars and vans, scooters, bikes and a wide range of services, with the Mu mobility service.
www.peugeot-pressepro.com
The website of India’s leading auto magazine Autocar India has reported that just like the Volkswagen Polo spawned the Vento, so will the Skoda Fabia. The sedan is being called the Rapid and Autocar says that new design elements from the Concept D shown at various international motor shows this year will be incorporated into the Rapid. It is being speculated that this car will be placed below the Vento since the convention is to have VW is a bigger brand than Skoda which is a part of the VW family. The print version of Autocar India in its May edition carries a story of the sub four metre Maruti DZire. Go over to the web and print versions of Autocar India for the stories.
A couple of weeks ago, Ducati tested its new for 2012 MotoGP bike with a thousand cc engine at Jerez. It is now the turn of Honda. But unlike Ducati, Honda’s first test does not involve any of its factory riders nor is it out in the open. Its testers Tadayuki Okada and Kousuke Akiyoshi have apparently given the bike a shake down at Suzuka on the weekend of April 14-15. Honda has not announced when its racers will first sample this bike. Yamaha it is believed will test its own bike in July and nothing is known about Suzuki with most people expecting it to pull out next year completely.
Robert Kubica who was hospitalized in Italy following a horrific crash in a rally car, has finally been discharged after a few months. Kubica suffered terrible injuries and had to undergo four complicated surgeries to save his life and limb. Even after successful surgery fears of infection kept the Polish driver in hospital. The doctors have now decided that it is safe for Kubica to go home. Kubica will rest for a while and then go back to Italy to begin the process of rehabilitation and fitness training. He will with consultation from doctors then take a call on when he can return to F1 during the European summer break.
At the beginning of this year, Williams F1 team floated their shares in the German stock market. There have been varied interpretations of this move. The more generous ones have taken it as an effort to bring more money to the team while the more cynical ones saw this as an attempt by Frank Williams and especially Patrick Head to cash out when the going was still good. Whatever the reason, the flotation of the shares took place and now the value of the shares have reportedly crashed due to the lack of performance by the team in the first three races of this season. A great pity.
In the first three races of the year, Ferrari’s performance have been anything but convincing. That has led to the normally big talking Luca Di Montezemolo to admit that work needs to be done on the car and urgently at that. Ferrari has identified wind tunnel problems as the reason for the underperformance of the car. However, Fernando Alonso, its high profile driver has said that he is optimistic about the fortunes of Ferrari turning around fast enough and his own ability to challenge for wins and the championship. His manager Flavio Briatore confirms this and says that Alonso is happy at Ferraril
Motoroids.com is reporting that Ford is likely to bring the Focus car model to India. The new Focus like the new Fiesta is based in the Kinetic design that Ford has been imbuing all its models with under the “One Ford” strategy put in place by Alan Mullaly. The Focus is a very competent car which has been loved by driving enthusiasts in Europe. If at all Ford wants to bring the Focus to India, this may be a good time with Toyota and Honda the main players in the Focus segment with the Civic and the Corolla Altis having problems of production. Otherwise the Cruze from Chevrolet is probably going to benefit greatly since it is anyway doing good numbers.
Recently the CBZ Xtreme from Hero Honda has had updates to its styling which went beyond stickering and addition of hideous colours. Now it is the turn of the 125 cc Glamour motorcycle. It is good to see that even here the updates, though confined only to styling are more substantial than the usual. Apart from new stickers and colours (they seem better), the bike has new tank extension, a digital instruments console, a more beefy bikini fairing, redesigned muffler, heat shield and new headlamp. The fuel tank extensions aesthetics are still contentious but over all this upgrade seems to have helped the looks of the bike.
Pictures of the new Hyundai i45 with test number plates and no disguise have been doing the rounds on the web for a while now. A white coloured car has been seen regularly around Chennai for sometime now. The car has been carrying the i45 monograms. In some markets the car is also called the Sonata. In India, the Sonata name has had mixed fortunes. The first Sonata launched in India was kitsch of styling elements from Mercedes Benz and Jaguar and sold reasonably well. When Hyundai went for a new design that was more understated, the cars sales plummeted. Now the new Sonata incorporating the fluidic sculpture is likely to come during the festival season towards the end of the year. Whether it will be called Sonata or i45 remains to be seen.