The Ford Figo has been voted this year’s Indian Car Of The Year (ICOTY). The ICOTY is the country’s most coveted award for cars. It is decided jointly by a jury comprising senior journalists from India’s best automobile magazines. This year, the Ford Figo faced tough competition in the form of the Volkswagen Vento sedan. But it won by an impressive margin of 26 points.
The Ford Figo launched in March 2010, was developed in India for Indian roads. The petrol Figo hits 100kmph in 16.79 seconds and the diesel takes 19.3 seconds. Ford showed its understanding of the Indian market by specifying an engine that prioritises economy over performance. Add to that the well designed interiors, small touches like a extra powerful aircon and reasonable pricing, and it’s no surprise that the Figo is doing wonders for Ford in the sales arena. Now it has another feather in its cap, the ICOTY award.
The other cars in contention for this year’s award were the Chevrolet Beat, Maruti Suzuki WagonR, Nissan Micra, Skoda Yeti, Tata Aria and the Volkswagen Polo. The Toyota Etios was not nominated because the ICOTY contenders list closed before the Toyota was launched. It will
be strong contender at the next year’s awards though.
This year’s jury included Bob Rupani and Gautam Sen of Auto India, Aspi Bhathena of Car India, Srinivas Krishnan and Pablo Chaterji of BS Motoring, Girish Karkera and Sriram Satyanarayanan of BBC Top Gear India, Yogendra Pratap and Vikrant Singh of Auto Bild besides Sirish Chandran and Bertrand D’souza of OVERDRIVE. The ICOTY was presented to Ford at a well attended JK Tyre sponsored event in Mumbai in the presence of the who’s-who of the Indian automotive fraternity.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Ford Figo is the ICOTY
Saturday, December 11, 2010
BMW launches 5-series
The new BMW 520d has been launched in India and can be ordered at BMW dealerships across India.
Dr. Andreas Schaaf, President, BMW India said, “The 5 Series is the core model in our product portfolio. The new BMW 5 Series sedan, since its launch in April 2010, has successfully emerged as a leader in the luxury sedan segment in India. The new BMW 520d sets a new benchmark for four cylinder diesel sedans by combining outstanding performance with incomparable fuel efficiency.”
The new BMW 520d delivers best-in-class fuel economy of 18.4 km/ltr as measured by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) for Indian market specifications. This has been possible by effective implementation of “Efficient Dynamics” which in simple words means getting more for less. The new BMW 520d effectively embodies the principle of Efficient Dynamics by incorporating light weight construction technology, Brake Energy Regeneration and the advanced Electronic Power Steering technology.
Powerful aesthetics, dynamic performance and unmatched comfort make the new BMW 520d the most desirable modern executive sedan in its class. The new BMW 520d will be CKD (completely knocked-down unit) produced at the BMW Plant Chennai and the all India ex-showroom prices in INR is 36,90,000.
Note: Ex-showroom price excludes RTO registration charges, tax, insurance, handling charges; Octroi and entry tax (as applicable). The above ex-showroom prices are exclusive of sales tax / VAT applicable on sale to the customer. Prices and options are subject to change without prior notice.
The new BMW 520d will be available in a range of ten paint finishes: Alpine White, Black Sapphire, Cashmere Silver, Deep Sea Blue, Havanna, Milano Beige, Space Grey, Titanium Silver, Imperial Blue Brilliant Effect and Sophisto Grey Brilliant Effect.
Individual upholstery designs in Dakota leather will be available in four colours: Black, Vento Beige, Cinnamon Brown/Black, Oyster/Black and Oyster/Oyster Dark. The following interior trims are available: Fine-wood Trim Ash Grain Brown and Fine-wood Trim Fineline Anthracite.
The new BMW 520d comes with a two-lire four cylinder turbo diesel engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine delivers a maximum output of 135 kW/184 hp as well as peak torque of 380 Nm at 1,750 rpm reaching its maximum output at 2,500 rpm. Acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/hr comes in 8.1 seconds with top speed of 225 km/h
Monday, December 6, 2010
Jaguar launches XF diesel in India
Jaguar today launched the all new Diesel XF in India. This follows the successful launch of the highly acclaimed 5.0L naturally aspirated petrol XF and the supercharged XFR in 2009.
Contemporary, individual and beautifully crafted, the XF has the soul of a sports car, the style and sophistication of a luxury four-door saloon and the visual excitement of a coupe. Delivering high performance, excellent refinement and outstanding dynamic ability, the XF is true to Jaguar’s philosophy of creating beautiful, fast cars.
Launched with the state-of-the-art 3.0-litre AJ-V6 Diesel S engine, the Diesel XF provides drivers with superior driving dynamics, a more striking appearance and an upgraded interior which offers the ultimate in sporting luxury. The twin sequential turbocharged engine with 275PS and 600Nm of torque offers exceptional efficiency and refinement. To deliver the high levels of power and torque seamlessly and with effortless flexibility, this engine is perfectly matched to Jaguar’s sophisticated six-speed ZF 6HP28 automatic transmission and can accelerate the Diesel S from 0-100 kmph in just 6.4 seconds. Featuring technologies such as the JaguarDrive SelectorTM, JaguarDrive ControlTM, Jaguar Sequential Shift and Dynamic Stability Control with Trac DSC mode the new Diesel XF combines responsive, sporting dynamics with the refined, supple ride expected from a luxury Jaguar. . The Diesel XF is fitted with 18” inch alloy wheels with full size spare wheel as standard.
The XF 3.0L Diesel model launched in India includes many premium features as standard: Soft Grain leather seats, Phosphor Blue halo illumination and interior mood lighting, seven-inch full colour touch-screen display and Jaguar Smart Key SystemTM with Keyless Entry and Start. Also included as standard are cruise control, electric glass sunroof, front and rear parking aid with rear view camera and Jaguar Sound System with 6 CD player.
The new Diesel XF introduced in India has been customised by Jaguar engineers in the UK for the Indian market. With ride height adapted for Indian conditions and a non-DPF diesel engine, the 3.0L Diesel XF has been fully homologated and certified at ARAI for the Indian market. This symbolises the importance of and Jaguar’s commitment to the fast growing Indian premium luxury car market.
The new diesel XF is available in India in the Premium Luxury derivative and is approximately priced at Rs. 4
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Toyota Etios overdrive coverage
Toyota has launched the Etios sedan at a starting price of Rs 4.96 lakh, Ex-showroom, Delhi. It is available in four variants, J, G, V and VX. J is the lowest trim level with manual windows, no power steering and black fabric interiors. The G variant has steel wheels, no tacho, a basic audio system, no defogger and black fabric. But airbags, ABS and EBD are available. The V variant is loaded, and the VX adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, a chrome shift knob and body skirts to the V's already fully-loaded feature list. The Eitos has class-best cabin and luggage space according to Toyota, plus flat rear floor like the Civic. The 1.5-litre 90PS petrol engine offers 17.6kmpl on the ARAI test cycle. It offers a 3-year/100,000km warranty. The hatchback will be named 'Liva,' which means lively. It will be launched in April 2011. The localisation level of the Etios is 70%, with the major imports coming from the powertrain. Localisation will rise to 90% in two years. The Etios range starts at Rs 4.96 lakhs for the J variant, the G costs Rs 5.46 lakh, the G+ Safety is Rs 5.96 lakhs, the V is Rs 6.41 lakh and VX is Rs 6.86 lakhs, all prices ex-showroom, Delhi. The booking amount is Rs 50,000 and deliveries begin in January.