Doon Scooter India is an electric bike manufacturer based in Dehradoon (Dehradun, if you care to argue with the Doon website) Uttaranchal and headed by a team comprising of the Chairman Mr. Ranjan Chawla Managing Director, Mr. Rajeev Sachar and Mr. Manish Galhotra. Rajeev Sachar was at the Auto Expo and seemed to be busy fielding queries from prospective dealers, from places as remote as Nepal!
The concept on display had the kids interested, we were given no details on the availability.
Lohia Auto launched the humsafar range of three wheelers at the Auto Expo. A single cylinder four stroke, direct injection, diesel engine of 436cc, rated for a peak power of 7.5HP@3600+50RPM and torque of 18NM@2400+200 RPM meeting BS III emission standards powers the three variants of the humsafar.
Lohia had on display the people carrier humsafar, the open loading bay humsafar LDi and the covered loading bay humsafar HDi. While all variants are available in the colors of Red,Blue and Green, White is an option only on the people carrier.
One of the more recent launches from Lohia, the Genius is a decent looking e-bike with a claimed range of 70km, and a top speed of 25kph. The motor is of course, Brushless DC type, rated at 250 Watts and an input voltage of 48V. Battery is a 20Ah maintenance Free, lead acid, Gel Type, 12V unit.
The Fame has none of the sharp edges of the Genius and is a more rounder e-bike, and we are guessing probably intended for the fairer sex.
A dated version of the Genius is what we would say the OMA Star is. The tech specs are exactly similar to that of the Genius.
The new Bajaj Pulsar 200NS ( Naked Sport ) to be priced at less than a Lakh Rupees, will be powered by a water cooled 200cc mill, with 4 valves and triple spark plugs. The triple spark plug leads to a 50% increase in combustion speed, said Mr. Joseph Abraham, Chief Technology Officer, Bajaj Auto. This in turn leads to a Lower Brake Specific Fuel Consumption ( fuel consumed for 1KW output for one Hour), fuel Consumption improvement between 10% to 17% and a peak power of 23.5 PS at 9500 rpm and torque of 18.5 Nm at 8000 rpm. Redlined at 10500 rpm, the new Pulsar is sure to be the street fighter its always been.
A new six speed gearbox has been pressed into service, we’ll have to see how it performs on track, and on road.
The Bajaj Pulsar 200NS is to be launched in the next fiscal.
The new Pulsar 200NS drops the traditional down tube steel frames for a pressed steel perimeter beam section frame with rectangular tube section swing arm that lead to a lateral stiffness that is three times more rigid than the previous gen Pulsar 220. The Nitrox Monoshock with the piggybacking gas canister ( oh, Bajaj ) and the 280mm petal disc up front, with the Bybre floating caliper and the 230mm disc at the rear aid handling.
For the first time on an indigenous motorcycle, the exhaust is mounted centrally for better weight distribution. Performance figures are as follows :
Top Speed 136 kph
0-60 kph 3.61 sec
0-100 kph 9.83 sec
Braking Distance 16.33 m, which is a metre lesser than the previous generation Pulsar 220.
Missing though are the fantastic 55W head lamps with the projector. The Pulsar 200NS uses HS1 35/35W headlamps without projectors! A Bajaj exec assured us that was in store for us when they bring out the faired version of the new gen Pulsar.
The new Victory Judge was unveiled in the US on 20th January at the New York Motorcycle Show. The Judge is positioned as an affordable hot rod cruiser with minimalistic styling.
The Judge is powered by the 106 cubic-inch Freedom V-Twin Engine with a peak 113 ft lbs torque. American styling cues of the 1960s muscle car era, such as cast 5-spoke wheels shod with premium Dunlop Elite II tires with raised white lettering, give the the perfect retro look on this cruiser.
The Victory Judge is a powerful rolling sculpture showcasing fresh bodywork, blacked-out features, new drag handlebars, a new headlight nacelle and side panels an owner can customize. The Victory ignition cover between the cylinders also features a great new look.
Mid mounted foot controls ensure long-riding leg comfort for riders.
The Judge is available in shades of Gloss Black, Sunset Red and we kid you not ‘Suede Nuclear Sunset’. Perfect!
If Polaris India Pvt. Ltd, the fully owned subsidiary of Polaris Industries do bring the Victory range of motorcycles to India, the Judge might lead the pack. Until then, dream on.
CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is mostly about new phones ( have you seen the Nokia Lumia 900? ), tablets, and other consumer electronics. Automotive brands like Mercedes-Benz and Ford though, have understood the need to present to consumer the advances they’ve made in automotive electronics and how they make life easier for the driver and occupants.
There are two facets to DICE. Augumented Reality and gestures based control. As you would expect, the windshield is the system’s canvas to paint on, and a heads up display projects the information on to the windshield.
Vehicles approaching intersections will be virtually superimposed on the windshield to enhance the driver’s situational awareness. Augumented Reality, a term often used today, is simply a view of reality enhanced with digital elements, mostly interactive and manipulable. Here the system recognizes the vehicle, and highlights the position of the vehicle/s approaching the intersection and enhances the driver’s awareness of the situation. In addition to digital information about the actual vehicle surroundings, points of interest, friends, pedestrians are also presented on the windscreen.
A gesture based control system, is used to interact with the information presented on the windscreen. The gesture based system, provides a control experience far more flexible and less time consuming than a simple touch screen interface.
With the DICE (Dynamic & Intuitive Control Experience) demonstration, at the CES 2012 Mercedes-Benz provides a vision of the interactive, intuitive and simultaneously safe operating experience.
It would seem the time has come to say goodbye to elaborate, complex, multi level menu systems. Mercedes-Benz presents a world first context-dependent, place-related presentation, as ‘an information swarm’ of the menu contents of the infotainment system : “Media”, “Social” and “Places”.
Under “Social”, for example, friends from one’s social networks are shown in the 3-D city arranged underneath. The same goes for “Places”, where the personal points of interest like restaurants or movie theaters can be stored. 3-D gestures and the swarm permit dynamic and intuitive control.
What does all this translate to?
The level of social integration being displayed by automotive manufacturers, though welcome, is bound to raise the question of safety. A gesture based system does make sense as opposed to plonking a touch based tablet on the central console, but we do wonder about the legal hurdles, what with all the proposed measures in various countries to stop people from making calls, even if you are using handsfree methods.
After the global unveiling of the EcoSport just the day before, Ford needed to do little but put up the stunning EcoSport on the stage.
Helping consumers understand the safety features in a Ford, the Fiesta hatch was used to explain the high strength steels used in the structure, the horizontal collapsible steering column and airbags up front.
Following the success of the 3.5 Liter V6 EcoBoost engine doing duty in Ford trucks abroad, this little wonder, the 1.0 Liter EcoBoost engine, should find acceptance with Indian consumers. Expected to offer the performance of a 1.6 L naturally aspirated engine and much better fuel economy.
Polaris India Pvt. Ltd unveiled an all-new range of youth Powersports products, the Sportsman® 90 and RANGER RZR® 170, at the 11th Auto Expo 2012 on the 6th January, 2012. The Polaris Youth Powersports Segment is targeted at the younger crowd who want a slice of adventure.
Sportsman 90 has a 4-stroke 89cc engine, 2WD and automatic transmission with reverse. It includes a safety flag, helmet and built-in safety features. The features include long-travel rear suspension which keeps the ride smooth, Parent-adjustable speed limiter and a safety flag, helmet and instructional DVD.
RANGER RZR 170 is the world’s only youth Side x Side by a major manufacturer. This 2WD youth vehicle has a 4-stroke 169cc engine, electric start and automatic PVT transmission with reverse. It includes a safety flag, two helmets and built-in safety features as standard equipment. Some of the features include- Bucket seats with 3-point seat belts, Parent-adjustable speed limiter, and Includes safety flag, two helmets, and instructional DVD.
The C-X75 is going into production. If that wasn’t enough to grab us by the collar and focus on the car, the design certainly was. In many ways the C-X75 is definitely the future Jag. Delivering a sub-three second 0-60mph time and a top speed in excess of 200mph, the C-X75 also boasts low emissions, less than 99g/km CO2, thanks to the lightweight construction and cutting-edge powertrain technology.
Ah, the powertrain. The gas turbines, developed by Bladon Jets will be replaced by a downsized highly boosted petrol engine. Tata has taken a significant stake in Bladon Jets, and will continue to develop this technology as a medium-term aspiration that Jaguar says will play a part in its cars of the future. To bring Project C-X75 to production in a specified window of time, it was decided that the road-going supercar will use a state-of-the-art, small-capacity, highly-boosted internal combustion engine with one powerful electric motor at each axle.
Jaguar C-X75 will be developed in association with Williams F1 who will provide their engineering expertise in areas including aerodynamics, carbon composite manufacture and hybrid technologies. All this means a top speed in excess of 200mph, 0-60mph in less than 3 seconds and 0-100mph in less than 6 seconds. While running on the silent electric motors, the range is in excess of 50km.
An underbody system incorporates a moveable aerofoil and directional control of exhaust gases to ensure maximum downforce and ultra-low drag. Only 250 examples will be built, each costing between £700,000 – £900,000 depending on market and local taxes.
The two-seater concept has inspired new advances in design, in engineering and in vehicle technology to create the most compact and responsive Jaguar in a generation. The C-X16 is a compact, rear-wheel drive, two-seater, hybrid, with a true sporting character, underpinned by immensely strong aluminium architecture characterized by a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. The C-X16 is powered by an innovative supercharged 3.0-litre V6 producing 380 PS (280 kW) and 332 lb ft (450 Nm) of torque.
The Hybrid system is controlled by a steering-wheel mounted ‘Push to Pass’ button boosts output by 70 kW and 235 Nm. Top speed is around 186 mph, and 0-62 mph is dispensed with in 4.4 seconds and the CO2 emissions are close to 165 g/km.
The 2012 Jaguar XF, borrows lines from the bigger sibling, the Jaguar XJ to fall in line with the Jaguar family look. As stunning as ever.
The fastest production Jaguar ever. Powered by a 5.0 LITRE SUPERCHARGED V8 PETROL, the power output has been increased to 550PS and maximum torque now reaches 680Nm all of which propels the Jaguar XKR-S to 100 kph in 4.4s and a top speed of 300 kph! The Jaguar High-Performance Braking System features lightweight aluminium twin-piston sliding front calipers and single-piston sliding rear calipers. The Vulcan 20″ alloy wheels, a sigh to behold, are forged and lightweight, feature increased tyre widths – 9″ in the front and 10.5″ at the rear.
A combination of lightweight aluminium body construction and revised suspension aid handling. The Active Differential has been reprogrammed to reduce steering sensitivity at very high speed, increasing stability and driver control. The Dynamic Stability Control has also been reworked. Revised settings alter slip thresholds, differential torque distribution and engine and brake intervention levels, give the experienced driver the benefit or reduced electronic intervention.
Design changes include a new grill, new projector headlamps and the often repeated ‘power bulge’ on the bonnet. There’s also the spoilers, chrome tipped twin exhausts and the redesigned tailgate. Luxurious beige seats matched with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, chrome highlighted gear knob, wood-accented dashboard and door trims, a new instrument cluster, chrome-lined speaker grills and inside door handles try to ensure the interiors live up to the price. The front seats have fore/aft adjustment and lumbar support. Temperature inside is taken care of by the dual AC that has a separate integrated roof-mounted blower.
The Safari Storme is powered by the 2.2L 16-valve common rail (DiCOR) engine (140 PS power; 320 Nm torque) with a variable geometry turbo, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Electronic shift-on-the-fly (ESOF) enables shifting from 2WD to 4WD even on the move. Best-in-class turning circle radius of 5.4 metres, 200 mm ground clearance, electrically operated ORVMs and a reverse parking system makes driving convenient on any terrain. For safety, there are 4-channel ABS with EBD, disc brakes on all wheels, a new rack-and-pinion steering system, rigid ladder frame construction with hydro-formed long members, crumple zones, side intrusion beams on all doors, collapsible steering column, dual SRS airbags, inertia switch and an auto engine immobiliser.
The Safari Storme is powered by the 2.2L 16-valve common rail (DiCOR) engine (140 PS power; 320 Nm torque) with a variable geometry turbo, mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Electronic shift-on-the-fly (ESOF) enables shifting from 2WD to 4WD even on the move. Best-in-class turning circle radius of 5.4 metres, 200 mm ground clearance, electrically operated ORVMs and a reverse parking system makes driving convenient on any terrain. For safety, there are 4-channel ABS with EBD, disc brakes on all wheels, a new rack-and-pinion steering system, rigid ladder frame construction with hydro-formed long members, crumple zones, side intrusion beams on all doors, collapsible steering column, dual SRS airbags, inertia switch and an auto engine immobiliser.
Tata Motors showcased the Pixel at the 81st Geneva Motor Show in March 2011 and had people wowing. Highlights include ‘Zero Turn’ drive and an innovative diamond-shaped door system. Based on the Tata Nano, the Pixel – at just over three metres in length – is the most package-efficient 4-seater in the world, comfortably accommodating four adults says Tata,
The Tata Pixel also introduces ‘My Tata Connect’ — the first integrated human-machine interface (HMI) concept from Tata Motors for its new generation programmes. ‘My Tata Connect’ enables seamless integration of the user’s smartphone or tablet with the vehicle’s infotainment system and also allows controlling key functions of the car. This provides a customised, user friendly, all-in-one touch screen display, while also allowing the driver to remain seamlessly connected to the external world. In addition to serving as the infotainment display when docked in the instrument panel, the tablet also allows temperature, ventilation and air-conditioning settings to be adjusted through its touch screen, as well as displaying information on the vehicle’s performance.
A 1.2 litre three-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, positioned at the rear of the Tata Pixel, gives lively performance.
The engine is a low-friction design, featuring variable coolant and oil pump and rapid warm-up technologies. With optimised aerodynamic drag, low rolling-resistance tyres, stop-start technology, and intelligent battery charging, the Tata Pixel returns European combined cycle (NEDC) fuel economy of 3.4 l/100km and CO2 emissions of just 89g/km.
The ‘Damson Purple’ Tata Nano LX was on display at the 11th Auto Expo. Features like a new exhaust chrome tip, chrome strip on the hood and on the tail gate, and a modified rear bumper are meant to show the adaptability of the Nano to customer expectations. The interiors have also been refined with a 360 mm steering wheel, new doorpads, stylised front and rear seats with seat tray, parcel shelf with speakers and glove box for driver and co-driver and a new hazard warning switch on centre facia. The car comes with an engine start-stop system that significantly reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in traffic conditions. This car was on display probably to have people stop seeing the Nano as just a cheap car.
The CNG powered Tata Nano uses a sequential gas injection system that has been thoroughly calibrated with the EMS system for smart switching between CNG and gasoline fuel systems. Automatic cut-off CNG supply even in the case of slight leakages add to the safety. Automatic fuel quality checks adds to better running of the vehicle. The car has a rich-looking console with new window winding switch positions and ergonomically well designed gear-shifting mechanism. The CNG fuel system has been designed and placed to not intrude into the existing luggage space/The Tata Nano CNG comes with a touring range of more than 150 km in addition to the existing touring range (375 km) of the Nano 2012, improved emissions with low CO2, best-in-class fuel economy, resulting in low running cost says Tata Motors.
Powered by a Hybrid 1.05Litre DiCOR engine and potent electric motors, the Indigo Manza Hybrid is an efficient yet powerful sedan with a focus on drivability and very usable performance in the real world, due to its nature of being both a Series and a Parallel Hybrid. The vehicle is designed to deliver excellent performance with less than 90gms/km CO2 emission in city traffic conditions with technologies like high speed cranking, regenerative braking, auto start/stop, series hybrid mode and limited range pure electric operation. On the highway, the vehicle delivers best-in-class acceleration performance in the parallel hybrid mode.
Features on the car that hold our attention are, the special hydrophobic nano-coating on the windscreen, which assists the conventional windscreen wipers & HVAC demister system, to keep the windscreen clean and reduce the wiper operations, regenerative braking, and a roof mounted solar panel that recharges the high-capacity Lithium Ion battery pack.
The Tata Indica Vista Concept S2 is the second and an advanced version of the Indica Vista Sport, showcased at the last Auto Expo, in 2010.
With a turbo-charged 1.4L Tata petrol engine, the Indica Vista Concept S2 puts out a phenomenal 140ps @ 6000rpm and a healthy 188Nm of torque at 3500rpm. Power is delivered to the wheels through a 5-speed Fiat C510 manual gearbox. A good track tool this could be, thanks to the precise steering rack, the retuned and beefed up suspension and wide 205/40 R17 tyres shod on lightweight 17″ alloy wheels.
Design changes include the all-new roof rail that blends with the elegant swept back profile of the Tata Aria. The smoked bezel headlamps, the clear lens tail lamps and integrated foot steps are the additions to the exterior.
The Tata Aria offers a 6-speed Automatic Transmission to enhance the driving experience. It features Tiptronic gear selection with sport, economy and cruise driving modes. The torque converter multiplies the low end torque which allows driving effortlessly in bumper to bumper traffic at crawling speeds of 6-8 kmph.
Easily mistaken as just another Manza, the Manza Nova Concept is actually Tata’s attempt to showcase how luxurious and technologically advanced the Manza cab be. In the new Spanish Tan colour, the Indigo Manza Nova has alloy wheels,genuine leather seats and a Plum and Black interior scheme.
The chrome highlights on the gear knob, parking lever, instrument console and HVAC controls add to the luxury quotient of the Indigo Manza Nova’s interior. It comes with a new feature-rich 2 DIN head unit with improved speakers for that crisp and clear sound, to make the most of the new sound-staging virtual surround effects in the new music system.
The car is equipped with a new ‘parking assist rear view camera’ with the display provided in the inside rear-view mirror (IRVM) with a distance grid, to make it easier to reverse into a tight parking spot. In addition, the ‘parking assist buzzer’ provides an audible warning whilst parking in reverse so that you’re always able to easily judge distance from an object or another car in a parking slot, with both audio and visual parking aids.The new electro-chromatic IRVM ( interior rear view mirror) has an auto-dimming feature to reduce headlamp glare from vehicles in your rear-view. The Indigo Manza Nova also comes with a perimeter security system with an anti-theft alarm.
The Tata Xenon (Cross Terrain), the lifestyle 4-door, 5-seater pick-up has a new front grill, flared wheel arches and two front and four topspot lamps depict the off-roading DNA of the Xenon. The interiors now sport an Ebony Black new dashboard. Double Din music system, leather wrapped steering wheel, reclining front bucket seats with fore/aft adjustment position and lumbar support, integrated gadget charging points, SRS Airbags for driver and passenger are the interior additions.
Tata also mentions that the Xenon has ‘automated manual transmission’, where the clutch itself is actuated by electronic equipmen, reduced turning radius, electrically operated ORVM with turn signal and electrical shift-on-the-fly mechanism. Front crumple zone on chassis frame, side intrusion beams on 4 doors and the collapsible steering column provide all-round protection. ABS with EBD, in the Transponder based 2.2 L 16 Valve DOHC VTT DiCOR engine, enhance the off-roading capability of the vehicle.
Powered by the all-new CR4 Turbo engine, the vehicle delivers an output of 85Ps @ 3000rpm and a torque of 250Nm @ 1000 to 2000rpm.
Changes include a new headlight design,a prominent tail lamp cluster, high power forward and rear fog lamps, new front grill, wide rear with a clean back and a spare wheel below the cabin, and finally a leather wrapped steering wheel inside.
The Tata Ace is now being introduced in its new avatar after 5 years in the market. The Tata Ace Refresh has new stylish headlamps, a new wide grill, body coloured bumpers, ergonomically designed steering, comfortable fabric seats, new aesthetic dashboard and wide ORVMs. There is also a music system and mobile charging point inside. The Tata Ace Refresh will be available in the HT, EX and CNG variants.
Tata Motors has displayed the Tata Super Ace – Euro V LHD (Left Hand Drive) version with enhanced safety features, suited to the developed markets. A 1.4L DICOR (Direct Injection Common Rail) engine, coupled with a 5-speed fully synchromesh gearbox is used to power & propel this global variant of the Tata Super Ace. It delivers a peak power of 70 HP @ 4000 rpm and a peak flat torque of 140 NM @ 1400 -2750 rpm . A loading capacity of 1 tonne loading capacity is the highlight of the vehicle. HVAC (Heating Ventilation & air-conditioning), power windows, power steering, immobilizer, front & rear fog lamps, laminated windscreen, tinted glasses and external power socket are the additional features. A sliding and reclining driver seat and a tiltable and telescopic steering column find their place in a vehicle of this segment.
Tata Super Ace comes with safety features such as ABS & airbags to provide maximum safety to the driver and co- passenger. It also meets very stringent crash norms.
To be available at Tata Motors dealerships in the first quarter of the fiscal year 12-13, the Tata Venture Ambulance is powered by a 1.4 Litre turbo diesel engine, delivering 70 HP, with best-in-class fuel efficiency. It is available in both AC and Non-AC versions. With a minimum turning radius of 4.5 metre, the vehicle offers better maneuverability. The monocoque body keeps the NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) levels low, says Tata. Front independent suspension, anti-roll bars with hydraulic shock absorbers and radial tyres work towards keeping the patient safe, says Tata.
The Tata Venture ambulance comes with features like HVAC, 6 feet long collapsible stretcher, 12 V plug for ECG/medical equipment connection, anti-skid flooring, tubular siren, back cabin tube light, provision for oxygen cylinder, first aid box and washable seats & stretcher.
The Tata Magic IRIS CNG comes equipped with a 611 cc, water- cooled CNG engine generating power of 12.8 HP and 37 Nm torque and mated to a 5 speed gear box.
Its high touring range due to bigger gas cylinder coupled with high mileage makes it a more profitable vehicle for operators, says Tata. Single Point Gas Injection, Swagelok Joint, Solenoid Valve on ITVR (integrated tank valve & regulator), stainless steel pipes instead of mild steel pipes, special air venting system arrangement to prevent rusting and gas leakages are features that add to the vehicle’s safety. The tamper proof ECU electronically limits maximum speed of vehicles as per local city requirements. Uh-oh.