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

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!

Mahindra Ingenio caught on film!

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



For more Mahindra Ingenio click here

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.

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.

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!

Tickling the funny bone!

Watch where you are heading ;)

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

Tata may not produce Nano in Singur

A visibly disturbed Ratan Tata threatened to move Tata car plant out of West Bengal if the violence at Singur did not subside. Tata have already invested around Rs 1500 crores in setting up the plant and with plans of producing the world's cheapest car - Nano.

Tata revealed, "We are deeply concerned at the violence and disruption and at the safety of our employees, equipment and investments at the project site at Singur". Tata said that there was a general perception that Tatas were exploiting the state. "We are extremely sensitive to the needs of the rural community. We have not come to exploit anyone. We have got the land on lease and not bought it."

State opposition party Trinamool Congress led by Mamta Banerjee is hellbent to make Tata set up operations on 600 acres and return 400 acres of land earmarked for ancillary units to farmers from whom the property was acquired.

The CPM state government is adamant not to succumb to Trinamool's demands, causing a deadlock leading to tension and violence in the project area.

The question here is not 'what's gonna happen to Nano?' but 'what's gonna happen to Bengal?'

The Next-Gen Toyota Corolla – Altis

Finally the launch date for the Next-Gen Toyota Corolla – Altis has been reviled. The car debuts on 5th September 2008 according to the Corolla teaser website.

The website apart from the teaser image of the car, also has owner testimonials for its other models under the “quality stories” section. The car will be in select Toyota showrooms before the launch.What fun!

SCOOP! New Honda City --- Spy Pics.

The all new Honda city spotted in Thailand where the car is believed to make its global debut. Here are some spy pics doing the round on the net... Great stuff, huh?!

The second image is a Photoshop illustration by good man Jorge L. Fernández. For more of his work visit Area75.com.

Pics: pantip.com

Suzuki Lanza 150cc to land soon!

Its showtime for Suzuki India now. Like all Japanese companies Suzuki thinks ten years in advance. So the sad model line up was Suzuki's way of testing waters in India. The Jap giant will soon launch an 150cc bike with a six speed transmission with a toe and heel gear lever, a rear feature now a days as bikes trying the sporty avatar!

Sadly though it's not exactly a Gixer sibling but this could be the new power packed bike to take on the likes of Unicorn and Pulsar. Well, not really a R15 killer but this bike will target buyers who are looking for performance with mileage.

Speculations have it that the bike will be called the Suzuki Lanza 150. It does resemble the Pulsar a lot, with it's wolf-eye like headlamps. The engine reminds me of the TVS Suzuki Fiero unit. The handlebar comes with weight on both sides which might be borrowed from the Suzuki’s 125cc zeus. The bike will also boast a digital, LCD console.

This could be a blockbuster bike with Suzuki's dependable engine and smooth six speed transmission.
BIKE LAUNCHED...Read here

Abhinav Bindra clinches first gold for India in Beijing Olympics!

Don't tell me you still don't know who Abhinav Bindra is... The guy has made us proud by winning Olympic men's 10m air rifle title today. When things were looking bleak and sad for India right from the beginning of Beijing Olympics Abhinav victory came as a shot of adrenaline for the disappointed Indian fans. Brilliant stuff!! And we hope other athletes get some inspiration and grab several more golds for the country.

Cool as an iceberg Abhinav sailed from far behind to win India's long-awaited first gold medal... infact India's first ever individual gold medal. Defending champion from China Zhu Qinan was left weeping with the silver medal.



Bindra, who faced criticism for failing to deliver on the great promise he showed as a child, said he was not thinking about making history in India. In fact he said, he was "not thinking about anything" at all.

Moral of the story... It's time for India to stop thinking and start achieving!

This Baby Ninja is ready for launch.

Kawasaki transformed the Ninja last year and the baby Ninja is kicking ass in the 250cc segment world wide. The Ninja's twin-cyinder engine can scoop out a whooping 30 BHP and has a top speed of over 160 km/h! The bike is expected to land on Indian road soon through Bajaj Auto's Pro-Biking showroom.

If your mouth has started to water then get BIKE India's August issue for an in-depth report on the Ninja 250.

A-star is born!

Come September and Maruti will spice up the hatchback segment with it's much awaited A-star. The A-star better known as new-age Alto in European countries, will be unveiled at the upcoming Paris auto show this October. In India the Maruti Suzuki A-star will have to live along with the Alto and Wagon-R.

The Maruti Suzuki A-star concept was showcased earlier this year in India at the Auto Expo, though the production car will not be as futuristic in designed as the concept car. With a low slung front grill like the Audi accompanied by high bonnet line and the vertically stacked headlights make the car distinct yet its not over the top. The tall-boy design assures roomy interior and legroom.

The A-star will sport a 1 liter K-series engine which can produce 65 BHP and we can expect better fuel economy. This family car will be price around Rs 4 lakh... Beware Hyundai i10!

Yamaha FZ15 – Naked and armed!

The sexy FZ15 is coming... I had uploaded some Spy Pics of this naked street-fighter bike earlier and now it has been spotted at the Greater Noida Expressway recently. Got these pic from BIKE India.

The FZ15 will boast a peppy five-speed 150cc carburetted engine, different from the R15's liquid cooled unit though. The air-cooled engine with an oil-cooler tuned towards delivering more low end torque rather than high-end performance. I love the size of the engine coz it looks quite big for a 150cc. The FZ15 should deliver around around 14bhp.

And here are some more pictures I came across on Team-bhp.com. These spy pics are just great...

This is what Yamaha has showcased during the Auto Expo in Delhi...

For more pictures visit BIKE India.

Xtreme Video!

As promised here's the short video I had promised... The Fab two from "The World Off Road" - Akis & Vula...enjoying extreme sports around the world. Watch this till the end!watch it till the end. It's fun.

Around the world in 800 days!

I think I am lucky, really. My work is like living my dream. It lets me meet interesting people... crazy, wacky nut-cases but interesting none the less ;)

This week I met Akis (an Automobile Journalist) and his girlfriend Vula (dancer instructor) who drove all the way from Greece to India. These amazing people are driving a Land Rover and plan to travel around the world in 800 days. Imagine Greece to Jordan to Iran to Pakistan to India and finding time in the middle to site see in Africa as well. I told you crazy but what a life.

People from different part of the world might seem different because of their cultures, looks or beliefs but this experience taught me something... in the end we are all human!!
Armed with a smile - Vula & Akis at Navnit Motors, Thane.

They have a website which the constantly update from the different places they travel. GAWD! Can kill for a life like this!! Ok...before I go on a rampage... have a look at their website... will upload some of their fascinating videos tomorrow... now, I'll get back to work and you enjoy the World Off Roads!