MARUTI SUZUKI TO SET UP A DIESEL ENGINE PLANT IN GURGAON, IN A MOVE THAT COULD REDUCE WAITING PERIODS DRAMATICALLY!

“If it’s a Maruti and a diesel one at that, be prepared to endure long waiting periods”, is the current sentiment of the car buyer. Despite this, the demand for Maruti Suzuki’s diesel cars has only been getting stronger each passing month, in a sheer display of the confidence the brand enjoys amongst the car buying populace in India. Maruti Suzuki is India’s largest car maker with every one of two cars sold in India being a Maruti. In a welcome development of sorts, Maruti’s board has given an in principle approval for the automaker to set up a diesel engine plant at Gurgaon.

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RAJIV BAJAJ CONFIRMS THAT THE ALL NEW 2012 BAJAJ PULSAR WILL BE UNVEILED 30TH JANUARY, 2012!

Days after we carried the story asking whether the 30th January, 2012 will see the unveiling of the all new 2012 Bajaj Pulsar, we got our answer when Rajiv Bajaj officially confirmed that the all new 2012 Pulsar will be unveiled on the 3oth of January, 2012 in Mumbai. That said, confusion still reigns supreme on whether the event at Mumbai would be an unveiling or the actual launch of the 2012 Pulsar, where the price and other specifics will be announced. Considering that heavily camouflaged test mules sre still doing the trial runs in and around Pune, we’re leaning on an unveil rather than a launch on the 30th of January.

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NISSAN INDIA TO EXPORT SUNNY SEDAN FROM MARCH 2012 EVEN AS IT EXPANDS TOTAL PRODUCTION TO 4 LAKH UNITS A YEAR!

Nissan India will begin exporting its C-segment offering, the Sunny Sedan from March 2012, to markets across the globe, beginning with the Middle East market. This latest announcement by Nissan underscores the importance of its Indian manufacturing unit in the overall scheme of things. Nissan India’s Oragadam plant, off Chennai has been a big exporter of cars. In fact, the automaker exported many more Micra hatchbacks than it sold in the domestic market, a clear pointer to the fact that India is soon emerging as a hub of low cost automotive manufacturing to challenge the likes of China and Brazil.

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NEXT GENERATION 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA/TEANA SEDAN TO GET A MAJOR REVAMP!

With the 2012 Toyota Camry and the 2013 Ford Fusion sedans the latest competition in the US market, Nissan is doing all it can to boost Altima’s(Teana in India) sales. The next generation version of the Altima, Nissan says will be a big step up from the current gen model. Nissan is betting on a vastly improved CVT transmission on the 2013 Altima/Teana, that is expected to be reduce friction by a whopping 40% when compared to the current version. This will give a big boost to fuel economy, which currently is the hot topic of contention amongst competing D-segment cars.

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VOLKSWAGEN TO GUN FOR THE ACCORD-CAMRY-SONATA-SUPERB BRIGADE WITH THE PASSAT PETROL?

Volkswagen pulled off a surprise when it launched the all new Passat last year with a single, diesel engine option. Back at that time, Volkswagen said that the overwhelming demand for diesel engined cars in the premium segment prompted its move to launch the Passat as a diesel only model. The all new Jetta that followed soon after also featured only a diesel engine although we have spotted numerous Jettas with the 1.8 TSi petrol engine doing the testing rounds in and around Pune. Today, we’re hearing that the Passat will come with a petrol engine soon and the launch could happen as soon as next month.

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THE 2012 HYUNDAI I20 FLUIDIC HATCHBACK, IN TEAM ICB’S RENDER!

Here is Team ICB’s render that our roving eye in the sky, EarthFusion, has delivered to us. Many versions of the Fluidic i20 are being tested all across the world including India. We anticipate the i20 Fluidic to be more of a mid career makeover than a full model change, with the same platform being retained when Hyundai fuses the Fluidic fromt end design with the rest of the car. The spyshots too seem to indicate this to be the case as very little of the exterior’s shape seems to have changed. Other reports also claim that Hyundai is working on a comprehensive full model change for the i20.

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Toxic Substances Are Within Automobiles

Almost everyone loves the “new car smell” when a brand new vehicle is purchased. However, it may not be so appealing once it is known that the smell may come from toxic chemicals used in the construction of the automobile. The Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan recently completed a study in which the composition of more than 200 late model SUVs, cars and trucks were analyzed for chemicals that emit gasses from parts used within the interior of the vehicle. The Ecology Center was most concerned with chlorine from plasticizers such as PVC, bromine coming from fire-retardant components and contamination from heavy metals such as lead. 

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