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Monday, February 3, 2014

Ashok Leyland launches Partner and Mitr

Ashok Leyland Partner




India’s second largest truck maker, Ashok Leyland today launched two new products, the Partner truck and Mitr bus, expanding its LCV range and plugging the gap in the 3.5-7 tonne LCV segment that sits above the Dost LCV. The Partner is priced at Rs 8.89 lakh and the Mitr is costs Rs 12.49 lakh, all prices ex-showroom Chennai. These new products will be showcased at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo next month. ALL has a fresh line-up for this year’s Expo. It includes the Boss and Captain truck range that was recently unveiled and also a luxury variant of the Stile.

Commenting on the new products ALL will be displaying at the Auto Expo, Dr V Sumantran, Vice Chairman ALL said, “I think with this Expo we will complete our trilogy. We had the Dost, the Stile and now we will show the Partner and its twin product, the Mitr Bus. Three platforms that will fill up our LCV range.”  

After the Dost and the Stile, the Partner and Mitr are the latest additions to the Ashok Leyland range from the ALL-Nissan joint venture in India. With these new products, ALL is also bringing the ZD30 diesel engine used in LCVs by Nissan. The engine produces 120PS of power and 320Nm of torque. ALL says that over 97 percent of the vehicle is built by sourcing components locally and that includes the engine parts. 

The Partner is based on Nissan Atlas LCV. The Atlas platform is manufactured by three manufacturers – Nissan, UD Nissan Diesel (owned by Volvo) and the Renault-Nissan Alliance. The Partner LCV at launch comes in a 6-tyre version with a choice of two wheelbases – 2850mm and 3350mm. A 4-tyre 2760mm wheelbase variant will follow soon. The larger Partner has a rated payload of 4 tonne and a GVW of 6.6 tonne. Power steering is standard and air-conditioning is optional.

The Mitr bus has been launched in 27 seater configuration in the six-tyre version. A 16 seater four-tyre Mitr will follow soon which will also get air conditioning. The Mitr will be available as a school bus and staff bus. Both products will go on sale as BS3 and BS4 versions.

Maruti Suzuki YL1

Maruti Suzuki will discontinue the SX4 sedan next year – it will be replaced by a new executive car which is currently under testing with the code name YL1. Although the Indian auto major has been tightlipped about the upcoming model, a fair bit of information is available on the web, courtesy leaks and spy images.
The YL1 sedan is allegedly based on the Suzuki Authentics concept that debuted at the Shanghai Motor Show in April. Both the sketches and spy photos show that the new car gets an aggressive front fascia, with trapezoidal front grille. The front grille has ample amount of chrome and headlamps are stretched and angular. The overall dimensions of the new sedan will be a bit bigger than the outgoing SX4, but it won’t be as tall a car. The design sketch reveals an equally aggressive rear end with lamps that runs into the tailgate that has multiple creases (needless to say more chrome).
The YL1 will be based on the Ertiga platform, which in turn borrows from the Swift hatchback. This means Maruti will have the option of component sharing to cut cost and bring in economies of scale. We expect the YL1 interiors to be similar to that of the Ertiga with the all-beige treatment. The drop trims and other inserts will be premium as this will slot it in the segment above the Ertiga. The SX4 has always been a spacious car and the same will be the case with the YL1. The cabin will be ergonomic and designed to comfortably seat three adults on the rear bench.
The features on the new car will include a factory-fitted music system with Bluetooth and multimedia functions. The AC with climate control will feature on the mid and top-end variants along with rear vents. Steering mounted audio control, cooled glove box, door pockets at the back are few other features that will be available with the new car. Maruti might also offer a premium package with leather seats as an optional extra. The safety features in the new car will include ABS-EBD and two airbags as standard for the top end variants.
The petrol version of the YL1 will be powered by the 1.4-litre K-Series engine from the Ertiga producing 93bhp and 130Nm of torque. The base variants will be available with a five-speed manual transmission, whereas the top-end will also get the option of AT. The diesel on the other hand will continue to use the 1.3-litre turbocharged multi jet mill developing 90bhp and 200NM of torque. Depending upon the response to the new car, Maruti will make plans to introduce a CNG variant, since it is already available with the 1.4 litre Ertiga petrol.
Maruti is expected to continue using the same nomenclature for the new sedan, the petrol variants should be – LXi, VXi and ZXi, while the diesel variants will mostly be named – LDi, VDi and ZDi. The YL1 is still a codename and the company will rebrand the product before launch. There is a possibility that the new car will also be badged as the SX4. However, Maruti will opt for a different name, if the current model is not discontinued.

More details on the new car are likely to emerge at the Auto Expo 2014, where the YL1 is expected to debut along with few other Maruti products. The executive sedan will go on sale by mid-2014 to compete in the C-Segment with cars like the Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Volkswagen Vento, Renault Scala and others. Being a Maruti product, the pricing strategy is expected to be very aggressive with an entry tag of around Rs 7.25 lakh and the top version will be priced under Rs 10.5 lakh.

Maruti Suzuki Celerio


Maruti Suzuki A-Star
We first spotted the all-new A-Star testing across Europe on Indian-made JK Vectras and in an RHD configuration. Yes, we are talking about the next generation A-Star which has now been revealed in concept form as the A:Wind hatchback. The car has already been spotted testing near Maruti Suzuki’s factory in Gurgaon although it is still camouflaged. When launched for the Indian market, it is expected to replace the A-Star as well as the Estilo tallboy hatchback but might just retain the moniker of the former.
Maruti Suzuki A-Star Right Front Three Quater
Exterior
The A:Wind Concept car is 3.6 metres in length (2.4 metres wheelbase), 1.6 metres wide and 1.5 metres high. It has the same new grille as the test car but now it is noticeable as it extends into the glass for the headlights, which seem to be projectors. However, in the production version, we expect that Suzuki will offer standard lights in a bid to keep costs down. The body now comes with an increased number of aerodynamic lines but retains the same overall shape that has defined the Alto range since its debut in 1979. The bumpers look sportier and the front air intake has also been increased in size, most probably to aid in the cooling of the new 800cc diesel engine due for the Indian market next year.
Maruti Suzuki A-Star left rear three quarter
At the boot end, the tail lamp design and the overall shape including the styling of the rear hatch all take after the familiar Suzuki design. The tail lamps have been taken from the current Suzuki Alto/A-Star but the rear indicators now get a more contemporary V-shape. There are also extra air vents below the rear bumper which is most likely for the diesel engine.
Maruti Suzuki A-Star Front view
Interior
The interiors get a two-tone design with beige being of one of the shades. It has all the characteristic Suzuki traits and parts that can be found on the other models of the Japanese automaker. However, thanks to the altered design of the components of the cabin and what appears to be a flat floor, the new car looks much more spacious than the outgoing model. The cabin may get a touch screen music system but this will mostly be limited to the European markets and that too only to the top-end variants. The test car that we had spotted earlier has a slot for a single Din music system and has been fitted with a dash mounted automatic transmission thereby creating space for two bottle holders where the gearshift now sits in the current car.
Maruti Suzuki A-Star Dashboard
The India spec car is expected to also continue with a manual gearbox that will be mounted the same way in the cabin to keep the overall design. Given that the A-Star has been around for a while, its competition seems to have moved and so we expect that there will be a slew of new features once the car is unveiled.
Maruti Suzuki A-Star Headlamps
Engines and variants
This new A-Star is expected to sport a new 800cc diesel engine that by the standard of its competitors will produce around 70-75bhp and around 150-170Nm of torque. Transmission options are expected to include a five-speed manual as well as the four-speed AT that sits in the current A-Star automatic. The petrol is expected to remain the same as before; a 1.0-litre mill that produces 67bhp and 90Nm of torque. We expect that the diesel engine option will only be available in the LDi and ZDi variants. It is also likely that MSIL may introduce a CNG compatible version for the new A-Star.
Maruti Suzuki A-Star Tail lamps
Competition, price and launch
This is Maruti Suzuki’s flagship small fighter and will fit in just above the Alto 800. In its class, it competes with Hyundai Santro Xing, Chevrolet Beat, Nissan Micra Active and the Tata Indica V2. We expect it to be priced Rs 10, 000 to Rs 20,000 more than the current car. It is likely to be unveiled at the upcoming 2014 Auto Expo and will be launched officially a few months later. This very same model will also go on sale in Europe as the 2015 Suzuki Alto around the same time as the India launch and will replace the current car.
Maruti Suzuki A-Star Wheels Tyres

Specifications Summary

Engines

998 cc, Petrol, 67 bhp @ 6000 RPM power

Gearboxes

5-speed, Auto - Manual, FWD
5-speed, Manual, FWD

Seating Capacity

5 seater

Steering

Power steering 


Thursday, January 24, 2013

The limited edition Hennessey Venom GT smashes the 0-300 km/h world record by recording a two-way average time of 13.63 seconds

The limited edition Hennessey Venom GT smashes the 0-300 km/h world record by recording a two-way average time of 13.63 seconds

Hennessey Venom GT


The magic 300 km/h figure is chased very often by modern supercars and performance cars as a top speed peg, even though car makers do play the social responsibility card of limiting top speeds of most run-off the mill cars to 250 km/h.

Then there is the rarefied breed of hypercars that seek to push the boundaries of physics. Hennessey Performance (HPE) is one such company that makes these physics defying hypercars.

The American performance car maker has now announced that their limited run Venom GT hypercar has smashed the 0-300 km/h world record with a two-way average timing of 13.63 seconds.

The Hennessey Venom GT is powered by a twin turbocharged 7.0 litre V8 engine that develops a staggering 1,261PS of power and 1564Nm of torque. The Venom GT weighs in at a mere 1,244 giving the rear-wheel drive hypercar a power-to-weight ratio of 1PS per kg.

With the firepower intact, Hennessey roped in Guinness representative Philip Robertson to witness the testing as well as to personally inspect the Venom GT before making any acceleration attempts.

Hennessey Venom GT


As per the norms of timed high speed runs, the Hennessey Venom GT made two acceleration runs in opposite directions within an hour.

The first 0-300 km/h acceleration run was completed in 13.18 seconds with a tail wind of 6.4 km/h. The second acceleration run from standstill to 300 km/h was completed in 14.08 seconds while encountering a 9.6 km/h headwind.

The conclusive two-way average timing of the two 0-300 km/h high speed runs was 13.63 seconds, which has placed the Hennessey Venom GT in the Guinness World Records (GWR) as the fastest road legal car from 0-300 km/h.

The acceleration runs were conducted at Ellington Airport, southern Houston, Texas. VBox officials were present at the scene to strap on a VBox 3i GPS based data logging system onto the Hennessey Venom GT to record the vehicle’s performance.

Philip Robertson the Guinness representative, who was in the car during a 0-300 km/h run said, "I have never ridden in anything this fast."


Hennessey Venom GT


"We are exceptionally proud of our team at HPE who helped to make this new Guinness World Record possible," said company founder and president, John Hennessey. "This is just the first of several validation tests designed to show the world what our special car is all about - being the fastest. Period."

Guinness only recognises records in km/h. But it is worth mentioning that the Hennessey Venom GT also smashed the 0-200 mph (320 km/h) world record by hitting the 320 km/h mark from standstill in an astonishing 14.51 seconds. The earlier 0-200 mph record was held by the Koenigsegg Agera R that did it in 17.68 seconds, which is considerable 3.17 seconds shy of the Venom GT’s record.

An interesting fact is that the world’s fastest road legal car, the Bugati Veyron Super Sport has a 0-200 mph time of 22.2 seconds which is 7.7 seconds slower than the record holding Venom GT.

The world record has made the Hennessey Venom GT an even more worthy option to consider for those looking for a unique hypercar. There is only one glitch, Hennessy is making just 29 examples of the Venom GT and a third of them have already been sold.

The record breaking hypercar is worth $ 1.2 million (Rs 6.43 crore) as standard, and has a waiting period of six months. As the rules of exclusive vehicles go, there are optional extras that customer can choose to opt for and delivery costs are extra.

 Courtesy: Times Of India.