Mumbai Police To Patrol On Yamaha FZS
The Maharashtra Government is not impressed with the bland looking bikes used by the Mumbai Police. Forget speed, style is the new mantra for Aamchi Mumbai's Police force who want nothing but the stylish Yamaha FZ-S.
Thus the government plans to arm our city cops with 500 new bikes which will not only make them slightly faster but alot cooler too. The main reason for procurement of the bikes is the imitation of Europen and American police forces who have tool kits, walkie-talkie, ammunition, etc on board with them.
Via: motorbeam]
Its Official: Harley Davidson Indian Debut On 27th August
Harley Davidson is finally coming to India in 3 days time and it's officially official! The official launch will be on the 27th of August by Matt Levatich, president and chief operating officer of the company. Mr. Levatich has also been invited as one of the speakers at the annual convention of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, on 28 August.
[Via: BIKE]
2 Year Warranty on Skoda Geniune Parts
SkodaAuto India announced an introduction of 2 years warranty on Skoda Genuine Parts and Skoda Genuine Accessories with effect from August 15, 2009. Starting August 15, 2009 the two year warranty will be available on Skoda Genuine Parts & Accessories across the product range which includes the Skoda Superb, Skoda Octavia, Skoda Laura and Skoda Fabia.
According to Mr. Jiri Ihln, head of Skoda Genuine Parts & Accessories, the introduction of 2 years warranty is a new initiative by SkodaAuto India to bring down the cost of ownership for customers and secure the quality of the product for a longer period. In line with the company's warranty terms and conditions, parts & accessories purchased from August 15, 2009 onwards will be applicable for two years warranty.
[Via: CW]
Chevrolet Volt To Give 98 Kmpl…!!
General Motors has said its Chevrolet Volt rechargeable electric car should get 230 miles per gallon (98 kmpl) of gasoline in city driving, more than four times the current champion, the Toyota Prius. The Volt is powered by an electric motor and a battery pack with a 40-mile (65-kilometer) range. After that, a small internal combustion engine kicks in to generate electricity for a total range of 300 miles (480 kilometers). The battery pack can be recharged from a standard home outlet.
GM is marketing the 230-mile (370-kilometer) figure following early tests using draft guidelines from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for calculating the mileage of extended range electric vehicles. The EPA guidelines, developed with guidance from automakers, figure that cars like the Volt will travel more on straight electricity in the city than on the highway. If a person drives the Volt less than 40 miles (65 kilometers), in theory they could go without using gasoline.
[Via: motorbeam]
Chevrolet Cruze coming next month
General Motors India will roll out the Chevrolet Cruze next month. The Cruze will be positioned between the upper end of the executive segment and the entry level of the premium segment. The range (petrol or diesel, automatic or manual transmission) will be priced between Rs 13.50 lakh and Rs 18.50 lakh. It will be manufactured at GM's Halol facility.
"The Cruze will create an intermediate segment that involves luxury features found in premium car models at a lower price. The Cruze represents a brand new architecture of the Chevrolet brand," says General Motors India Vice-president (sales and marketing) Ankush Arora. "The Cruze was introduced in China about two months ago and we have sold over 20,000 in this time. During the same period, we sold over 2,000 in Australia. We are seeing similar response in the West Asian and Latin American markets," he added.
General Motors India has a car in the executive segment, the Chevrolet Optra, but does not have any presence in the premium segment. Is GM making the same mistake again? The Cruze is a replacement for the Optra and by not discontinuing the Optra and charging a premium for the Cruze, GM is only following footsteps of Maruti and Hyundai which will not work anymore. The Cruze will not be made available in the US markets until 2010.
[Via: motorbeam]
First hybrid Lamborghini on the road by 2015
Lamborghini is working on a hybrid and it will hit the roads by 2015. The news comes from a recent interview with the German-language Automobilewoche, during which Winkelmann said he could easily imagine a small electric motor joining the cacophony of 10- and 12-cylinder engines for which the brand is famous.
Rather than going totally green, however, such hybrids would be serve more as environmental mitigators - improving fuel efficiency in urban areas where emissions are worst, but getting out of the way when it's time to hit the track or back country.
[Via: germancarblog]
2475 Tata Nano Delivered In 15 Days
Tata Motors has delivered 2,475 units of the Nano within 15 days of its commercial roll-out. The Tata Nano carries an ex-factory price of Rs. 1 lakh for the base variant and costs upto Rs. 1,75,000/- depending on the model.
[Via: motorbeam]
Toyota Fortuner Launch On 24th August
Toyota Kirloskar Motors has announced the launch of the much awaited Fortuner. The SUV will be launched in the Indian market on 24th August, 2009. The Toyota Fortuner will be powered by a 3.0 litre Common Rail Diesel engine and will feature full time four-wheel drive. Toyota expects the Fortuner to take away 50% market share in the SUV segment and is eyeing to clock atleast 2,000 units by the end of this year.
"The Fortuner is an important addition to our product line-up in India and we are currently in the process of finalizing details for the launch," Sandeep Singh, deputy managing director, Marketing, Toyota Kirloskar Motor. "We are still working out the price details of the Fortuner, taking into account variations in exchange rates, but expect it to be around Rs. 20 lakh," he added.
[Via: motorbeam]
Mahindra Pik-Up Launched In Australia
Mahindra has launched the Pik-Up (known as the Scorpio Getaway in India) in the Australian markets. Aimed more at the rural and semi-rural markets the Mahindra Pik-Up is made for the hardest places on earth, or so Mahindra claims. Mahindra's presence in Australia is through a joint venture with a Sydney based Tynan Motor Group. Mahindra has 80% stake in the venture.
Mahindra dealers are quite confident about the Pik-Up and say "We don't have to sell these vehicles, the owners do the selling for us." The Pik-Up has dual front airbags, ABS, power side mirrors and is powered by a 2.5-litre CRDe unit with 5 speed auto transmission which does duty in the Mahindra Xylo. However Mahindra will soon launch the more powerful mHawk engine with 6 speed auto which already does duty on the Indian Scorpio.
[Via: motorbeam]