Datsun India today launched the Datsun redi-GO 1.0L, equipped with the iSAT engine. Priced from Rs 3, 57,333 deliveries to new owners will commence today at all Nissan dealerships across the country. Datsun redi-GO brand ambassador Sakshi Malik, India’s first female wrestler to win an Olympic medal, was present to launch the more powerful Datsun redi-GO 1.0L version.

Arun Malhotra, Managing Director of Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd. said, “Datsun is a challenger brand and we have been working hard for three years now to bring products that people want and desire. In that spirit, building on the successful launch of redi-GO last year, Datsun now offers a more powerful driving experience with the redi-GO 1.0L. It brings more power, style and convenience for our customers, and we are delighted to launch it today.”

Jerome Saigot, Vice President, Datsun India, added, “Datsun is focused on offering accessible and high-value-for-money cars for aspirational “young India.” The Datsun redi-GO 1.0L is the latest example of our brand’s core strengths, and we will continue to enhance the Datsun model line-up in line with our customers’ expectations.”

The Datsun redi-GO 1.0L is powered by the Intelligent Spark Automated Technology (iSAT) 1.0L three-cylinder fuel efficient engine, paired with a five-speed manual transmission, to enhance the driving experience for owners. Addtionally, it comes in two trim levels, T (O) and S, with new features such as central locking and remote keyless entry; black interiors; and silver finish on the AC vents and horn pad. The car is available in five body colours: Silver, Grey, Ruby, Lime and White.

Electrification is one of the central pillars of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy Number One > Next and the company has announced that all brands and model series can be electrified, with a full-electric or plug-in hybrid drivetrain being offered in addition to the combustion engine option. Additional electrified models will be brought to market in the coming years and beyond 2020, the company’s next generation vehicle architecture will be structured in order to enable new models also to be offered as a full-electric vehicle.

The BMW Group announced today that the new battery-electric Mini will be a variant of the brand’s core 3-door Hatch model. This fully electric car will go into production in 2019, increasing the choice of Mini powertrains to include petrol and diesel internal combustion engines, a plug-in hybrid and a battery electric vehicle. The battery electric Mini’s electric drivetrain will be built at the BMW Group’s e-mobility centre at Plants Dingolfing and Landshut in Bavaria before being integrated into the car at Plant Oxford, which is the main production location for the Mini 3-door Hatch.

Oliver Zipse, BMW AG Management Board member for Production said, “BMW Group Plants Dingolfing and Landshut play a leading role within our global production network as the company’s global competence centre for electric mobility. Our adaptable production system is innovative and able to react rapidly to changing customer demand. If required, we can increase production of electric drivetrain motor components quickly and efficiently, in line with market developments.”

By 2025, the BMW Group expects electrified vehicles to account for between 15-25 per cent of sales. However, factors such as regulation, incentives and charging infrastructure will play a major role in determining the scale of electrification from market to market. In order to react quickly and appropriately to customer demand, the BMW Group has developed a uniquely flexible system across its global production network. In the future, the BMW Group production system will create structures that enable our production facilities to build models with a combustion engine, plug-in hybrid or fully electric drive train at the same time.

The BMW Group currently produces electrified models at ten plants worldwide; since 2013, all the significant elements of the electric drivetrain for these vehicles come from the company’s plants in Dingolfing and Landshut. Dingolfing additionally builds the plug-in hybrid versions of the BMW 5 Series and the BMW 7 Series and from 2021, it will build the BMW i NEXT. The BMW Group has invested a total of more than 100 million euros in electro-mobility at the Dingolfing site to date, with investment continuing as the BMW Group’s range of electrified vehicles further expands.

The new, fully-electric Mini is one of a series of electrified models to be launched by the BMW and Mini brands in the coming years. In 2018, the BMW i8 Roadster will become the newest member of the BMW i family. The all-electric BMW X3 has been announced for 2020, and the BMW iNEXT is due in 2021.

Today, the BMW Group offers the widest range of electrified vehicles of any car manufacturer in the world, with nine models already on the market. These range from the full-electric BMW i3 to the company’s newest electrified model, the Mini Countryman Plug-in Hybrid, which is produced by VDL Nedcar in the Netherlands. The company has committed to selling 100,000 electrified vehicles in 2017 and will have a total of 200,000 electrified vehicles on the roads by the end of the year.

The BMW Group has benefited from its early start on the road to electrification. Indeed, the company’s pioneering, large scale electric vehicle trial began world-wide in 2008 with the Mini E. Learnings from this project played a crucial role in the subsequent development of the BMW i3 and BMW i8, technology pioneers which themselves informed the company’s current range of plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The 9^th edition of Maruti Suzuki’s annual southern motorsports rally, Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare concluded in a grand finale in Pune on Saturday with Team Maruti Suzuki’s Suresh Rana and Ashwin Naik winning the Ultimate Cars category and T Nataraj in Ultimate Bikes.

Bringing in more challenges and a new route, the 9^th edition of the rally witnessed participants traversing through the undulating terrains of Chitradurga and Belgaum in South India before finally entering West for the first time through Kolhapur and hitting the finish line in Pune.

The six-day event which was flagged off from Bengaluru last Sunday, saw over 180 participants competing with each other to win the coveted title covering about 2000 kms.

Commenting on the success, Tarun Garg, Executive Vice President – Marketing, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. said, “Over the last 9 years, Dakshin Dare has grown tremendously and been able to gain a strong foothold in the motorsports community in South India. The increasing number of participation from across the country along with the longest rally route are testimonial to the claims. The large participation is indicative of our reach and influencing a larger audience through varied locations added to the rally each year.”

The top honours were grabbed by Team Maruti Suzuki’s Suresh Rana and Ashwin Naik in their Grand Vitara followed by Samrat Yadav and S N Nizami in second postion and Sandeep Sharma and Karan Arya taking the third spot respectively.

Speaking on their win, Rana said, “This is our second consecutive win at Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare. With a new route this year, it was important to always keep your mind synced with the vehicle. The competition was tough with newer participants entering Dakshin Dare.”

In the Ultimate bikes category, T Nataraj kept the lead with Abdul Wahid and Sanjay Kumar coming second and third respectively.

In the Endurance category, Kolkata duo Subir Roy and Nirav Mehta emerged victorious in the category followed by Karthick Maruthi and Sankar S Anand in the second position and Raghu Nandan and Prakash M finishing third.

L-R – Judah Sangaran, Far East County Manager, MV Agusta Motor S.p.A, Italy ; Raffaele Giusta – Sales & Marketing. Director, MV Agusta Motor S.p.A, Italy & Ajinkya Firodia, Managing Director, Motoroyale- MV Agusta India at the launch of Brutale 800 in Mumbai

Fifteen years after its first appearance, the New Brutale 800 is once again taking on the future. Fully redesigned and yet still tied to its origins, the New Brutale 800 is more effective on the road, delivers more efficient performances and it is naturally more beautiful. The Brutale 800 is powered by a 798cc in line 3 cylinder engine, capable of delivering 109 bhp with a top speed of 237 kmph.

The New Brutale 800 enhances the reinterpretation of the main stylistic features, the elliptical full LED headlamp and the three-pipe exhaust. The futuristic frame of the chassis is light alloy, which blends in with the trapezoidal tank (capacity 16.5 litres). It is integrated with the air box, providing greater definition and aggression. From an aesthetic point of view, the design of the New Brutale 800 reveals a constant search for symmetry, in the colour, the creation of the foot peg mounts, the ducts and the front headlight supports. The Brutale 800 also includes a double saddle, concealed passenger handles, rear light and LED indicators.

Ajinkya Firodia, Managing Director, Motoroyale- MV Agusta India, said: “We have been receiving enquires for the Brutale 800 ever since MV Agusta launched in India. Brutale 800 has undeniably been the most anticipated bike. With all new design, MV Agusta has created the best Brutale of all times. The Brutale 800 is a lot of fun to ride on roads as well as on the racetracks and at the same time stays true to its position of an Italian exotic. I envisage the Brutale 800 to be MV Agusta’s highest selling model in India.

Raffaele Giusta- Sales and Marketing Director, MV Agusta Motor S.p.A- Italy added: “We wanted to condense 15 years of experience in a revolutionary motorcycle. We wanted to imprint the values of our factory. We wanted it to be “true” as the story of the MV Agusta brand, “driven” as our striving for beauty and “passionate” as the thirst for perfection of every rider who chooses us. We wanted to give its performance the technology it deserved. We wanted to create the most beautiful Brutale ever. We think we have succeeded.”

With its debut set for the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, Vauxhall has released first photographs of the all-new Insignia GSi, which will deliver high levels of performance through all-wheel drive, a new chassis and Brembo brakes, and will be powered by a refined 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine.

The performance variant of Vauxhall’s latest flagship model has an eight-speed automatic gearbox, which can be operated via a paddle-shift on the steering wheel to provide a more active and responsive driving experience. Staying true to the latest-generation Insignia range, the GSi combines lightweight design and a low centre of gravity with turbocharged power. These factors result in excellent balance and a favourable power-to-weight ratio.

Exterior design updates include chrome air intakes at the front and a rear spoiler for the required levels of downforce, while on the inside the full-leather sports seats, a leather sports steering wheel and aluminium pedals add the finishing touches.

The GSi’s chassis has been fine-tuned to create the most poised and composed yet, taking the already fine dynamics of the regular Insignia Grand Sport to another level. The benefits of these chassis developments are not just in the improved driving experience though, with the GSi proving to be faster than its predecessor on the track too. Having undertaken parts of its development on the iconic Nürburgring circuit, the GSi is 160kg lighter than the comparable Insignia, which, when combined with the low centre of gravity, creates more traction and leads to faster times on the race track.

Today, as excitement builds towards the premiere of ‘The Great Eight Phantoms’ Exhibition at Bonhams in Mayfair, London next week, Rolls-Royce has announced the final three great Phantoms that will join the event. In addition it has released one teaser image of New Phantom – the eighth Great Phantom which will debut at the Exhibition.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has graciously assented to her Phantom VI State Limousine being present for the public to see. Also joining the Exhibition are the Phantom IV that belonged to the Aga Khan III –one of 18 such Phantoms built only for Royalty and Heads of State; and the First Goodwood Phantom VII, which began the renaissance of Rolls-Royce on 1 January 2003.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Phantom VI State Limousine

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has graciously assented to her Phantom VI State Limousine being present at ‘The Great Eight Phantoms’ – A Rolls-Royce Exhibition for the British public to see.

In 1977, to mark her Silver Jubilee, the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders gifted Her Majesty a new official State Limousine, a custom-built Phantom VI.

The most striking aspect of this Park Ward-bodied Phantom VI is its raised roofline, supporting an enormous expanse of toughened glass. It enables Her Majesty, and indeed other members of the Royal family who use the vehicle to see and (more importantly) be seen.

This Phantom, like others in the Royal Fleet, had the ‘Royal mascot’ of St. George slaying the dragon put in place of the Spirit of Ecstasy when Her Majesty was on board, apart from when she visited Scotland, when a silver lion is used instead. It also had a fitment to hold the Queen’s Shield and the Royal Standard.

As with all the fleet it was finished in Royal Claret and Black Livery and being a state car, it had no need for a number plate.

The Phantom VI was present at another milestone in The Queen’s long reign in 2011. On April 29 of that year Prince William, her grandson, married Kate Middleton. The Duchess of Cambridge and her father were driven to the Abbey in the Phantom VI, taking full advantage of the panoramic glass to give the delighted crowds the best possible view of her last few minutes as Kate Middleton before she transformed into a Princess; a happy ending for both Kate and the splendid Silver Jubilee Phantom VI.

‘The Aga Khan Phantom IV’

The second Royal Phantom to be present at the Exhibition will be that of the Aga Khan III. The Aga Khan III is famous for combining a jetset lifestyle as thoroughbred horse owner with his role as leader of the Nizari Ismaili Muslim community. The Aga Khan was among just 18 heads of state and members of royal families to commission a Rolls-Royce Phantom IV.

Aga Khan III was President of The League of Nations from 1937 to 1938, but also owned five Derby winners and won British flat racing’s Champion Owner title 13 times. He liked the finest things in life and so his choice of a Rolls-Royce Phantom IV was no surprise.

The Hooper coachwork of the Aga Khan’s Phantom IV has remarkable flowing lines, the rear wheels are enclosed and the body is in the Sedanca de Ville style, whilst the interior features sumptuous red leather, using Connolly hides. It took two years to build, from 1950 to 1952, thanks to its many bespoke additions; an adjustable mirror, concealed silver brush, comb and compact – all engraved with the Aga Khan’s royal crest which was also to be seen on the doors – as well as a built-in Dictaphone and a full picnic set.

‘The Aga Khan Phantom IV’ has been kindly loaned to ‘The Great Eight Phantoms’ by Mr Ion Tiriac.

The First Goodwood Phantom – Phantom VII

The First Goodwood Phantom is the motor car that began the renaissance of Rolls-Royce in 2003. Known at the time as “the last great adventure in automotive history”, this renaissance has seen Rolls-Royce retake its rightful place as the world’s leading luxury brand with highly progressive models beginning with Phantom, then Ghost, Wraith and Dawn, and the only true luxury approach to satisfying the desires of every individual customer – Bespoke.

Three months after its debut at 00.01 on 1 January 2003, the First Goodwood Phantom was shipped from Southampton, England to Perth, Western Australia for its Australian debut in April 2003. Following that debut, the Phantom was to undertake its first big adventure in the hands of its owner – a 4,500-mile epic drive across Australia. The route left Perth, heading down the coast of Western Australia, across the Nullarbor Plain to Adelaide in South Australia, then into Victoria and along the Great Ocean Road until finally arriving at the Harbour Bridge in Sydney, New South Wales.

The owner provided daily updates of ‘driver impressions’ to the team back at Goodwood, declaring the new Phantom to be “a Grand Tourer in the truest sense of the words”. The car performed faultlessly, its only issue some sand that had entered the Spirit of Ecstasy retraction mechanism during a dust storm in the Australian desert.

14 years after its creation, this First Goodwood Phantom remains in exceptional condition. It is loaned to ‘The Great Eight Phantoms’ – A Rolls-Royce Exhibition by its owner, the same gentleman who originally commissioned it.

Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL) today announced the introduction of 2017 ‘Privilege Edition’ of its Honda Amaze compact sedan. The Privilege edition is priced Rs 10,000 over S(O) MT grade and is available at ex-showroom prices of Rs 648,888 for Petrol and Rs 773,631 for Diesel.

The premium new seat covers offer a very comfortable seating and are highlighted by the ‘Privilege Edition’ embossed on them. The newly offered Centre Arm Rest for the driver enhances the ease and comfort during every journey in the Amaze. The Rear Parking Sensors help in a safer and more convenient parking experience.

Speaking about the Privilege Edition of Amaze, Jnaneswar Sen, Sr. Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd said, “Our endeavor has always been to offer best in class features to our customers & we are happy to offer the Privilege Edition of the Honda Amaze with Digipad for advanced infotainment. The new edition with its enhanced value is a compelling offer for our Amaze customers and is available as limited edition.”

The Honda Amaze ‘Privilege Edition’ offers advanced features, superior interiors and assertive styling, which sets it apart from all others in the segment. The limited edition is based on Amaze S(O) MT grade which has features like Dual Airbags, ABS (in Diesel Variant) , Power Adjustable ORVMs, Steering Mounted controls, Driver Seat Height Adjuster, Digital AC Controls, Premium Dual tone interiors  and much more.

The Amaze has received overwhelming success in the Indian market ever since its launch, making it a strongly preferred family car in the Indian market. Its cumulative sales have crossed more than 2.4 Lakh since its launch in April 2013.

Tata Motors is gearing up for its highly anticipated product introduction in the SUV segment with the Tata Nexon. The Indian auto major has added two new engines to its powertrain portfolio – the 1.2L Turbocharged Petrol from the Revotron series and the 1.5L Diesel engine from the Revotorq family. These new generation engines will debut in the Tata Nexon, which is scheduled for launch this festive season.

The name Nexon is a short form of “NEXT-ON” which signifies the inspiration of Nexon from next level of things. Nexon has received an overwhelming response since its debut at the Auto Expo 2016.

Designed at Tata Motors’ in-house facility in Pune, these engines have been indigenously developed with inputs from renowned global technology suppliers like AVL, Bosch, Mahale and Honeywell, and offers the latest technology available in the global automotive market. The Revotron engine will be manufactured at the Sanand facility while the Revotorq engine will be produced at the Ranjangaon facility.

Commenting on the occasion, Mayank Pareek, President, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors said, “To introduce this all new SUV into the market, we are not leaving any stone unturned. We are once again introducing a product with an exciting package for our customers. The engine is the heart of the car and along with the SUV like design and features, we wanted to offer punchy, responsive and refined engines. Both these engines have been designed and developed post extensive feedback from auto enthusiasts, expert drivers, followed by extensive testing across India, on different terrains. We are confident that this new family of engines will further help us build our brand and deliver a memorable experience on-road.”

Both these engines sport the first-in-segment multi drive modes – Eco, City, and Sport. While the Eco mode has been designed to offer a relaxed drive experience with better fuel economy, the City mode enables for a perfect city drive ensuring optimum balance between power and torque. The Sport mode on the other hand permits superior throttle response and is ideal for a spirited drive experience. The new engines are manufactured to be light on weight and low on friction, delivering high performance and fuel economy.

Jeep continues to expand its popular range of Wrangler 4×4 vehicles with the introduction of a stunning new limited edition, the Rubicon Recon.

Revealed at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Recon brings to the most capable production vehicle in the world even greater capability, including more protection from the most severe, rugged off-road terrain. The new special edition model will offer improved 4×4 capability thanks to specific off-road components including a stronger front axle and heavy-duty cast rear differential covers.

Based on the existing Wrangler Rubicon model, the new Recon adds attractive adventure styling to the legendary 4×4 capability and open air freedom, thanks to equipment such as 18-inch Low Gloss Granite Crystal painted aluminium wheels, a black dual top (including both soft and hardtop options), and a dual-vented Power Dome hood with a black-silhouette “Rubicon” decal featuring red accent lettering on both sides. A Trail Rated logo with red accents, a black fuel filler door, and a black hard spare tyre cover complete the package.

A black-and-red theme characterises the inside of the new Wrangler Rubicon Recon. Red accent stitching adorns the standard black leather heated seats with a “Rubicon” embroidered logo. Black vinyl-wrapped front door armrest and console lid with black stitching, red accent netting on front door pockets and the centre console, unique leather-wrapped steering wheel and red accent coloured seatbelts help to distinguish the Recon from the rest of the Wrangler line-up.

The new Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Recon special-edition model comes in two- and four-door specification and is powered by Jeep’s 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine delivering 284 horsepower, matched to the automatic five-speed gearbox. It comes in three exterior colours: Gobi, Bright White, and Granite Crystal.

The Jaguar E-PACE is a five-seat compact SUV that packs the design and performance of a Jaguar sports car into a spacious, practical and connected all-wheel-drive vehicle.

The E-PACE is the newest member of Jaguar’s SUV family following Jaguar’s first all-electric SUV, the I-PACE Concept and the World Car of the Year-winning F-PACE performance SUV.

The exterior design is inspired by the F-TYPE sports car and is characterised by the distinctive Jaguar grille, muscular proportions, short overhangs and powerful haunches. Optional 21-inch alloy wheels give the E-PACE a bold and purposeful stance, instantly communicating dynamic agility. Jaguar sports car DNA is also evident in the fast sweep of the roofline and the distinctive side window graphic.

Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar, said: “Established Jaguar design principles ensure the E-PACE is immediately recognisable as the sports car of its class. Our new compact SUV combines the interior space, connectivity and security that families expect with the kind of proportions, purity of design and performance not usually associated with such a practical vehicle.”