The D90 Xtreme is based on the Tata Vista D90. The suspension has been raised by 25mm and 16 inch alloys add to the butch presence of a compact SUV. Of note is the fact that the spare wheel is not mounted on the tail gate but instead on an extension that is mounted to the chassis at the rear bumper. This, Tata says will help reduce rattle at the rear and also to keep the weight of the rear door minimal enough to open with ease.

Autocar India also reports that the 1.3 litre turbocharged Quadrajet engine has been tuned by Tata with help from Abarth to make 104 bhp courtesy of a modified exhaust, a remapped ECU and an optimised turbocharger.

Prices are expected to be Rs. 80,000 more than that of an equivalent Vista D90.

Images courtesy of Autocar India, IndianAutosBlog

The updated Renault Fluence that adopted the refreshed Renault family look seen first on the new Clio will be coming to India in the first quarter of 2013 if reports from Autocar India are to be believed. The face lifted Renault Fluence was unveiled to the world in November 2012 at the Istanbul Motor Show and sales began in January 2013.

The vertically-set Renault lozenge at the centre of a broad black strip picked out by chrome beading, provides all Renault cars with a dynamic stance. The rumoured LED daytime running lights make an appearance, but in stark contrast to the initial spy images flooding the internet, the daytime running LEDs are in the lower part of the bumper and not integrated in the headlamp housing. The tastefully placed chrome/gloss black inserts add a premium feel without compromising on elegance.

In markets abroad, Renault will proudly introduce the new 1.6 16V 115 engine in the Fluence that will be mated to the new-generation X-Tronic CVT automatic transmission. India might be on the backburner for this mill as well the diesel dCi 130. The dCi 130 is a 1.6-litre diesel engine which is most powerful in its class but with an astounding fuel consumption of 21.7 kpl

India should get the dCi 110 mated to the EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch), essentially a six speed automatic transmission which improves fuel efficiency by 17%.

Head to our design story for more images and details on the new Fluence.

On the 24th of January 2013, BMW and Toyota signed a binding agreement in Nagoya,Japan that follows up on the MOU signed in June 2012 and that of December 2011 where BMW agreed to provide Toyota with highly efficient diesel engines. The are four distinct elements of the agreement as outlined in the title.

1. Fuel Cell System by 2020

Not unlike the recently signed agreement between Daimler,Nissan and Ford BMW and Toyota have also committed to working together to jointly develop a fundamental fuel-cell vehicle system, including not only a fuel cell stack and system, but also a hydrogen tank, motor and battery, aiming for completion in 2020. The companies will also be involved in jointly developing codes and standards for the hydrogen infrastructure.

2. Sport Vehicle Platform

If Subaru and Toyota can make something as jaw droppingly fantastic as the GT-86, we can’t wait to find out what a BMW Toyota collaboration will bring. The companies have agreed to set-up a feasibility study to define a joint platform concept for a mid-size sports vehicle that is to be completed by the end of 2013.

3. Lightweight technology

The agreement also commits the companies to jointly develop lightweight technologies for vehicle bodies using reinforced composites and the like. This technology will be used in the sports vehicle platform to be jointly developed by the two brands.

4. Lithium-air technology with greater energy density

The current crop of electric cars with lithium-ion batteries have been held back from reaching the masses due to the limited range of the Li-Ion batteries. The BMW Toyota collaboration will work to develop a lithium-air battery with energy density much higher than that of current lithium-ion batteries.

Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG said: “TMC and the BMW Group share the same strategic vision of future sustainable mobility. In light of the technological changes ahead, the entire automotive industry faces tremendous challenges, which we also regard as an opportunity. This collaboration is an important building block in keeping both companies on a successful course in the future.”

Akio Toyoda, President of TMC said: “It is just over a year since we signed our collaborative MoU, and with each day as our relationship strengthens, we feel acutely that we are making steadfast progress. Now, we are entering the phase that promises the fruit. While placing importance on what we learn from the joint development, we will work hard together in reaching our common goal of making ever-better cars.”

While BMW and Toyota have their own agreement towards joint development of fuel cell systems, Daimler, Ford and Nissan have now penned an agreement to jointly develop a fuel cell system, reducing investment costs with an aim to bring to the mass market affordable zero emission vehicles by 2017.

Zero emission vehicles include the battery operated kind as well as the fuel cell powered vehicles. Fuel cell vehicles are more ‘zero-emission’ than the battery equipped vehicles which get their energy from thermal power plants or nuclear power plants whereas the FCEVs are self sufficient system that use hydrogen to generate electricity using a fuel cell stack that is used to charge the battery and power the automobile.

Each company will invest equally towards the project. The three brands have a collective 10 million kilometres in test drives of their FCEVs. In the press release issued yesterday they are quick to point out that the agreement will push policy makers to build the infrastructure required for hydrogen powered vehicles. “The collaboration sends a clear signal to suppliers, policymakers and the industry to encourage further development of hydrogen refueling stations and other infrastructure necessary to allow the vehicles to be mass-marketed.” it said in the press release.

“Fuel cell electric vehicles are the obvious next step to complement today’s battery electric vehicles as our industry embraces more sustainable transportation,” said Mitsuhiko Yamashita, Member of the Board of Directors and Executive Vice President of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., supervising Research and Development. “We look forward to a future where we can answer many customer needs by adding FCEVs on top of battery EVs within the zero-emission lineup.”

“We are convinced that fuel cell vehicles will play a central role for zero-emission mobility in the future. Thanks to the high commitment of all three partners we can put fuel cell e-mobility on a broader basis. This means with this cooperation we will make this technology available for many customers around the globe”, said Prof. Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.

“Working together will significantly help speed this technology to market at a more affordable cost to our customers,” said Raj Nair, group vice president, Global Product Development, Ford Motor Company. “We will all benefit from this relationship as the resulting solution will be better than any one company working alone.”

The folks at RideApart have penned a crisp piece detailing the changes on the production version of the Royal Enfield from the design concept showcased at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo.

The changes include a new top yoke (the triple clamp or in much simpler words, the part the connects the handlebars to the shock absorbers), new tail lamps, a more generic head lamp which might actually be swapped for the final production version with those from the new Thunderbird 500 ( boo? Yaaay?). RideApart ( known better as Hellforleathermagazine) also point out that the forks appear to be from the older RE Thunderbird which raises the front end height. The seat that was bare all the way up until the rear now gets a fibre glass tail. The rearsets (heel guards) are different and are adjustable too. The rear shock absorbers also seem to be Paioli while the concept had Ohlins.

RideApart also adds that the larger tank doesn’t fit flush and lifts up at the rear end. Of note is also a visible weld seam around the tank, probably a measure to cut costs where Royal Enfield possibly can. You might notice the tank on the concept is seamless and adds much to the aesthetic value. The report also says that the fuel cap seems to be much taller, which isn’t something we can attest to with just these images at hand.

Classic Motorworks which is the official importer for Royal Enfield in the USA, has pointed out that the engine powering the Cafe Racer will be a 535cc UCE, which is again confirmed from the branding on the tappet cover.

Riot Engine also discovered that the production variant will forgo the sweet looking Ohlin steering dampers seen on the concept.

Head to RideApart for more details.

Images of the production version of the Royal Enfield Cafe Racer at the EICMA 2012 are from omnimoto.it

Head to our coverage of Royal Enfield at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo for more images of the Royal Enfield Cafe Racer Concept.