diesel

Honda might move to diesel…

by Paul Joseph October 5, 2011 Featured

After a successful decade and half of stubborn petrol dominance, Honda might just move to diesel in the coming years. With petrol prices marking a consistent obtuse angled graph, a diesel variant is imperative. While petrol may be a global favorite, India has favored diesel equally. Honda Siel Cars India senior vice president (sales and marketing), Jnaneswar Sen mentioned that the R&D team in Japan is developing diesel engines for specific markets such as ours. However, the company has not revealed any concrete dates so far. Honda is aware of the fact that an automobile manufacturer present in  Indian market needs an array of diesel models to succeed. It seems company has just begun work on diesel technology now so we need to wait for another 2-3 years to see the all new oil burner from Japanese family. We think it should be  a master piece in making. Speculations indicate that the diesel engine might make its way by late 2014. Stay with us for more updates.

Tagged as: diesel, honda diesel

0 comments Read the full article →

Fiat India launches unique offer on diesel version of Punto and Linea

by Paul Joseph July 5, 2011 Featured

The French car maker Fiat on Monday started offering the diesel version of its Punto hatchback and Linea sedan at the same price as petrol versions of the cars. In a statement given on Monday, Rajeev Kapoor, president and chief executive, FIAT India …read more

Tagged as: cars, chief-executive, diesel, french, statement-given

0 comments Read the full article →

Fiat India launches offer on diesel version of Punto and Linea

by Paul Joseph July 5, 2011 Featured

The Italian car maker Fiat on Monday started an offer in which lucky buyers can get the diesel version of its Punto hatchback and Linea sedan at the same price as petrol versions of the cars. In a statement given on Monday, Rajeev Kapoor, president …read more

Tagged as: diesel, diesel-version

0 comments Read the full article →

Volkswagen Vento diesel to get expensive by 2.2 percent from July

by Paul Joseph June 7, 2011 Featured

The Indian unit of largest European car maker Volkswagen said on Monday that it will hike the price of the diesel version of its mid-size sedan Vento by 2.2 percent. The new prices will come into effect from the starting of next month. The decision h …read more

Tagged as: diesel, european, indian, price, volkswagen

0 comments Read the full article →

Spied – Hyundai i45 and HA caught together outside Chennai

by Paul Joseph June 6, 2011 Featured

Our reader Sarun Selvanesan caught the Hyundai i45 and HA mini car testing near Chennai. The continuous testing over the past few months give rise to many questions.  Where is the diesel engine going to come from for i45? This mule had the GDi (Gasoline Direct Injection) badge. Hyundai should not miss out on the diesel-frenzy situation in higher segments. The sensational i45 looks production-ready. We can see it either during the festive season or the Auto Expo in January. If the response of the new Verna is any indication, India is going to go gaga over the fluidic design treatment of the i45. Passat, Superb and Accord – watch out! Spotted testing on the NH4 near Sriperumbudur, another mule Sarun and his friends got a good look at was the HA. The driver wasn’t very happy with Sarun taking images. How can that stop Sarun from clicking and IAB from posting them online? On close observation, Sarun says the 800cc HA mini car’s design mixes design nuggets of  i10 and Santro. The stance is similar to i10′s and the headlights were “vaguely similar.” Due to the clever camouflaging he was unable to get any more information but it is bound to be spied with thinner camouflage in the following months. Stay put for more information on HA.

Tagged as: diesel, friends, hyundai, spy pictures

0 comments Read the full article →

Renault Fluence launched in India..!

by Paul Joseph May 24, 2011 Featured

Renault Fluence finally landed in India with a price tag of Rs.14.40 lakh for the petrol (automatic) version and Rs.12.99 lakh for the diesel (manual) version. The petrol variant of Renault Fluence is powered by a 2.0ltr engine while the diesel variant is propelled by 1.5ltr dCI engine that power up Mahindra Verito and Nissan Micra Diesel model. While the gasoline engine develops a peak power of 137 PS, the diesel motor will churn out 106 PS with 13.4 kmpl and 21.8 kmpl fuel economy respectively. Renault India has been attempted  to tap Indian customers affinity towards diesel cars. Normally the customer who opt for other brand diesel car is forced to spend extra bucks. But interestingly  Renault has been priced the diesel variant of Fluence almost Rs.1.5lakh cheaper than it’s petrol variant.  Renault executed this price reduction plan by stripping some of  the  gizmos and gadgets from the product offering list that left diesel Fluence literally under equipped . The Fluence petrol engine is coupled to a CVT II with 6 speed Manual Mode gear box while diesel motor is mated to a six speed manual transmission. Both models will be running on a set of  four 205/60 R16 Tubeless Radials. In India Fluence will be assembled  at  Renault-Nissan’s factory in Chennai from assembly kits brought from Turkey. Company will commence the delivery of Fluence to Indian  customers by next month. Looking at the exteriors one will surely doubt Logan/Verito and Fluence are coming from same family. Renault’s efforts in styling Fluence will definitely win “Beauty Queen” title in the segment for it. Renault Fluence have been customized to suit Indian road and climate conditions. The ground clearance  have been increased to 170mm to make Fluence comfortable with our notorious road conditions. The air conditioner too have been re engineered to keep the cabin cool even in extremely hot climates. According  Marc Nassif, Renault India managing director, “The Renault Fluence was designed for the Asian market and hence we are confident that it will not only shake up the segment, but also give the Indian customer their first taste of what Renault is capable of bringing to the Indian market.” So what is in store for Renault in India during their second spell..?  too early to predict. But we would like to see how Fluence going to prove itself in  moderately crowded  C+ segment where Skoda Laura, Honda Civic, Chevrolet Cruze and Toyota Corolla Altis are ruling presently. Lack of engine choices and poor equipment level in the diesel variant are definitely going to hamper Fluence’s Indian prospects. Stay tuned to Wheelosphere for more update. Related posts: Renault seeks partner for introducing EVs in India The Renault-Nissan alliance truly needs a round of applause –… Nissan Micra diesel variants launched in India As expected Nissan launched diesel variant of Micra in India…. Spied:- Renault Fluence in India Fluence could be the first made in India by Renault… Renault-Nissan: Hand-in-Hand, they march ahead! Renault-Nissan are having big plans for India. Carlos Ghosn has… Renault India unveils aggressive plans, to launch 5 cars in 15 months Renault, the French auto major wants to bury their past…

Tagged as: chevrolet, diesel, fluence, french, india, indian, permanent-link, photo, price, renault india

0 comments Read the full article →

Maruti SX4 diesel bookings sail past 5,000

by Paul Joseph March 19, 2011 Featured

Its been less than a month since the Maruti Suzuki diesel was announced and prior to the launch questions were raised on how the SX4 could compete with powerful offerings that will occupy this segment in the next few months. But things have turned out to be profitable for Maruti Suzuki who has registered over 5,000 bookings for the diesel model. Shashank Srivastava, Chief General Manager, Marketing, Maruti Suzuki India – We have received an overwhelming response for the SX4 diesel. Our target was 2,000 units per month but with this kind of response we will have to work harder to cater to the demand. The triumph of the SX4 diesel prompts the question – What took MSIL this long to offer the SX4 in diesel guise? Handling this level of demand will be tough for Maruti whose assumptions have clearly gone for a toss. Arrival of the new Fiesta and new Verna in the next few months will provide lucrative options for impatient customers who are bound to walk away towards brands with better image. Nevertheless the diesel engine will foster further growth of the SX4 brand. Source – CarWale.com

Tagged as: diesel, india, maruti, maruti-suzuki, suzuki

0 comments Read the full article →

Spied – Are you the Tata Nano diesel?

by Paul Joseph March 5, 2011 Featured

With speculations rife about a Diesel Nano that will give 40kmpl , the Tata Motors team certainly have their work cut out for them. Now our friends at Motorbeam have spotted this miracle machine being tested at old Mumbai-Pune highway in full swing. There is no solid proof that this is the diesel avatar as there is nothing unusual other than a tape running across the hatch. The silencer chamber/catalytic converter casing appears to have been lowered. The angle of the image could be a reason, but we know Tata’s working on a diesel and a bigger petrol engine. There is still a lot of speculation about the type of mill that will drive the diesel Nano. Some reports suggest that it will be a DICOR engine, whereas others suggest that Tata ACE’s IDI engine will also find a place on the Nano. Because no concrete information is available on this subject, we will reserve our judgment for now. This particular test car was being driven at 60kmph and was accompanied by a left hand drive Indica Vista and Aria. Expect the diesel Nano to be launched by the end of this year in a price range of 2-2.5 lakhs. What are your expectations from the Diesel Nano? Source: Motorbeam.com

Tagged as: diesel, friends, image, indica-vista, tata nano, work

0 comments Read the full article →

Speculation – Honda’s roadmap for 2011-12

by Paul Joseph March 5, 2011 Featured

Pushed to the back foot after the Jazz failed to pick itself up, Honda is in a tight spot. There has been a sunroof here and a variant there but no real launches since the Jazz bowed in back in mid 2009. The new Civic is behind schedule, the Brio is also taking its time. Honda’s been hit hard in every segment and diesel’s absence is one of the reasons. Choices for the Indian customers today are too many today. People find alternatives in other brands and buy them instead. Honda cannot afford to remain on the sidelines for very long. Its closest competitor Toyota is proactive. They have introduced a sedan and announced plans for a hatchback too. We can go on and on about what the rest of the competition has in their kitty. Instead we’ll simply lay down a wishlist – a wishlist for Honda in 2011 and 2012. Jazz Facelift + 1.5 CVT Honda might be testing the 1.5 Ltr engine from City for Jazz facelift . A 5 speed CVT could also be offered. The facelift is limited to a tweaked bumper and the addition of new fog lamps. Change in upholstery will add charm to the already classy interior. 2012 Honda Civic IAB’s regulars know we don’t like the new Civic very much as it appears like a step backward in design. Honda could be secretly testing the all-new Civic in India. We hope to see many new gizmos with added horsepower and slightly better efficiency on the new model. Honda might be thinking of a price hike on the new Civic. The idea will be to position it exactly between the City and Accord. Both these models have seen upward price revisions recently. Brio, *August showcase and October deliveries* The 5-lakh rupee Brio could be showcased/launched in India in August and customers will be able to lay their hands on it only around festive season. City facelift A mild cosmetic makeover for the festive season won’t hurt, would it? We have Hyundai’s new Verna, VW Vento, new Ford Fiesta and the Nissan Sunny joining hands to attack the City’s 4,000-unit/month status. To ward them off, Honda has to do something to the City so that people don’t forget it altogether. CR-V Diesel Can we see the Diesel CR-V during December or will it be launched during the Auto Expo next year?

Tagged as: auto, diesel, honda-city, honda-india

0 comments Read the full article →

Maruti Suzuki SX4 Diesel Advertisements

by Paul Joseph March 2, 2011 Featured

Many cars in the B and C segment in India are being strapped with diesel engines and the latest to enroll is the Maruti Suzuki SX4. Customers have come to realize the long term benefits of owning a diesel car given the vast difference in petrol and diesel prices. Under the hood, there lies a 1.3 litre DDiS engine that powers its siblings the Swift, Dzire and the Ritz. The variable geometry turbocharger fitted to the SX4 enhances power to 90PS and torque to 200Nm. Maruti proposes that its new offering can do 21.5 kmpl. The interior plastics leave a lot to be desired. The car could have received a mild makeover with chrome treatment. What also could be useful is a larger diesel engine, perhaps from the VW lineup. This bouquet of ads certainly does its job in persuading buyers to look at the SX4 Diesel. Instead of marketing it as a mileage king, Maruti relays ads showing a fast and addictive drive which we think is very brave. Maruti Suzuki SX4 Diesel Commercial 1 Maruti Suzuki SX4 Diesel Commercial 2 Maruti Suzuki SX4 Diesel Commercial 3

Tagged as: diesel, india, maruti, maruti-suzuki

0 comments Read the full article →