Polaris India won the MotoQuad category in the Raid de Himalaya last year and will look to repeat history again with Raj Singh Rathore piloting a RZR XP 900 this year. This year, Polaris India will participate in the Raid X-Treme 4×4 category, while last year it went up against motorcycles and other quads.

Polaris says the RZR XP 900 with ‘Optimized Mass Design’ in which the engine and other components are placed so to ensure a low centre of gravity will give the Polaris a great advantage.

Speaking about Polaris’s participation in the Raid de Himalaya rally, Mr. Pankaj Dubey, Managing Director, Polaris India Pvt. Ltd., said, “Raid de Himalaya is an exhilarating, adrenaline charging and an extreme endurance event for the participants and the vehicles alike. We are excited to be a part of this adventurous journey once again and we are confident of proving the endurance and power of our RZR XP 900 with Raj Singh Rathore.”

The new Skoda Octavia was launched yesterday at a starting price of Rs. 13.95 Lakhs, ex-showroom New Delhi. The new Skoda Octavia is currently the only car sold in India built on VW’s MQB platform. The MQB platform has enabled Skoda to build an Octavia that is longer, wider yet lighter. The Octavia though, has a more affordable torsion bar suspension at the rear compared to the VW Golf Mk7’s more sophisticated multilink coil springs with telescopic dampers. The Octavia also brings Skoda’s D-segment offering closer to more consumers with a starting price of Rs. 13.95 Lakhs with the 1.4 TSI engine, going all the way up to Rs. 18.25 Lakhs for the 1.8 TSI AT model and Rs 19.45 Lakhs for the 2.0 TDI AT diesel.

Talking about the return of the Octavia to India, Mr. Sudhir Rao, Managing Director, ŠKODA Auto India said, “The Octavia had launched ŠKODA back in 2001 and today the Indian market is a critical component in ŠKODA’s global plans. The launch of the new Octavia marks a milestone for ŠKODA India as well reiterates its strong commitment to the Indian market. We, at ŠKODA are excited to launch the new Octavia and are confident that it will revolutionize its segment compelling the customers to expect more. Octavia’s arrival into the Indian market also kicks off a five year strategy for ŠKODA which will make the customers the brand’s primary focus in addition to our long-standing reputation for making great products.”

ŠKODA has also launched a comprehensive ownership package for the new Octavia which includes ŠKODA’s Road Side Assistance; Service & Maintenance Packages; and an Extended Warranty programme. The customers can also opt for a service cost calculator which has been developed to ensure that they have an idea about their service bill beforehand. This initiative provides the customer with an estimate of the service cost, thereby reducing the ambiguity on the service billing. With the online service appointment option and a ŠKODA Service APP for Android and iOS which enables a customer to search for authorized service centre in any part of the country and contact them with a single click; ŠKODA has provided a complete array of customer care services to support the launch of the new Octavia.

Speaking about the new Octavia, Mr. Paweł Szuflak, Director, Sales & Marketing, ŠKODA AUTO India said, “The new Octavia is our attempt to make the best car in its class and we are confident that it will redefine standards in its segment. By virtue of being built on the Group’s MQB platform, the new Octavia is larger and yet lighter than its predecessors. A joy to look at and a greater joy to drive, the new Octavia is sure to captivate the hearts and minds in India. Octavia will be a sheer delight for the customers who have an affinity for premium-ness and quality combined with excellent price value proposition.”

Price List

Active 1.4 TSI (Petrol) Rs. 1,395,000
Ambition 1.4 TSI (Petrol) Rs. 1,495,000
Elegance 1.8 TSI AT (Petrol) Rs. 1,825,000

Active 2.0 TDI CR (Diesel) Rs. 1,555,000
Ambition 2.0 TDI CR (Diesel) Rs. 1,655,000
Ambition 2.0 TDI CR AT (Diesel) Rs. 1,755,000
Elegance 2.0 TDI CR AT (Diesel) Rs. 1,945,000

The Toyota Innova facelift has started arriving at dealerships. A new ‘Z’ variant will be added to the lineup and it isn’t yet clear as to what extra ‘bells & whistles’ this variant gets. The Z variant is priced at Rs. 15.06 Lakhs ex showroom. The new grille up front happens to be the most prominent design change while there also seems to be an added splash of chrome up front and rear.

Source: CarSizzler

Innova Diesel Prices

Innova G (7s) – Rs. 10,89,364/-
Innova G (8s) – Rs. 10,93,981/-
Innova GX (7s) – Rs. 12,45,604/-
Innova GX (8s) – Rs. 12,50,366/-
Innova VX (7s) – Rs. 14,53,136/-
Innova VX (8s) – Rs. 14,57,780/-
Innova Z (7s) – Rs. 15,06,718/-

Innova Petrol Prices

Innova G (8s) – Rs. 10,20,345/-
Innova GX (8s) – Rs. 11,58,740/-
Innova VX (7s) – Rs. 13,69,530/-

Triumph’s launch in India has probably been this decade’s most painful wait and one that we hope is just as intensely rewarding. After an announcement on its Facebook page followed by a press release, Triumph has been actively promoting the Triumph heritage on its Facebook page. The details in the dark include the range and pricing. Vimal Sumbly erstwhile GM sales at Bajaj Auto Ltd., has been appointed the Managing Director at Triumph Motorcycles India.

After a loud and proud entry at the 2012 AutoExpo Triumph went incognito following the departure of its previously appointed head for Triumph Motorcycles India, Ashish Joshi.

Triumph is also in the process of establishing dealerships across the metros and the first round is expected to include New Delhi, Bangalore and of course, Mumbai.

The plant in Manesar, Haryana is speculated to be nearing completion and will assemble some of these motorcycles.

Source: Rushlane

The aging Mahindra Scorpio is set to receive a facelift this year to help Mahindra shore up its claim to being the strongest player in the SUV/MUV market. The Scorpio has been spotted testing with its new face in Manali. We aren’t really sure if this will be a ‘comprehensively updated’ version, but rest assured the front and the rear of the Scorpio are going under the scalpel to bring the design closer to the new design language of Mahindra.

Source : Motorbeam

Somewhere outside Seattle, a Tesla Model S went up in flames after colliding with a metallic object on the road. Tesla has released a statement and emphasizes that the fire was limited to the front portion of the car and did not spread into the interior.

Tesla offered AutoblogGreen a statement:

Yesterday, a Model S collided with a large metallic object in the middle of the road, causing significant damage to the vehicle. The car’s alert system signaled a problem and instructed the driver to pull over safely, which he did. No one was injured, and the sole occupant had sufficient time to exit the vehicle safely and call the authorities. Subsequently, a fire caused by the substantial damage sustained during the collision was contained to the front of the vehicle thanks to the design and construction of the vehicle and battery pack. All indications are that the fire never entered the interior cabin of the car. It was extinguished on-site by the fire department.

The Lamborghini Gallardo has done the company and the world a whole lot of good over its lifespan, but the time has come for an all new successor. The Lamborghini Cabrera has been spotted testing on the Nurburgring racetrack. Heavily camouflaged it may be, but you cannot miss the elongated silhouette and the familiar face.

The new baby Lambo is expected to be powered by a V10 and a newer transmission. The Cabrera is expected to share platform with the next Audi R8.

What is it the draws us motorcyclist to these naked air cooled machines? BMW Motorrad might have no clue either, but they surely know how to quench our thirst for some. The NineT is powered by BMW’s 1200cc air cooled engine’s that power the GS and RT motorcycles. The design is only slightly tweaked from the Roland Sands’ BMW Concept Ninety we saw last year.

Source: Motorrad Magazin

Bosch has a video out showing the potential application of their MSC (Motorcycle Stability Control) system, which monitors the bike’s pitch, yaw and speed to assist with the throttle and braking with the aim of improving stability. Bosch says the three primary functions are to prevent wheels from locking when braking in a turn (which you shouldn’t really, if its not Trail Braking), slipping in a turn due to excessive throttle and lastly, to stop the motorcycle from riding itself when braking while the motorcycle is leaned into a curve.

MSC essentially is ESP for motorcycles. The system monitors numerous parameters and works primarily by distributing braking forces. Check out the video below!