Recap: Cars Launched in Jan 2015

New cars of India

Indian auto industry welcomed the new year with some important car launches in the month of January 2015. Tata came out with highly anticipated Bolt hatchback which is being touted as the comeback vehicle for Tata Motors. Datsun India stretched it small car Go to compete in the emerging MPV segment as Datsun Go+ against Maruti-Suzuki Ertiga and Honda Mobilio.

In the high end luxury car segment Mercedes Benz launched its smallest sedan CLA class which goes head on against Audi A3. Apart from this lot of car makers came out with new variants of their existing model. Toyota increased the heat in SUV market with launch of 4X4 automatic transmission for Fortuner. Maruti Suzuki added Z+ trim to its mid size sedan Ciaz and Mahindra introduced S4+ and S4+4WD variant for Scorpio SUV. Not to be left behind, Honda upgraded Brio and Amaze models with Audio Video Navigation. This majorly sums up the January buzz but watchout as there is lot to happen this month.

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Comparison: Maruti Suzuki Ertiga vs Toyota Innova - The Inevitable Competitors

Maruti Suzuki has entered the multi-purpose vehicle market with the launch of its Ertiga MPV at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The new Ertiga kick starts a new compact premium UV (utility vehicle) segment in India and will soon be joined by Chevrolet, Mahindra and others. So before the new players join the party let’s compare the pioneer of the mini MPV class, Ertiga with the ruling boss of this segment, the new Toyota Innova.

Pitching the new Ertiga (which means three rows in Indonesian language) against the recently facelifted Toyota Innova seems odd since they don’t belong to the same segment and are targeted at a different set of customer base. But going by the lack of options for MPV buyers in our automobile market the Ertiga vs Innova duel won’t feel out of place. The Utility Vehicle (UV= MPV + SUV) segment accounts for around 14 per cent of the total sale of vehicles in India and a 66 per cent of these are Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPV), the segment where Ertiga is positioned.

(Checkout a detailed pictorial comparison between Ertiga and Innova below).

Innova has been ruling Indian hearts for many years due to its proven reliability and workhorse powerplant. Maruti Suzuki’s Ertiga is new but coming from the stable of India’s largest automobile manufacture gives it a certain halo of trust in the eyes of masses. Though an MPV, the Ertiga has a very car-like styling and stance. The front resembles a buffed up Ritz hatchback while the peeled-back headlights are reminiscent of the new Swift which along with the pronounced wheel arches and a strong rising shoulder line gives it a bold stance. The rear has a distinct design with Honda Jazz like tail light. But it can still be easily identified from behind as a Maruti product with its trademark centrally located stop lamp at the bottom of the bumper.

With the launch of its Ertiga, Maruti not only intends to attract a new class of customers into its fold but also expects to take away many of the Toyota buyers who used to shop in the ‘Innova market’. Now that’s easier said than done. Ertiga does not make a style statement like say the Fluidic Hyundai but its appeal lies in the neutral ‘please all’ design and that’s what is going to help it be the choice of the whole family. So let’s try to decipher the new Ertiga while not forgetting what Innova has to offer.

Ertiga vs Innova: Target Base.

Toyota Innova is designed to move 7 people in comfort and can accommodate the 8th passenger in times of need. That’s one of the reasons what makes it a hit in the taxi segment as well as for personal use. Checkout Ertiga and you’ll find that it’s built to enable 6 people (4 adults + 2 kids) to travel together in peace and can still find space for one more rider if required. So what set of customers is Maruti Suzuki aiming at with its new MPV? Answer is - a conventional Indian middle class family with an average income and in need of space for 1 or 2 more people than what a usual hatchback or sedan can accommodate. Generally speaking, a complete family normally consists of 5 or 6 members: Parents (2) in age group 55-75yrs, self and spouse (age 25-45) and their 2 offspring’s (age 5-15). Till now people of this segment had to either choose a large 3 row SUV (15-20lakh) or had to stretch their budget to atleast the Innova territory. So with launch of Ertiga, Maruti intends to hit the sweet spot of Indian customers looking for a MUV at a price of a mid-size sedan.

Ertiga vs Innova: Structural Advantage.

Toyota cars are built to last and have comfortable interiors but boring looks and Innova is no different. Maruti Suzuki made vehicles are known to be value for money, practical by design and are loved for their highly fuel efficient motor and pleasing looks and Ertiga carries on this tradition. Technically speaking Innova is based on the old body on frame construction architecture and due to the inherent rigidity of this structure it can endure bad roads better. Ertiga on other hand is a modern MPV based on an extended Ritz platform, which itself is based on a modified Swift platform. Due to this monocoque construction it gets advantage over Innova in terms of better ride comfort, stability and handling.

Ertiga vs Innova: Space vs Utility.

Dimension Innova Ertiga Length (mm) 4585 4265 Width (mm) 1760 1695 Height (mm) 1760 1685 Wheelbase (mm) 2750 2740 Boot (liter) 400 135

The inside of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga looks spacious and a lot of credit for it goes to the all beige interior colour. It has 3 rows of seats just like a traditional MPV with a maximum capacity to carry 7 passengers at a time. But realistically speaking, shoulder room will be at a premium if 3 adults decide to sit in the middle row since Ertiga is only as wide as the all-new 2011 Swift. The seats of the middle row can slide forward/backward as required. The 3rd row is best left to kids or really short adults. Legroom & head-room are in extremely short supply there. Notice that the 2nd row seat has a 60:40 fold-down split. You can also completely fold down the 2nd and 3rd row of seats when more than 135 liter of boot space is needed. Ertiga is no match for the amount of room including the luggage space you get inside a full size MPV like Innova. On comparing the outer dimensions you will notice that Toyota is longer by quite a margin even though both have almost the same size of wheelbase. This is due to the fact that Ertiga has very short overhang and the loss of space inside make its proportions compact on outside. And a smaller body shell allows lots of flexibility to park and maneuver easily even in congested areas, giving it an edge over Innova.

Ertiga vs Innova: Engine & Fuel Efficiency.

Comparison	Innova (Diesel)	Ertiga (Diesel)	Innova (Petrol)	Ertiga (Petrol)
Power (ps)	102	90	132	95
Torque (Nm)	200	200	181	130
Fuel Economy (ARAI Kmpl)	12.99	20.77	10.35	16.02

Just like Innova, Maruti’s new UV also comes in both petrol and diesel versions. Suzuki’s highly acclaimed K-series petrol engine family is joined by its youngest member with the debut of the new K-14B VVT 1.4 liter petrol motor in Ertiga. But the main volumes puller will however be the 1.3 Liter DDiS Fiat derived Multijet turbo diesel engine, which is the same unit that powers the SX4. Its pulling torque power is equal to Innova’s 200Nm even though net power is lower. But being a smaller and lighter vehicle gives Maruti Ertiga the advantage of higher power to weight ratio and better mileage.

Ertiga vs Innova: Market Price.
Maruti Suzuki has the bandwidth to price Ertiga very competitively due to its large scale of operation, high amount localization and lots of component sharing like extended Ritz chassis and a specially tuned SX4 diesel engine. Also its dashboard is lifted straight out of new 2011 Swift..well almost. So a starting price of 6.5 to 7 lakhs should not be a surprise. New face-lifted 2012 Toyota Innova now comes with a base price of Rs 8,87,400. Now that’s quite a price difference but don’t forget that Innova is much bigger and more powerful than Ertiga.

Ertiga vs Innova: Conclusion.
By now it is clear that no matter in how much detail we try and compare Maruti Ertiga with Innova, the bottomline always remains the same i.e. both MPVs are different and by comparing one with other we do justice with none. Pitching Innova against Ertiga is just like comparing the mighty Ford Endeavour with the compact Skoda Yeti SUV. Ertiga and Innova are vehicles of different segment. Innova already rules the large MPV market and Ertiga don’t have any rivals yet to compete against in the compact MPV segment. But that is going to change soon when manufactures like Chevrolet, Renault, Nissan, Mahindra etc come to the market with their own version of mini MPV.

Read More On: Maruti-Suzuki

Photo Gallery: New Maruti Suzuki Ertiga vs Facelifted 2012 Toyota Innova

Ertiga vs Innova Front Side View

Ertiga vs Innova Front Grill, Headlight, Fog Lamp

Ertiga vs Innova Dashboard, Steering Comparison

Ertiga vs Innova Interior Space Comparison

Ertiga vs Innova Boot Space Comparison

Ertiga vs Innova Boot Space with 3rd Row Folded

Ertiga vs Innova Rear Comparison. Notice Bottom Lamp.

Ertiga vs Innova Front Profile View

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Toyota Aqua / Prius C: World’s Most Fuel Efficient Hybrid Launched

Toyota recently launched in Japan its latest compact car which is being said to be the world’s most fuel efficient mass produced hybrid vehicle (excluding plug-in hybrid vehicles). The new car is being touted as a small successor to Toyota’s revolutionary Prius and is called Aqua in home market and Prius C in other countries. With addition of Prius C hatchback, Toyota now has 4 Prius-badged hybrid models that includes the regular Prius, the new plug-in Prius PHEV and the Prius V minivan.

According to Toyota’s Press Release, “the Aqua incorporates 17 years of Toyota expertise and technology in the development of mass-produced hybrid vehicles, and boasts a small, light and efficient hybrid system that achieves a world-leading fuel efficiency”. On the Japanese JC08 test cycle (a new method of finding fuel efficiency), the Aqua gave an incredible fuel economy of 35.4 km/L (83.3 mpg) and 40.0 km/L (94 mpg) under the MLIT 10-15 test cycle (the original Japanese method of calculating efficiency numbers).

Aqua, which means water in Latin, is powered by a 1.5-liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder engine producing 74 hp, and mated to a 45 kW electric motor. Combined output of 100 hp is enough to push it to 100 km/h (62mph) in 10.7 seconds in combination with its CVT gearbox. Aqua has a length of 3.9 meters as compared to 4.48 meters Prius and costs around 22% lesser. The car’s base model is priced at 1,690,000 yen in Japan which is about Rs 11,42,973. But if Toyota decides to launch Aqua in India in near future with 1.2L engine under the hood then we can hope for a much lower pricing.

Toyota Aqua/Prius C Technology Highlights:

• A cooled Exhaust-Gas Recirculation (EGR) system improves efficiency in the high-expansion-ratio Atkinson cycle engine.
• Also contributing to increased engine efficiency is a battery-powered water pump, a friction-reducing beltless design and precise coolant-water-flow volume control.
• A selectable electric-vehicle mode (EV Mode) enables driving with only the electric motor.
• The hybrid battery has been sized for placement under the rear seat, resulting in a spacious cargo area of 305 liters.
• The Hybrid System Indicator offers easy-to-understand information concerning eco-driving, such as effective accelerator use. Also part of the information system is Eco Judge ranks eco-driving on a 100-point scale, and Eco Wallet shows money saved as compared with other levels of fuel efficiency.
• Automatic air conditioning is equipped with an electric inverter compressor run by the electric motor, enabling a comfortably air-conditioned interior even when the engine is off.

Read More On: Toyota

Photo Gallery: New 2012 Toyota Prius C / Aqua Hybrid Hatchback

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Toyota Recalls Etios & Liva: Are You Affected?

Toyota Kirloskar India has acknowledged a possible defect in its Etios sedan and Etios Liva hatchback. But instead of announcing a full public recall for the effected vehicles Toyota has launched a print ad titled ‘Special Service Campaign’. Using this advertisement Toyota intends to inform owners of all Etios cars produced before 8th October 2011 about the potential anomaly observed in the vehicle’s fuel tank inlet pipe that could cause an inconsistent fuel supply or leakage problem in future. In total about 41,000 units of Etios and Liva will be covered under this exercise.

Our research indicates that in all these Toyota cars the fuel inlet pipe (filler hose) has the part or the model number printed on it whereas in the cars produced after 8th October this number is embossed. This may help you just in case you are not sure when your car was manufactured.  But still its best to visit an authorized Toyota dealer and let them determine if your car needs a ‘special service’ or not.

Sandeep Singh, deputy managing director (marketing) at Toyota Kirloskar, said “It’s part of a special service campaign and not a recall,”. “We realised there are surface cracks in the hose and filler pipes. While it doesn’t pose any immediate danger, we decided to change the parts as a pre-emptive measure,” he added.

With this recall, Toyota joins companies like Honda, Maruti Suzuki and Skoda in India, all of whom had to call back vehicles to fix faulty parts. But it’s quite amusing to see how all the manufactures try to avoid using the word ‘recall’ in their public statements and replace it with comforting words like ‘Special Service Campaign’. There is a reason behind this approach. The word 'recall' is interpreted as a product failure. Owing to this negative bias attached to recalls, carmakers in India avoid using the term and prefer to host service campaigns or deal with the issue on a one-to-one basis.

This is exactly what Toyota updated on its facebook page:
“We had observed a few cases of potential aberration in the filler hose in some of our Toyota Etios & Etios Liva vehicles. As a part of our Customer First philosophy, we are conducting a Special Service Campaign to check and replace the filler hose of Etios & Etios Liva cars manufactured till 8th October 2011. We are conducting this campaign as a precautionary measure in order to ensure safety & happiness of all our Etios & Etios Liva customers. We have also made an announcement in the newspapers in this regard. You may be contacted by your Toyota dealer in the next few days in this regard. Alternately, we request you to please contact your Toyota Dealer for an appointment. The service check is estimated to take less than 45 minutes and will be free of cost. You may be contacted by your Toyota dealer in the next few days in this regard. Alternately, we request you to please contact your Toyota Dealer for an appointment. The service check is estimated to take less than 45 minutes and will be free of cost.”

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Are These Toyota-Subaru RWD Coupe Spy Photos ?

There have been plenty of rumors and assumptions about what, how, when we gonna see the Toyota-Subaru RWD coupe. Every new day comes a new take. It will be cheap, it won’t be cheap, there will be a turbo AWD version there won’t be, it will debut in 2010, maybe 2011 - you get the picture. Now to add fuel to fire are these spy photos that are said to be of upcoming Toyota Subaru baby taken outside a test center in the UK.

These mystery spy photos could very well be the car in question but we’ll let you be the judge of that. What we think we know, is that the new coupe will be based on a modified Subaru Impreza platform with a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated Subaru boxer four-cylinder providing power to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

Since the upcoming mule aims to be a common-mans sportscar, so we do expect a price figure south of $20,000.

Source: camaro5
Related Posts:
1) 2011 Toyota/Subaru RWD Sports Car Confirmed
2) Update On 2011 Toyota-Subaru RWD Sport Coupe

Photos: Toyota-Subaru RWD Coupe Spy Pictures.

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Update On 2011 Toyota-Subaru RWD Sport Coupe

According to Edmunds the new RWD sports coupe being jointly developed by Subaru and Toyota will be sold in Japan under Toyota badge. While for rest of the world it will be a Subaru model. The coupe will be based on a revised version of the Subaru Impreza's platform and will get its boxer engine and transmission.

Although the Subaru and Toyota versions of this coupé will look different from one another around the front and rear, both will be powered by Subaru’s naturally aspirated 2.0-liter boxer engine making about 220 horsepower at 6,500 rpm.

As reported earlier, Toyota was contemplating in-wheel front motors to complete the 4WD package—as opposed to using Subaru’s symmetrical AWD system. The six speed manual transmission is confirmed and on launch new sporty will compete against the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, and the Mazda MX5.

Source: Edmunds

Read More On: Subaru , Toyota
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New Toyota Aygo Blue For UK

Toyota has introduced a new model for its Aygo range in Europe. Joining the already succesful Aygo Platinum is Aygo Blue which comes with a slate blue metallic paint finish. The latest variant includes colour co-ordinated door mirrors and bumper inserts on the outside and the interiors are furnished with new carpet mats with matching blue stitching and slate blue bezels for the air vents and instrument display.

Toyota Aygo Blue's 1.0-litre engine makes a neat 67bhp horsepower with an option of five-speed manual or Multi-mode transmission. You can expect a fuel economy of 61.4mpg in combined city and highway driving. Being one of the least polluting cars, Aygo Blue will be exempt from the central London congestion charge from October this year.

Standard equipment includes air-conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity and on the manual model, a leather gear knob trim. Its on sale now in three and five-door body styles with an on road base price of £7,995 for the three-door manual model which is cheapest variant in Aygo Blue range. To give your car a more luxurious feel you can go in for the two available accessory packs. Aygo Xtra Protected pack costing £335 equips the car with rear parking sensors, mud flaps and unpainted rear and side protection strips, while the £595 Aygo Style pack consist of alloy wheels, front fog lamps and front scuff plates.

Toyota Aygo Blue Photos & Pictures. Click to enlarge.

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2010 Toyota Pirus To Debut At 2009 Detroit Auto Show

The next generation of Toyota's eco-friendly Pirus hybrid will make its debut at 2009 North American International Auto Show in January. According to Edmunds Auto Observer the 3rd-generation Prius will be 3 to 4 inches longer and about an inch wider, but not significantly heavier. It will sport a larger, 1.8 liter engine and combined gas and electric power is up from approx 110 hp to 160 horsepower.

The increases in power will be combined with an increase in fuel economy by about 10 percent and thus taking it up to the 50-55 mpg mark. Toyota will re-engineer the Prius' unique gas engine/electric motor/battery powertrain to make it more efficient, more tightly packaged and to extend the driving range in electric mode.

Toyota is also working on Plug-in versions of the next Prius. Its protoypes are being tested on various road conditions in different countries. Toyota plans to launch sales of Plug In Hybrids (fitted with state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries) to fleet buyers in the US and elsewhere by 2010.


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Scion To Offer HD Radio

Scion, from Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., was developed with a new generation of youthful buyers in mind. Scion's mission is to provide distinctive products, the opportunity to personalize, and an innovative, consumer-driven process at the retail level. Taking this step further, Scion recently announced that it will offer iBiquity Digital's HD Radio technology in select audio systems in the near future.

This partnership marks another incursion of HD Radio into the mass market -- BMW, Ford and Jaguar already offer it, with Volvo opening the HD spigot next year.

Today, there are more than 1,600 digital HD Radio stations in the U.S., more than 750 of which are offering innovative multicast (HD2/HD3) channels. Across the country, hundreds of new radio channels are now available. Available to over 83 percent of Americans, HD Radio technology dramatically increases the sound quality of AM/FM stations. HD Radio stations offer crystal-clear digital audio and scrolling text information across the radio screen. Additionally, FM stations can offer multiple channels in their single, current frequency.
source toyota.com
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Top Secret V12 Twin Turbo Nardo Surpa Project

Top Secret V12 Nardo Surpa Project which aims to build Supra with top speed 248 mph (400 km/h) is turnig out to be a success. It was repoted that the twin turbo V12 Top Secret Supra, was recently tested at Nardo Ring test track in Italy. And the test driver Smokey (the man incharge) managed to achieve a top speed of 222 mph (358 km/h). Now thats a big big achievement. Photos & Video and more details about Top Secret V12 Nardo Surpa can be checked below.


News Release - Top Secret V12 Supra Does 222MPH At Nardo Ring in Italy.
The purpose built Supra is unique in many respects. For starters, it is balanced in tuning philosophy with a creature comfort level exceeding most tuned cars and full street legality intact. Fully capable of being daily driven, the Supra uses a V12 powerplant from it’s Toyota cousin the Century. The V12 engine which was originally tuned in OEM form for low horsepower but strong torque to move the heavy VIP Century has been rebuilt from the ground up by Smoky to produce a hair under 1000hp with the assistance of twin turbochargers. The Supra features a wide menu of tuning parts from Top Secret including the revolutionary on the fly height adjustable cup kits with Top Secret’s super damper suspension and of course the final evolution widebody kit by Top Secret.
source therealjdm

Video: Smokey Nagata - Top Secret 400Km/h V12 Supra
About the Video: This is Smokey Nagata.. Owner and proprietor of Top Secret Tuning factory in Chiba, Japan. This is his V12 Twin Turbo 950Horsepower Supra. Now you know why he's called Smokey!
Video Duration 06:36


Top Secret's V-12 Twin Turbo Toyota Supra - V-12
The only hybrid thing about the Top Secret Toyota is how Smoky successfully mated a V-12 to a Supra. Consider that this engine is the same length as the original 2JZ-GTE I-6 with an additional bank of six more cylinders set in a V formation. Now add two turbos with all of the necessary plumbing and you wonder how it all fits.....The engine is normally found in the Toyota Century. The Century is a $90k home market luxury sedan and in factory guise the 5,000cc 1GZ-FE makes a mere 276hp. Smoky added a matched set of HKS GT2540 turbines along with one of his seductively shapely Top Secret custom intake plenums with twin 80mm throttle bodies. One concession to the reduced real estate within the engine bay is with the placement of the cooling system.
source superstreet

Top Secret V12 Twin Turbo Nardo Surpa Photo/Picture Gallery.
source superstreet


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197HP Toyota Hilux 3.0 D-4D Only For Limited Edition

The Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, UK on April 15 will mark the debut of most powerful version of production pick-up model of the Toyota Hilux on the UK market. With numbers limited to just 500 units, it also promises to be one of the most sought-after, too. The Toyota Hilux made history when Top Gear took it to the North Pole and made it the only car to accomplish such a task. Powered by the 3.0-litre D-4D in the Invincible version, the Toyota Hilux 194 hp is made possible by a Toyota Motorsport diesel engine performance kit. Checkout full details in Toyota press release below.

Toyota Press Release
TOYOTA UNLEASHES HIGH POWER HILUX AT CV SHOW
Britain’s most powerful production pick-up.
There are few challenges left for Toyota’s mighty Hilux, a car that has toughed it out in the
world’s most extreme environments for decades and which only last year made history by conquering the Arctic to become the first car to drive to the Magnetic North Pole. If those achievements alone didn’t leave the competition reeling, they are about to suffer another high-powered blow.

The Commercial Vehicle Show marks the debut of a new Hilux version that is set to become the most powerful production pick-up model on the UK market. With numbers limited to just 500 units, it also promises to be one of the most sought-after, too.

It is equipped with the 3.0-litre D-4D engine that already features in the Hilux Invincible, but thanks to a Toyota Motorsport diesel engine performance kit, maximum output is increased to a massive 194bhp (197 DIN hp). This slashes the nought to 62mph acceleration time from 13.0 to 10.5 seconds (11.4 seconds for automatic versions).

There is an even greater hike in torque performance, with a maximum 430Nm (up from 343Nm) sustained all the way from 1,600 to 3,200rpm.

Hilux is styled to reflect its pre-eminent position in the pick-up market, with dedicated 15-inch alloy wheels and stainless steel mesh grille. The cabin is finished in a special two-tone grey leather, with heated front seats.

Following its debut at the CV Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on 15 April, the new range-topping Hilux will go on sale in the UK in the summer. Prices and full specification details will be announced nearer the on sale date.

Source: Toyota
Read More On: Cars From Toyota

Photos: New Limited Edition 2009 Model Toyota Hilux 3.0 D-4D High-Res Pictures.

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