2015 Hyundai Elantra facelift launched

The updated car gets a few styling changes on the outside, and an all-black interior with a bit more equipment.

Hyundai has launched an updated version of its executive sedan — the Elantra — at a starting price of Rs 14.13 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). There are a few styling changes made to what is already a striking car, but you’d have to be really familiar with the Elantra to spot them at first glance. The most prominent are the new headlamps, which now have a blacked-out housing, incorporated projector elements, and a really cool looking LED-illuminated strip. There are new L-shaped fog lamps that sit inside deeper enclosures in a front bumper that is more contoured. The only change you’ll see on the sides are the new 16-inch alloy wheels, but move to the back and you’ll find a new rear bumper with a blacked-out lower section, and new tail-lamps whose lighting pattern mimics LEDs.

There’s a more significant change in store on the inside, where Hyundai has chosen to swap the beige and grey two-tone colour scheme for an all-black one. The dashboard has been changed slightly too, with a new audio system and the welcome addition of a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen in place of the dated monochrome screen. This now also acts as the display for the rear-view camera, rather than the rear-view mirror as before. The tiny central air-con vents have also been replaced by larger ones that now sit higher up on the dashboard, on either side of the infotainment screen. The air-con display, much like many new Hyundais, gets a more upmarket-looking blue on black monochrome display instead of the black on blue colour. Hyundai has also given the Elantra metal-finished pedals.

The engines remain unchanged, of course, and that means a 1.8-litre petrol engine that produces 148bhp and 18.1kgm, and a 1.6-litre diesel engine with 126bhp and 26.5kgm of torque. Both engines can be had with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic gearbox, and Hyundai says the manual diesel’s 22.7kpl ARAI-rated fuel efficiency figure is the best in the segment. As ever with Hyundai, the Elantra is still very well equipped, and apart from the new colour touchscreen, you’ll find things like auto headlamps, keyless entry and go, cruise control, electric front seats with ventilation, six airbags, ESC and of course, Bluetooth.

The manual-transmission cars are available in S and SX trims (the diesel version additionally gets a lower base model), while the automatics are only available in SX trim. The Hyundai Elantra petrol ranges from Rs 14.13-16.49 lakh and the diesel version goes from Rs 14.58-17.94 lakh.

Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi)

Petrol

S - Rs 14.13 lakh
SX - Rs 15.41 lakh
SX (automatic) - Rs 16.50 lakh

Diesel

Base - Rs 14.58 lakh
S - Rs 15.35 lakh
SX - Rs 16.68 lakh
SX (automatic) - Rs 17.94 lakh

New Generation Honda Civic Revealed ... Roumered pics n details

 The Japanese carmaker, is planning to launch the new-generation Civic in international markets later this year. The company had also showcased the concept at the 2015 New York Auto Show earlier this month, and now the patent sketch images of its coupe and sedan versions have been leaked online by a forum called Civic X.

The Honda Civic's patent design looks a lot more practical as it loses out on the typical concept-like attributes, though it still retains most of the design elements of the concept. The vehicle gets an all-new face with a 'Flying H' Honda grille, flanked by new head-lights. The grille is supported by deeply sculpted lower air intakes. The rear, too, retains the Civic concept-inspired tail-lights.

 the 10th generation Honda Civic that features a longer wheelbase and a lower, wider stance which gives it an aggressive look. Talking about its proportions, it features a longer hood, a more set-back green house, and shorter overhand and rear deck, thus giving it a more athletic and 'in motion' appearance.

The new-generation Honda Civic will get a new 1.5-litre VTEC turbo engine with direct injection, and the engine will be offered with 2 transmission options - a short-shifting 6-speed manual transmission, and a new continuously variable transmission (CVT). The company says that the vehicle's new compact platform and 'Earth Dream Technology' powertrains will help the vehicle achieve class-leading fuel economy ratings and fun-to-drive performance, passenger safety, the company will offer some advanced features like lane departure warning, forward collision warning, multi-angle rear-view camera, adaptive cruise control and Honda LaneWatch along with Honda's next-generation advanced compatibility engineering (ACE) body structure.

North America will be the first market to receive the new-gen Honda Civic later this year, whereas the Asian markets will get it only by 2016.

image Courtesy: Civic X

Audi’s lighting tech to make night into day without the glare

Your rear-view mirror is a much coveted spot! Attempting to create a unique brand signature that is instantly recognisable, there are rings, slashes and curvy lines of LEDs or LED tubes that have been vying for our attention in most modern day luxury cars. Sometimes the car’s design and recent history seems to flow around its LED signature.

One brand which is striking and inseparable with its LED tube signature across all of its models is Audi. But Audi’s work with its headlamp and tail-lamp design and construction goes beyond just looks. For engineers at Ingolstadt automotive lighting is an obsession.

Audi is attempting to use lighting not only for aesthetics; but also to function as an information medium. The light comes alive; it moves and takes on new forms of expression and differentiation.

In that, Audi’s new Light Assistance Centre at the company’s German HQ could just alter the future of road safety and travel technology. This underground light tunnel, which is 120 metres long, is home to development of innovative lighting solutions and camera-based lighting assistance systems, which improve visibility, reduce glare for oncoming traffic and increase safety.

Audi claims that the facility, finished in matte black, is the biggest lighting tunnel for vehicles in Europe. The tunnel went into full operation in March and we decided to tiptoe in the darkness and check if there was light at the end of the tunnel (sorry, couldn’t stop that pun).

About the facility

The lighting competence centre and the laser lab, which are housed under an 11-storey building, apparently presented a great challenge for the civil engineers because it had to do without supporting columns and required an interior height of up to nine metres. The floor surface mimics a normal road, which helps with the research and development. Audi invested €4.5 million in the facility and it is about 400 feet long and 40 feet wide mimicking the average road. Over the last 25 metres, it widens to about 60 feet wide and 30 feet to emulate different conditions. It is also equipped with a street-like floor surface, a turntable and a scale for the cars, a laser laboratory, a workshop, a media room and separate rooms for the development of interior lighting technologies. What this ensures is the elimination of the need for night-time tests in uncontrolled conditions. Audi engineers work with the designers and also receive inputs from their motorsport

colleagues, which help in bringing fruition to new ideas even faster. Audi claims lighting is of central importance as a design element. The most recent lighting signature in the company’s model range is characterised by the Matrix LED headlights with their individually controlled light-emitting diodes. They light up the road without blinding opposing traffic.

Marc Lichte, Head of Design at Audi, says: “Our lighting design stands for the perfect interplay between technology and design. It expresses the character of our models even more clearly. The lighting signatures at the front and rear of the car have a great impact on how our models look on the road.” He says in 15 years, he can imagine: “A light that is in motion and interacts with the driver from the moment they approach the vehicle.”

Interaction

This technology is not only innovative in terms of lighting solutions but also adds to the look and design of the entire model range.

One of Audi’s next steps will be Matrix laser technology, in which a laser produces the light. This will enable the ideal light pattern for virtually every situation, such as special lighting for construction zones and similar bottlenecks. In this case, two strips of light about 15 metres (49.2 ft) long are projected onto the road to indicate the vehicle’s width. The new light pattern is a great help when driving through construction zones or similar bottlenecks. The driver can follow the light as if it were rails.

These have already arrived on the TT and A8, but Audi demonstrated for us a mock-up of a headlamp that takes these diamond-shaped LED-powered reflectors and creates a rather intriguing headlamp design, with neat LED strip-light indicators. At the demonstration, we were told this technology will be incorporated into all future models. No specific timeline was mentioned though.

As futuristic (read: difficult to execute) as the concept may sound, Audi claims it is entirely possible to replicate the idea into real life situations. The big question is whether the idea will actually reach Indian shores.

We already don’t have certain radar-assisted sensor technologies in some of the luxury cars being sold here due to frequency limitations and regulations.

Even if it does make its way here, it is difficult to judge the efficacy of this tech in a chaotic country such as ours. But, that’s the exact purpose of Audi’s light assistance technology; to make driving safe for the driver and the oncoming traffic.

Hero Electric launches e-rickshaw ‘Raahii’ at Rs. 1 lakh

 

Two-wheeler maker Hero Electric today launched an electric rickshaw ‘Raahii’ priced at Rs. 1.10 lakh (on road, Delhi).

“We are highly ecstatic on launching this innovative model of e-rickshaw. Raahii is designed to ease the hassles that daily commuters and drivers have to go through while travelling,” Hero Electric CEO Sohinder Gill told reporters here.

The e-rickshaw, which has been certified by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), comes with 1,000 W motor and can cover a distance of 90 km on a single charge, he added.

The vehicle comes with various features like internal LED light for passenger and driver and USB mobile charger for driver, side curtains and inclined back support for passengers.

It will be sold through the company’s 120 dealerships.

“We have already sold more than 1 lakh electric two-wheelers till now and expect to sell a lot of e-rickshaws in states like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Gujarat,” Gill said.

Besides, the company is looking at developing markets in south India, he added.

The company is also working on an upgrade of Raahii which it plans to launch shortly, Gill said.

New Innova rushes !!!

Toyota’s best-seller, the Innova, has gotten a bit too long in the tooth and is ready for a replacement. The Innova is the most popular MPV in India and is the company's bread and butter product. While there is still some time for the new model to be unveiled, we have accurate illustrations of the all-new Innova that’ll replace the existing model. 

The new Innova will feature a new design , not too different from the latest Toyota cars like the 2014 Corolla Altis. The new design theme is a radical departure from the current design and it is far more edgier than expected. Toyota’s CEO Akio Toyoda did famously say “No more boring Toyotas.” And we can say for sure, they don’t look boring anymore.

 

What’s New ??? 

• Dual front airbags and ABS standard across the range
• Dual tone dark grey alloys
• Wood finish for the steering wheel
• New leather seats
• New “Oak” finish for the interiors and wood finish on armrests(higher variants only)
• Roof mounted A/C vents for the third row
• Two new paint shades- Bronze Mica Metallic and Silver Metallic.

The new Innova features a new nose that is a big departure from the outgoing model as the anvil-shaped grille is a stand out feature at the front. The distinct bonnet is a bit more prominent and that makes it look less like an MPV. The windscreen of the new Innova is drastically raked, follow the silhouette line up the roof of the car and down to the other side, and it shows that Toyota designers have also used a C-pillar with an inverted kink to good effect. What also works well is the manner in which the bars of chrome run through the headlights and carry on down the shoulder line of the car. As a result, the new Innova now looks less van-like and that could go down well with a majority of private owners.

The Innova will be built on a new version of the IMV platform. While Toyota is not likely to change it too much,  the new car will feature a new, stiffer and lighter version of the chassis. The new ladder frame is likely to be more compact and space-efficient as well; a slightly longer wheelbase is also on the cards.

The 2.5-litre D-4D diesel engine used in the Innova is set for an upgrade and the new motor to replace it could be the 2KD-FTV. Available in two states of tune — 118bhp or 142bhp, the latter is already on sale in India and powers the current Fortuner 2.5.  

 

Untill Then ...

 

The Toyota Innova still remains one of the most popular MPVs in India, much of which is thanks to its space and practicality, which smaller, cheaper MPVs cannot match. However, at Rs. 15 lakhs (ex-showroom) it has become quite expensive over the years and is beginning to show its age too. The next generation Toyota Innova, which is currently undergoing extensive testing, should be available in 2016. Till then we expect to see more limited/special editions and, as always, we’ll keep you updated.

 

Image courtesy : autocar india.

Suzuki Hybrid (technology)

Swift Range Extender, an electric vehicle suited for daily usage such as shopping or commuting.

Overview of the Swift Range Extender

Swift Range Extender is an electric vehicle equipped with a motor, a battery, and an engine-driven generator, which focuses on its concept “drive the minimal distance needed for daily usage as an electric vehicle”. For short distances such as shopping or commuting, it can run as an electric vehicle by using its battery power charged from a household outlet for approximately 15km. When the battery runs low, it can run by generating with the 0.66L engine-driven generator, therefore it has no anxiety of stopping due to running out of battery.

From the fall of 2010, Suzuki is heading toward more practical development by conducting on-road trials with the purpose of collecting information such as driving data and service technology suited for traffic condition of each area.

Driving modes

EV mode

• It runs with the motor by using only the power charged to the battery.

Range extend mode

• When the battery runs low, it runs with the motor by generating with the engine when needed.
• It is equipped with Engine Auto Stop Start System, which stops the engine at stops such as traffic lights.
• It is also equipped with regenerative brake, which generates and charges to the battery when the brake is applied.

Vehicle size	Overall length 3,755mm x overall width 1,690mm x overall height 1,510mm
Maximum seating capacity	5
Vehicle weight	1,190kg
Engine type	K6A (0.66L)
Motor	AC synchronous
Maximum motor output	55kW
Maximum motor torque	180N・m
Time required to charge battery	Approx. 1.5hrs@100V, Approx. 1hr@200V
Battery type	Lithium-ion
Battery capacity	2.66kWh
Plug-in hybrid fuel consumption*1	37.6km/L*2
Hybrid fuel consumption	25.6km/L*2
EV range*3	15km*2

• 
  
• 
  
• *1 Average fuel consumption calculated by combining fuel consumption during operation on electric power from external charge and fuel consumption during hybrid operation after consumption of electric power from external charge.
• *2 Measured in JC08 test cycle and verified by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
• *3 Range on electric power from external charge only.

source : Suzuki global .

Electric, Hybrid Vehicles to Get Cheaper in India; Govt Announces Incentives

In a bid to promote green vehicles in India, the government recently launched the FAME India scheme- 'Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles in India' - as a part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan. Under the scheme, the government will offer incentives on hybrid and electric vehicles; of up to Rs. 29,000 for two-wheelers and Rs. 1.38 lakh for cars. The government will spend Rs. 795 crore in the first 2 fiscal years under this scheme.

Starting with metropolitan cities, the scheme will be launched in all major and smart cities across the country. Under the scheme's purview, battery-run motorcycles and scooters will be eligible for incentives in the price range of Rs. 1,800 to Rs. 29,000.

Similarly, one can demand incentive in the range of Rs. 13,000 to Rs. 1.38 lakh if he/she buys an electric or hybrid car. For three-wheelers and light commercial vehicles, the incentives are in the range of Rs.3,000 to Rs. 61,000 and Rs. 17,000 to Rs. 1.87 lakh, respectively. Whereas, for buses it ranges from Rs. 34 Lakh to Rs. 66 lakh.

"We are starting the scheme in metropolitan cities. Eventually the scheme will be launched in Smart Cities and all major cities across the country," Union Heavy Industries Minister Anant Geete said.

At the launch of the scheme, the government officials also revealed that several leading carmakers, including Maruti Suzuki India and Tata Motors, will soon bring in few such vehicles in the country.

Talking about the country's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India, it is ready with a hybrid version of the Swift - the Range Extender - that was showcased at the event. The same vehicle was earlier showcased at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo.

Maruti Suzuki told that the company will develop its hybrid models commercially only after "getting further clarity on key aspects, including technology development fund, charging infrastructure and demand incentive."