Yearly Archives: 2012

The past week has been abuzz with frequent mentions of BMW and TVS Motor Company forging an alliance. On Sunday Mr. Srinivasan has confirmed to liveMint that his company is in talks with BMW and on Monday he confirmed to WSJ that more details will be shared soon.

The Hindu Business Line, the first to report on the talks between the companies, had said its sources indicate the partnership will be a technological alliance. TVS shares were up after the news started floating around.

General opinion is that TVS would do well to tie up with BMW and acquire expertise on making high end motorcycles, since Bajaj has KTM and Hero MotoCorp has Erik Buell Racing (stating the facts loosely). We aren’t entirely sure. While we aren’t oblivious to the fact that BMW could bring in a wealth of knowledge and expertise in making bikes that go round the world without breaking sweat or one up the Japanese in building a litre class monster, is R&D the handicap that has had TVS Motors lose its position to Honda in the two wheeler domestic market? Or is it the unwillingness to experiment?

Kawasaki has unveiled the 2013 Ninja ZX-10R. While the rest of the motorcycle remains mostly unchanged, Kawasaki has swapped the mechanical steering damper for the electronic steering damper developed with Ohlins. The graphics get a slight refresh. Kawasaki says the electronic steering damper delivers the ideal amount of damping force by using data from sensors including vehicle speed, and the degree of acceleration or deceleration. At low speeds, the ECU just beneath the fuel tank cover, dictates that the damping be minimal and not interfere with the bike’s intrinsic lightweight handling. At high speeds, damping increases to provide enhanced stability.

The 2013 Kawasaki ZX-10R is pricier by $300 in the USA, and there are two colour schemes in addition to the Lime Green / Metallic Spark Black pictured above.

2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R : Metallic Spark Black / Flat Ebony

2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R : Pearl Flat White / Metallic Spark Black

Asphalt&Rubber argues that Honda Motorcycles have had their proprietary Honda Electronic Steering Damper (HESD) derived from tech used in the RC211V since 2004 in the Honda CBR 1000RR. “To constantly obtain an optimum damping force, Honda has employed the world’s first electronic control system based on the rotary-type hydraulic damper applied to the RC211V MotoGP machine” the page from Honda’s website points out.

Renault simply couldn’t have done this better. The price is tempting, the recent face lift has helped spice things up, the choice of diesel power plants combined with the proven ability of the Duster in Europe should push Renault’s sales numbers to the stratosphere.

Pricing (ex-showroom Delhi)

Speaking on the occasion, Marc NASSIF MD, Renault India Pvt. Ltd. said, “the Renault Duster is the best choice for customers looking for the comfort of a sedan with the appeal of an SUV. We are very excited about the product and we expect it to be a game changer for this segment. The new Duster is all about our commitment to Indian customers. We have packed in the best Renault technology which results in a fuel efficient, powerful performance, superb ride and handling along with a host of practical and attractive features. And this makes the Renault Duster an extremely good value proposition for all our customers.”

The Duster comes with a host of features including the two-tone dashboard, plush leather upholstery with leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, stylish, reverse parking sensor, keyless entry with answer back function, on board trip computer with multi functional displays, integrated 2-DIN audio system with USB, auxiliary and Bluetooth connectivity, steering mounted audio & phone control, electrically adjustable outside rear view mirrors (ORVM), AC with pollen filters to ensure clean air inside the cabin, front fog lamps, rear defogger and wipers for better visibility.

Drivers should be delighted by the 8 way adjustable driver’s seat with height and lumbar support and a tilt steering wheel. Renault says the Duster is equipped with separate rear AC vents with independent controls which should make the Duster a fantastic SUV to be chauffeured in.

As we’d stressed in our Renault Pulse review “Renault COMPLETE CARE” service package provides customers with a host of best-in-class facilities which includes a 2+2 years/80,000Km warranty, labour free service at 2,000, 10,000 and 20,000Km with 24/7 Roadside Assistance through a dedicated call center.

“The Renault Duster is a vehicle which will not only meet the aspirations of our customers but also set the benchmark on all parameters. We are not only introducing a new vehicle today but I am happy to say that we have also ramped up our dealer and after sales network to reach out to customers pan India.” continued Mr. Nassif.

The Renault Duster is available in Pearl Supreme White,Metallic Graphite Grey,Pearl Galaxy Black, Metallic Moonlight Silver, Metallic Fiery Red, Metallic Woodland Brown exterior colours. Renault also offers four interior colour schemes that offer a combination of different colours for the seat fabric, door handles, centre fascia finish, floor console and steering wheel add on finish.

As we’d reported earlier, the facelifted Chevrolet Captiva will be available only in the 2.2 A/T AWD variant, while the manual transmission variants will continue with the previous generation styling.

GM India seems to have a stock of around 140 units of the older generation Captiva which they would like to move out to the roads before bringing in the face lift variants in the manual transmission variants. To this end, GM India is offering a massive discount of close to 2 lakhs on the MT & Xtreme variants of the Captiva.

Source Autocar India

McLaren Automotive has announced its second model, the 625PS, twin-turbo V8-engined, open top 12C Spider. The 12C Spider is based on the same super stiff carbon fibre MonoCell chassis the hardtop MP4-12C. McLaren says the 12C Spider will deliver just as dynamic a driving experience as the hardtop but removing the roof will intensify the driving sensations, the emotions felt and the noise heard. The company also points out that the 12C Spider will be more usable than any car this exciting has a right to be.

Here’s Jenson Button expressing what open top motoring means to him. “You smell the tyres, you smell the brakes, you smell the car, it really makes you feel part of the car” Button says, and we agree.

The Chevrolet Cruze which was lauded for its 150 PS mill when launched in India gets a newer heart in the guise of the new 2.0 L diesel engine (FAM Z series) that makes 166PS at 3,800 rpm and peak torque of 380 Nm at 2,000 rpm. The new mill propels the Cruze from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 9 seconds.

“The Cruze is all about value, refinement and power-packed performance combined with an array of unique features,” said Lowell Paddock, President & Managing Director, General Motors India. “When you add it all up, it offers everything any discerning Indian car buyer could want in a sedan at a price point that represents uncontestable value for money. As a result, we expect the new Cruze to be a hit.”

The new engine boasts a new cylinder head port design that provides increased air flow and variable swirl control by incorporating Cobra-shape intake ports. This further improves performance and cuts emissions says GM India.

The Chevrolet Cruze also gets a new F-40 six-speed manual transmission that features a cable shift mechanism with hydraulic clutch operation. Its three-shaft design has gear ratios that are optimized to suit Indian driving preferences and conditions, says GM India.

PEPS – Passive Entry Passive Start with Push button start/stop, which is essentially keyless-go is now standard in all variants. Six-way power adjustable driver’s seat, a power express driver up/down window with pinch protect, clutch footrest and premium speakers are the additions.

Delhi ex showroom prices of the New Chevrolet Cruze
LT MT BS4 (Fam Z) Rs. 13,85,495
LTZ MT BS4 (Fam Z) Rs. 14,77,495
LTZ AT BS4 (Fam Z) Rs. 15,67,495

Delhi ex showroom prices of Chevrolet Cruze with the older engine

LT MT BS4 Rs. 12,84,376
LTZ MT BS4 Rs. 14,47,373
LTZ AT BS4 Rs. 15,35,129

Chennai Ex-showroom prices

Cruze – 2.0 LT MT BS4 (Fam Z) Rs.14,08,966
Cruze – 2.0 LTZ MT BS4 (Fam Z) Rs.15,02,609
Cruze – 2.0 LTZ AT BS4 (Fam Z) Rs.15,94,198
Cruze – 2.0 LT MT BS4 Rs.13,06,050
Cruze – 2.0 LTZ MT BS4 Rs.14,71,951
Cruze – 2.0 LTZ AT BS4 Rs. 15,61,257

When we recently posted our news article on the Chevrolet Captiva, the way the press release was worded had us wondering if the existing variants of the Chevrolet Captiva will also be subject to the facelift. We have just received confirmation from GM India that there will be no changes to the other variants ( MT and Xtreme) in the Captiva lineup. While it has been widely reported that the MT and Xtreme will be continue to be powered by the older 2.0 litre engine making 150PS and 320 Nm of torque, Riot Engine would like to add that the exteriors and interiors will also remain the same.

This will also explain why the MT/Xtreme variants have been priced competitively while the Captiva 2.2 AT AWD has a slightly shocking price tag. We hope the new 2.2 litre diesel making 186.5bhp @ 3800 RPM and 424Nm @ 2000 RPM torque working with a six-speed automatic transmission and AWD make the price tag worth it!

Here’s the variant lineup before and after the launch of the Captiva 2.2 A/T AWD

Prices are ex-showroom Delhi