Mahindra Ingenio in now XYLO!

Mahindra & Mahindra will launch the much talked about MPV project Ingenio with a new name --- XYLO!

This happened after in-dept research and in house customer feedback. The firm believes that the short name has better recall along with having a ring, similar to their other products - Scorpio and Bolero. Customers felt that XYLO sounded like the name of a planet, acting as a ladder to space travel and further to a spaceship. Some journalists quipped “out of this world product, is it?” while others were quick to add “hope the price is not astronomical”.

Currently the manufacturing capacity for XYLO is 25,000 vehicles. The assembly line is same as the Scorpio though the outer body (shell) will be different.

• The XYLO will feature a fine tuned CRDi 2.5 Ltr engine and not the 2.6 Ltr.
• The MPV will not feature Airbags at launch
• 4 wheel drive will be introduced 6 months post the launch
• ABS will also be offered in due course
• No automatic version

Click here to watch Mahindra Ingenio Video

Mahindra XYLO Pics

Suzuki 150cc bike has finally landed!

The Japanese auto major finally ventures in to the 150cc segment by launching GS150R and it just might 'Drive you crazy' or maybe not! The looks strictly for plain-Jane city commuting but boast features like an electronic speedo, LED tail lamp and integrated rear indicators. The Pulsar-meets-Unicorn tank can accommodate 15.5 litre of fuel or air depending on the rising petrol price :P

The bike boasts of a super reliable 149cc engine that can produce 13.8 BHP at 8500 RPM. One nice aspect of the bike is a six-speed transmission, thats one down five up. The GS150R is equipped with Engine Balancer Technology, and 'balancer driven gear fitted with a rubber damper', which helps in reducing vibration...though some naughty girls might not be too happy with this feature, pun intended!

Aptly priced at Rs 59,000 ex-showroom because honestly there are very few other aspects that can sway a buyers decision towards the 'GS' because the Uni, CBZ and Pulsar more or less offer everything mentioned above and below. Talking about offers, the Jap-giant will be offering the 150 in four electric...BUZZZzzz...colours – blue, orange, grey and black.

Some more info:
Length: 2095mm
Width: 775mm
Height: 1120mm
Ground clearance: 160mm
Wheelbase: 1340mm.
Tyres front: 2.75 x 18
Tyre rear: 100/90 x 18

Skoda Fabia Combi Spotted in Mumbai

Hey guess what I spotted today? The next-on-the-cards from Skoda... the Fabia Combi. Skoda will be launching this baby early next year. I think it'll be an ideal buy for premium hatch back buyers with the extra boot space.

Ya, ya I know some people might think it's way too over priced but so are the i-pods and iphone and people still are willing to pay for comfort, fit & finish and brand.
What say?

GET SPORTY! Skoda Fabia Sport '09

Škoda is rolling its sleeves to give serious competition to its rival by lowering the Fabia Sport by 15mm creating a sportier stance.

The new Fabia Sport will be $500 dearer than the previous model. Here's the price list of the complete international range.

1.2 12V 70 bhp - £10,880 OTR

1.6 16V 105 bhp - £12,035 OTR

1.4 TDI PD 80 bhp - £12,340 OTR

1.9 TDI PD 105 bhp - £13,025 OTR

The Fabia Sport is a loaded sporty hatch and boasts 16 inch ‘Bear’ alloy wheels, front fog lights, halogen headlights with DE module, curtain airbags, sunset glass and a full body kit.

Tata writes a letter to West Bengal

My heart aches beyond words when I think about the entire fiasco around the Nano project and West Bengal. Matter in bengal have gone from bad to worse and we remain silent spectator.

Today Tata Motors issued an advertisement in several leading newspapers of Kolkata which features a letter by Ratan Tata. The letter is about the exit of the Nano from Bengal and asks if the citizens of the state want jobs or lawlessness.

Addressing the youth the letter says: "Would you like to support he present government of Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharya to build a prosperous state with rule of law, modern infrastructure and industrial growth or a state consumed by a destructive political environment of confrontation, agitation, violence and lawlessness".
"Do they want education and jobs in the industrial and hi-tech sectors or," the letter goes on to say, "does the future generation see their future prosperity achieved on a 'stay-as-we-are' basis?"
Ratan Tata says he has written the letter in response to criticism by "vested interests" that the decision to pull out the Nano project from Bengal was "hasty" and "politically motivated".

He names Mamata Banerjee and says "confrontative actions" by her party, supported by "vested interests and certain political parties" disrupted work at the Nano plant at Singur. Sigh!

James Bond's wrecked Aston Martin DBS

This April, the $ 233,000 Aston Martin DBS used for filming the new James Bond flick - 'Quantum of Solace', fell into an Italian Lake, when an Aston Martin tech-guy driving the car during the shoot lost control... crashed through iron railing and plunged into the lake...OUCH!

Check out the picture above, the car is completely destroyed and thankfully the driver escaped with only minor injuries. If this was a normal movie then this would have meant a $233 thousand set-back for MGM (the producers). But this is a JB movie - 007 has a license to kill and thrill... and there are abundant eccentric collectors who are willing to gather all sort of garbage with astonishing price tag. Recently Daniel Craig announced that a private collector paid around a whooping $350,000 for the wrecked car or whatever was left of it.

So if I calculate correctly MGM actually made a profit over a $100,000! Freak, some people have all the luck.

Here’s a video made right after the crash.

Suzuki gears up for motorcycle price war

The war is hotting up. And Suzuki India is gearing up for the competitive pricing war in the two-wheeler market. The auto-biggie is already selling its 125cc 'Heat' motorcycle with a competitive price tag closer to that of a 100cc.
The firm is now planning to target volumes by debuting the 100cc domain and is working on strategies to squeeze out profits from the extremely competitive entry-level segment. Atul Gupta, VP Sales & Marketing – Suzuki said that the company is planning to launch three new two-wheelers in the next two years and at least one of them will be a 100cc vehicle.

Gupta also believes that contrary to predictions, the 100cc segment still accounts for 70% of the overall market so entering this segment would make sense for the auto major. He further adds that analysis has shown that over the last several months, the pricing in the 100cc space have narrowed down and the trend will continue.
But the biggest challenge according to Gupta will be to find out how to remain profitable, while operating in the mass motorcycle segment. Industry gurus claim that Suzuki might seek support from its well-established sister-concern Maruti Suzuki India to rationalise the cost factor.

The other launches scheduled in the near future is a premium bike, which will be unveiled later this month, and which we presume could be the Hayabusa . Also industry sources say that another new bike, which would be in the market by March next year could be the much talked about 150cc bike. While, the 100cc bike would take over a year and half to hit the Indian roads.

Honda CBF goes international

According to a post on Motoblog.com, our Honda India's latest launch CBF Stunner is on display at the Intermot Colonge Show 2008 in Germany. The CBF will boast a Electronic Fuel Injection system, though I'm not sure what good will it make to the tiny 125cc mull. All do take a closer look as this international version does feature a kickstart lever... not that the firangs will miss it.

To make life easy I tried to translate the alien language of the website and here's what Google churned out - 'The new CBF 125 is definitely an epitome of assurance and loyalty of Honda in the field of low-cost, low environmental impact. To elaborate the features, the propeller which equips the small CBF125 is a single-cylinder 4 stroke to 125cc, fueled by electronic injection approved Euro 3, capable of a power of 11 CV. In addition to this, there is compact engine, sports timing, change a 5-speed transmission and electric starter.

Amazingly, the fuel consumption has no competition — with a full 13-liter tank can go almost 600km. The frame is lightweight, responsive and demonstrates great quality traffic. The powerful front disc brake from 240mm ensures effectivity and safety. Furthermore, the front fork is 30mm in diameter, with an excursion of well-115mm. A section swing-arm rear suspension and differential easily adjustable in pre-load spring are its other features.'

Well it might be made in India but still there is no confirmation of the CBF EFI to be available in India soon... such is life my friends...

Bullet goes back to origin!

Oh so sweet...


Legendary classic bike makers Royal Enfield, recently unveiled their brand new Bullet 500 model in Germany. The bike maintains the classic looks and carries the old school charisma from the bygone era.

This new version may remind you of our age old Bullet 350 and honestly most of the specs still remain unchanged. Except the all new Unit Construction Engine with fuel-injection which by some miracle just manages to meet Euro 3 emission laws. This classic model is expected to be in the Europe Distributors showrooms by January 2009.

We in India have to keep our fingers crossed and wait...and wait...and did I mention 'wait'? Here is are some of the specs.

For more details pls visit BIKE India or Bulletclassic.com

Honda launches V4 concept bike

Japanese auto major - Honda has launched a V4 sports bike concept at the Cologne Motorcycle Show. This is what the firm say as the bike Honda really wants to build.

The space age bike features the new V4 mill. This amazing bike has been developed to mark 30 years of the Honda V4 engine.

Honda Europe’s Boss Mark Davies said ‘This bike shows exactly what we can do and is the sort of thing that could be reality within a couple of years.’

Awesome, ain't it?

Mitsubishi Outlander out on Indian roads

Hindustan Motors and Mitsubishi Motors launched the Outlander, the crossover sports utility vehicle in India today.
The SUV is has a price tag of Rs 20.2 lakh (ex-showroom) and it has already sold 3,00,000 units in North America, Japan, Australia and the European markets.

“The car is very fuel-efficient as compared to other SUVs and has a capability of 10.3 kilometres per litre under test conditions,” said Hindustan Motors chairman CK Birla.

The four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle is powered by a 2.4-litre 16-valve petrol engine giving the car a maximum power of 170 ps/6,000 rpm. The crossover SUV has a six-speed transmission powered by paddle shift on steering wheel.

"We launched Outlander in India in keeping with the policy of offering the latest from the Mitsubishi stable to the Indian consumers," he added. "This vehicle has all that needs to be a winner and will strengthen the Mitsubishi brand as the leader amongst premium SUVs."

Well, sir we expect a lot more models from Mitsubishi.

Picture courtesy: Reuters

Honda gearing up for hybrid motorcycles

According to a Japanese English daily, automobile giant Honda is working on hybrid motorcycles & plans to launch them by 2010. The auto major will also launch smaller electric two-wheelers by 2011. Honda claimed that these bikes could be 50 percent more fuel efficient than conventional bikes.
With the success of hybrid Honda cars like the Civic, the company aims to implement similar technology to develop the hybrid bikes. In typical Japanese fashion Honda officials said that they believe they can make a tiny hybrid engine so that it can be mounted on a motorcycle frame.

Audi starts production of new Audi A4 in India

• Total of 11,000 Audi A4 models to be produced by 2015

• Production starts two months ahead of schedule

• Audi A4 the second model to be assembled in India after the A6

• Investment of more than €30 million in production site

Mumbai/Aurangabad/Ingolstadt – Audi is continuing to make its mark on the Indian automobile market. The company today announced the start of local assembly of the new Audi A4.

Ohh...What a City!

"When I grow up I wanna be a City!" that's what my small car told me when we saw the all new sparkling Honda City. It's one heck of a car and I just couldn't get enough of it. Simply amazing.
I'm not bothering to put the details coz it's all around the web and I don't have the time or energy to waste repeat it all over again. It's a 1.5 l and would cost you around Rs 8.1 L onwards ex-showroom. So, let me shut up as you enjoy the amazing lines of the car... what a car!

Mahindra Renault's New Collection Logan

Mahindra Renault introduced the 'New Collection Logan' garnished with a few new features like a unique Driver Information System – provides detail information including average speed, mileage and the distance the car can travel with the existing fule.
Souped up interiors like the wooden centre console, velvet seat covers and side door trims. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution).
This 'fully loaded' New Logan will replace the existing Logan range and will be priced at Rs 5.02 lakh onwards ex-showroom Mumbai. Available in Rocky Beige (in pictures) and Java Brown (obviously not in picture, hee heh hee).

Now, Yamaha scooters heading to India

Guy, here's some super cool news! Yamaha the sleeping giant (at least in India) have awaken from their sweet slumber by launching kick ass bikes like the R15 and the FZ16. And the this seems to be just the beginning, as they are testing waters to launch they super sexy range of scooters in India.
The guys at BIKE India have spotted some Yamaha scoots at the firms showroom in Pune. Have a look at their story click here.
Cheers!

P.S. Honda better run for cover...heh hee hee

Come a... come a... Karizma-aa

Hero Honda head-honchos: Sir, when do we some real action from HH?

Finally... Hero Honda insiders have confirmed the launch of an upgraded Karizma. The Zma will boast a slightly bigger mill and a much awaited FI (Fuel Injection).
Here's the down side, Hero Honda will have to wait for Japanese mother-firm Honda to launch the big-boys like the Fireblades in India first. So, be patient for a month or so but expect fire-crackers from Diwali onwards. And yes, if you have been enjoying Hero Honda's colour & sticker upgrades then there's some treat for you. As the India's biggest two wheeler maker plans to launch a 'new' CBZ Xtreme... Yawn!

Tata Nano variants

Tata motors is leaving no stones unturned to make sure the Rs 1 lakh Nano is launched on schedule, though the diesel variant will debut mid-2009.

Meanwhile, the petrol version will be available in three options. Ironic as it may sound but the cheapest car on the world has a top-end luxury variant... which will have a range of features like HVAC, power window, central locking, tinted glasses, extended reflector, front and rear fog lamps and instrument cluster with trip metre. Yup, all this for an extra Rs 20,000 to 30,000. The car will also sport body colour bumper and door handles, door lock on the co-driver side, slider with recliner, three-spoke steering wheel and double stalk combiswitch.

So how is it better than our primitive Maruti 800?
Tata Motors spokes person was quick to point out that the much awaited car has roomy passenger compartment with generous leg space and head room. With a length of 3.1 metres, width of 1.5 metres and height of 1.6 metres, and adequate ground clearance, it can “effortlessly manoeuvre on busy roads in cities as well as in rural areas. Its mono-volume design, with wheels at the corners and the powertrain at the rear, enables it to uniquely combine both space and manoeuvrability”. Hmmmm...

Like the 800, Nano will sport a multi-point fuel injection engine. “This is the first time that a two-cylinder gasoline engine is being used in a car with single balancer shaft” said the spokesman. He further enlighten “The lean design strategy has helped minimise weight, which helps maximise performance per unit of energy consumed and delivers fuel efficiency of about 20 km to a litre.”

Sounds good... Mamta ji, are you listening?

Tata Nano website

The Night Fight - Singapore F1 Grand Prix

It's being already considered as the most exciting Formula One premiere in the history of the sport. The forth coming night race through the spectacular Singapore metropolis, on an all-new anticlockwise street circuit that will see drivers speed past historic landmarks such as the Anderson Bridge, St Andrews Road and Raffles Boulevard. It's difficult to decide who's more excited – spectators or the drivers!

When Lewis Hamilton was in Mumbai recently one of the ignorant reporters asked him 'how McLaren was preparing for the Singapore night race and will they fit head lights on the race car?'

HA HAA HAA HAA ... Plonk! I fell off my chair HAH HAA HAA!!

Here's a preview of the tempting race track – on board with Mark Webber... cheers!

BIKE India October 2008 - Smashing!!

Visit BIKE India

i-SRS - Honda's driver-side airbag system

Honda Motor has successfully developed what it claims is the world's first driver-side i-SRS airbag system. The i-SRS system far safer and reduces occupant impact by continuously staging the volume of airbag-inflating gas. Honda plans to implement the new continuously staged inflation i-SRS airbag system on the driver's side of the Life minicar to be released in Japan in November 2008.

FZ16 - Rock on Yamaha!

Goa, that's where most automobile journalist are spending their weekend. No it's not holiday but all work. They are getting together to witness the launch of the uber-cool Yamaha FZ16 tomorrow (Sept 14th).

And from Goa to some cooler things. For those who share a passion for icecreams or bikes here's some more super scoop!

The FZ-16 will sport a 153cc, 2 valve, SOHC unit, with 5 speed gearbox and 26mm CV carburettor. The 'Lord of the street' will be available in three colours — lava red, midnight black and flaming orange...now that's yummy!

Everything about this beast is chunky — from the FZ1 inspired overall design to the thick MRF tyres. The front has a wide100mm tyre that can be found in the rear wheel of most bikes and the rear wheel will have a fat 140 mm rubber - radial man – cheers! Built on a diamond frame, this new FZ-16 runs on tubeless tyres both at the front and the rear.

Now let's check the rear end.. ahem! This gets even more interesting. The forks are really meaty and I mean at 41mm they are not just thick in the segment and but even more than the Zma, 220s and and the rear mono-cross suspension provides 120mm of wheel travel... Wow!

Ya, it might sound humongous but it just weighs 126 kg, so maneuvering won't be a big concern. The bully sports disk in front and there's a drum in the rear. With completely digital LCD speedo, you can't be complaining.

The naked street fighter definitely sounds better than its predecessor – R15. When it's static, it purrs like a Puma and when it's revved up it growls!

This big cat will be out in the open tomorrow and I'm sure several worthy hunters will be on the on the prowl!

Mahindra Ingenio caught on film!

Mahindra's much anticipated Ingenio caught on camera. Enjoy.



For more Mahindra Ingenio click here

Mysterious Karizma ad solved!

We spoke of the Bollywood masala inspired TV commercial, where a chopper cruises in mid-air and a guy on a bright yellow Karizma jumps out of it. And, the teaser did succeed in conjuring up exciting images in the minds of motorcycle buffs who have their fingers crossed for a smashing new product from Hero Honda for years now...guess their fingers must have become numb by now... tch...tch...

All anxiety gone in vain... I know it sounds like your first date, but it was yet another false alarm with no confirmation of new models being launched by the country's largest bike manufacturer.

The commercial features hot bod Hrithik Roshan jump off the chopper astride a Karizma and land on a helipad. Mean while hottie Priyanka Chopra is waiting to break into an impromptu jig as over half a dozen sports personalities, yes everyone's here from our boys in blue to not-so-successful Olympians. They all dance, sing and ride the age old Hero Honda bikes around the country side. And the never ending ad goes on-and-on-and-on snore-burrrp-snore...

You wonder whats the occasion? Well, they are celebrating the Hero Honda's 25th year and brand ambassadors Hrithik and Priyanka have been roped in to be part of the celebration. Cheers to Hero Honda but the commercial has left us - biker buffs asking for more!

The hot new James Bond movie trailer!

The latest trailer of JB 007 - 'Quantum of Solace' promises to be nothing less than a mind-blowing action-flick! Exploding boats, guns trotting, nicely laced with witty one-liners.

And did I forget Olga Kurylenko, who looks even hotter than Indian curry!! Slurrrp...slurrp...salivating.

So practice those killer icy stares and be ready with the haunting MP3 Bond theme tune– the year’s biggest action movie is just around the corner. And yes it stars Daniel Craig as Mr. ice cool James Bond yet again... Not that you care :P

Pix: FHM.com

New Karizma coming this Sept?

You guys must have seen the new TV ad where a yellow Hero Honda Karizma jumps off a helicopter with a Karizma. The ad ends with a message - 'Wait till September 12'.

With speculations whizzing around about a new Zma, some say it will be the Karizma 250cc while others point at the much anticipated Fi version. Though most believe HH will live up to their reputation launching a face-lifted – read: striking new sticker job with untouched stock-engine! Yawn...snore...
All you know it could be just another publicity stunt for the new season of the TV reality show - MTV Roadies. After all it is sponsored by HH and no significant graphic or sticker changes were spotted on the yellow Karizma... ZZZzzz...

Toyota Corolla Altis launched

Japanese auto major Toyota on Friday launched an advanced version of its sedan, Corolla Altis, priced between Rs 10.83 lakh and Rs 12.86 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The new car would come with a 1.8 petrol litre engine in three options. More details on its way...

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) Vice-Chairman Vikram Kirloskar said. "This year's target is to sell 63,000 vehicles, and by fiscal 2015 we are aiming for a market share of about 10%. The Altis marks our big step toward the achievement of this goal."

The company sold about 50,000 units last year and currently has around 3% of the Indian passenger car market. It is also planning to introduce several new models in the near future to meet its target, he added. TKM plans to sell an average of 2,000 Corolla Altis a month.
"Regarding the small car that everyone has been waiting for, we aim to start production and sales around 2010 or early 2011," Kirloskar added.

Exclusive Yamaha FZ-16 details

If you've been waiting all this while to know all about the Yamaha FZ-16; your wait is finally over. Here's the inside story of the naked-street fighter...

Contrary to speculation, it will not be called FZ-15, FZ150 or Fazer-15. However, it will boast of a power-packed 153.7 CC four-stroke, air-cooled engine. The mini-Fazer will also feature state of the art – YTPS (Yamaha Throttle Position Sensor), for better throttle response and fuel efficiency and will be loaded with fully digital console with digital readout for RPM, Speed, Trip and Odo.

The uber-cool FZ-16 will roll-out on September 15th 2008 and the deliveries will commence by Oct. 2008. The bike will cost around Rs. 70,000 ex-showroom.

FZ-16 Specs:
Engine: 153.7 CC four-stroke, air-cooled, single-cylinder, 2 valves, SOHC
Power: 15PS @ 8,400 RPM (Estimated)
Gearbox: 5-speed
Fuel System: 26mm CV Carb
Wheels (F/R): 5-spoke 17" die-cast alloys
Tyres(F/R): 100/60-R17, 140-60-R17
Brakes(F/R): 267mm single cross-drilled ventilated rotor with 2-pot calipers / 130mm drum
Suspension:
--- Front: 41mm Telescopic Forks
--- Rear: Monocross type
Headlight: 12V 35W Halogen with Multifocal Reflector
Exhaust System: Mid Ship type, side mounted
Tank capacity: 13 litres

The A-star rolling out in October

Time for some garma-garam news. India's leading car company, Maruti Suzuki has just confirmed that it is set to launch the A-star in India right on scheduled – that's October '08. The Jap auto giant will start exports by January next year. The firm also announced that car will be priced between Rs 3-4 lakh.

The A-star will introduce Suzuki's revolutionary next-gen 'K-series' engine in India. The new star-car , if I may say so, is targeted to fight back Hyundai's i-10 assault as the i-10 has not only dented the Waron-R and the sad Zen Estilo, but the Kappa engine has kicked Swift sales below the belt.

Meanwhile, the parent of the Indian company, Suzuki Motor Corporation, has asked its subsidiary to boost its research and development (R&D) for small car engines, according to news reports.

Pics: Team-bhp.com

Motown's big boys visiting India

Auto-majors from around the world are waking up to realize India's importance in the automobile industry, be it in the consumer section or the low-cost of manufacturing.

Come tomorrow and the crème de la crème of the global automobile industry would be making a stop over in India.

Apparently, the top bosses of Suzuki Motors, General Motors, Fiat Spa, Continental AG and Mercedes-Benz are arriving to take part in the annual Indian auto industry meet and would also be taking some key decisions during their stay here.

Suzuki Motor chairman Osamu Suzuki will be visiting India for the next three days for Maruti's AGM. Chairman saheb will also review some the key products of his Indian subsidiary.
Maruti is gearing up to roll out the next gen K-series engines, which would be strapped on to the 'A Star'. The compact car will be produced in India for exports to Europe and is due for launch during Diwali.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is also paying us (read: India) a visit and will be here till Friday.
Marchionne will be busy at the Tata-Fiat joint venture plant at Ranjangaon holding detailed meetings with Fiat officials and suppliers to assess Fiat's journey in India so far.

General Motors' president and COO Frtiz Henderson is arriving at a time when his company has just announced $200 million investment in setting up an engine and transmission facility and is also enhancing the car manufacturing capacity.
The next generation Chevrolet Tavera might be launched in Henderson's presence.

Christoph M Eisenhardt, executive vice president of Continental GmbH, and Rainer Schmueckle, CEO of Mercedes-Benz, are also expected to stop over for some Indian curry by mid-week. And if they get the time from the hot Indian curries, they might also review their future plans with officials of their respective subsidiaries here for India.

Toyota's three world premieres at Paris Motor Show

Toyota, probably the worlds largest car maker, will unveil the all-new Avensis, its European flagship model. The Avensis will project an athletic and sleek design and will feature a more powerful and cleaner engines that emit less C02. The amazing new Avensis is set to push the boundaries of the D-segment in Europe.

Next in the queue is the much awaited iQ production model, that was showcased as a prototype earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show. IQ is less than 3 metres long and the cute little car is not just the world’s smallest premium 4-seater ever built but is also a serious driving machine with CO2 emissions levels starting at a mere 99 g/km. The iQ will also offer all-round protection to all occupants with high levels of safety features, including the world’s first rear window curtain shield airbags.

The other show-stopper is Toyota’s new urban all-roader - Urban Cruiser, featuring 1.4-litre D-4D diesel All Wheel Drive (AWD). This urban all-roader will sport a unique rugged exterior design, along with high level of safety equipment.

These three world premieres will mark the beginning of a whole raft of new models and futuristic technologies from Toyota.

Hyundai’s new 800cc car on its way

Hyundai Motor India is developing a small car to compete in the Maruti dominated 800cc segment. The new car is expected to hit the Indian roads in another three to four years - that’s around 2012. Hope it’ll be worth the wait.

Mr. H S Lheem, Director - Hyundai Motor India said, a model smaller than Santro is being researched and developed jointly by Indian and Korean engineer teams at Hyderabad and Namyang. The car would compete in the 800 cc segment and would be catered to the domestic and International markets.

This ain’t great new for Maruti Suzuki, as there are just two models in the popular segment and the Indian car leader offers both of ‘em. Maruti had been comfortably selling the age old 800 car and the Alto in this segment. Guess it’s time for Maruti honchos to jump out of their comfortably warm beds and rush for an urgent meeting with the marketing and design teams.

When Mr. Lheem was asked whether the 800cc car would be pitted against Maruti 800, he quipped, "the Maruti car is an old one."

The other anticipated car by Hyundai is the ‘i20’, which the company plans to unveil at the Paris Motor Show next month. The ‘i20 would be introduced in India by December.

M&M may acquire Malaguti

After taking over Kinetic Motors, M&M may acquire Malaguti and is also looking at possibilities for a tie-up with Loncin. Malaguti is an Italian two-wheeler manufactures that makes stylish, high-tech and sporty scooters. This move will help M&M to get a slice of the rapidly growing high-end two-wheeler segment of India.

M&M has plans to take Kinetic's product portfolio to the next level, for which the tractor major is considering alliances, and acquisitions in Europe, Taiwan and China.

There are reports that M&M is considering a strategic alliance with Loncin, one of the biggest motorcycle manufacturers in China.

Hope with all these alliances, acquisitions and tie-up M&M come up with a great mix-and-match recipe... this reminds me of the yummy 'khichri' my mom makes!

Fast and Furious – The forth installment!

I've been a big fan of the Fast and Furious movie and eagerly waiting for the next episode. Luckily I cam across the trailer for the forth part of the car movie titled ‘Fast and Furious’... ya they've let go of ‘The’ from the title. Short and precise!

Here's more good new... The movie will mark the return of the first movie lead duo Vin Diesel and Paul Walker, thank God!! In a nut shell the latest F&F movie will have the duo come together to fight a common evil.

Ok, ok... before you jump out of your pajamas, you'll have to wait till next summer (read: around July 2009). So stay put and enjoy this fabulous trailer for now...

Tickling the funny bone!

Watch where you are heading ;)

Here's a video that'll have you laughing to tears...