Volvo Car India registered another successful FY 2018-19 with a growth of 25% in retail deliveries as compared to the previous FY.

The company retailed 2687 cars in FY18-19 compared to 2157 units in FY17-18. This growth was largely driven by new product launches including ‘ICOTY Premium Car Award’ winner XC40.

Growth was further fuelled by opening 5 new showrooms across the country including Calicut, Raipur, Kolkata, Indore and South Mumbai.

Charles Frump, Managing Director – Volvo Car India shared, “We had a strong performance in the last Financial year because of greater customer demand for our award winning products and new dealer openings. We continue to be optimistic about the future, but are somewhat  cautious about the year ahead owing to external factors and predictions of an impending downtrend.”

L-R: Linda Jackson, Roland Bouchara, Emmanuel Delay, and Carlos Tavares

Groupe PSA has announced the launch of the Citroen brand in India. During the presentation of FY2018 financial results of Groupe PSA and the second phase of its strategic plan Push to Pass for the period 2019-2021, Citroen brand was announced for the Indian market.

Carlos Tavares, Chairman of the Managing Board, Groupe PSA, Linda Jackson, Chief Executive Officer, Citroen Brand, Groupe PSA and Emmanuel Delay, Executive Vice President & Head of India-Pacific, Groupe PSA, Roland Bouchara, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing, Citroen India, were present at the event.

The flagship vehicle, Citroen C5 Aircross SUV, was also showcased at the event, which will be the first product from the Citroen brand for the Indian customers, being launched before the end of 2020. It was also announced that Citroen plans to bring in a range of products after the Citroen C5 Aircross SUV that will be made and launched in India before being introduced in other parts of the world. With one new launch every year from 2021 after the New Citroen C5 Aircross SUV the new range of products will be launched in India before the rest of the world.

This new programme to be launched in India will come under the name of C Cubed, standing for Cool, Comfort and Clever. Cool to illustrate Citroen’s unique and bold designs, Comfort to highlight our approach of a global well-being to make all Citroen easy to use working on ergonomics and connectivity and Clever to be at the heart of the market, developing international highly localised cars to meet customer expectations. This would be backed by launch of a disruptive and seamless digital customer experience and a phygital distribution network.

Present at the brand launch, Carlos Tavares, Chairman of the Managing Board, Groupe PSA, said, “India is an important next step for Groupe PSA, as part of the Push to Pass plan to increase our international footprint and revenues. With the introduction of Citroën, our aim is to ‘be Indian in India’ and our association with the CK Birla Group, will be important to become a major player in the Indian automotive market. Globally, we have been successful in Europe and in other parts of the world because of our unique automotive experiences and delivering mobility solutions to meet our customer expectations. We really believe that India is a strong opportunity for growth and our commitment, professionalism and agility of our teams, combined with the pursuit of operational excellence, will sustainably drive our performance and increase the satisfaction of our future customers in the country.”

Speaking about the brand, Linda Jackson, Chief Executive Officer, Citroen Brand, Groupe PSA, said, “We are celebrating Citroen’s Centenary, 100 years of a brand which has constantly looked to the future of the automotive industry, by offering innovative solutions in line with the needs of each era. Globally, Citron’s success is based on unique design, and benchmark comfort. The India automotive market is very dynamic with a high potential. We believe we have the right positioning to meet the expectations of the Indian customers. I am confident that the new Citroen C5 Aircross SUV will set a benchmark in style, comfort and innovation in its segment in India.”

Sharing his thoughts on the brand and region, Emmanuel Delay, Executive Vice President & Head of India-Pacific, Groupe PSA, said, “New technologies, modern production techniques and innovative designs have played a crucial role in developing the brand for which Citroën is known. As a new player in the Indian automotive market, we will stick to remaining committed to our philosophy of constantly looking to the future and setting high standards of innovation while continuing to build on the brand attributes. Our India story will play a crucial role in making the Citroën brand more international. We are on track to meet our objective of introducing our innovative range, starting from the new Citroën C5 Aircross SUV, which will be the first of many differentiating products from the brand from our vehicle manufacturing JV between the PSA Groupe & the CK Birla Group located at Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu. Production of Powertrains from our PSA – AVTEC Powertrain JV at Hosur, Tamil Nadu is also on track and will support our local and global requirements.”

Sharing his views on building the brand in India, Roland Bouchara, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Citroën India, said, “Citroen brand in India is here and here to make a difference. India is important to Citroen and this is evident as we plan to bring in a new range of products, after the new Citroen C5 Aircross SUV that will be made and launched in India first before being rolled out globally.”

He also added, “India is a unique market and Indians are adopting new technologies at a very rapid pace. To support our range of unique new products and our in-depth study of the Indian market, we have planned for a unique customer experience, which will enable us to be the new digital reference for a seamless customer experience in the Indian automotive market. We are planning to introduce a unique digitally disruptive, omni-channel customer journey to deliver ATAWADAC ((AnyTime AnyWhere AnyDevice AnyContent) experience to customers. Our Network focus will be to develop lean & phygital (physical + digital) formats with a ‘brick to click’ orientation. This seamless experience will be brought alive by personalized digital sales and service processes for our customers.” He also announced, “We are pleased to go live with our India website http://www.citroen.in which marks the beginning of our partnership with potential dealers in India leading to the Citroen Dealer Partner Live Tour in India from 1st of July, 2019.”

Marquee British Automaker MG Motor (Morris Garages) showcased advanced in-car technologies with the launch of the iSMART Next Gen, developed in partnership with global technology players. To be available for sales by June this year, MG Hector with iSMART Next Gen aims to set new standards for connected mobility.

Along with its strong consortium of global tech partners that includes Microsoft, Adobe, Unlimit, SAP, Cisco, Gaana, TomTom and Nuance, the car maker unveiled several industry-first features of internet-enabled cars that will be available in the MG Hector.
The brain of the iSMART Next Gen will be housed in a 10.4-inch Head Unit. The screen is designed with a vertical interface that allows the driver to control the entire car system with just a touch or voice command. The Head Unit is built to withstand extreme climatic conditions of India. It comes pre-loaded with entertainment content.

MG Hector iSMART Next Gen comes with an industry first embedded M2M sim that ensures that the car remains connected. The customised solution has been developed by Unlimit in partnership with Cisco and Airtel who have collaborated with their Jasper platform and telecommunication network respectively. The connected mobility solution on the MG Hector is Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPV6) ready for 5G.

This seamless connectivity enables the users to receive real-time software, entertainment content and application updates. Customers will be able to download the software updates immediately or schedule them for later, as in smartphones. This makes MG the first few among the global leaders and the first in India to bring the revolutionary Over The Air (OTA) technology to cars. The OTA feature would be standard in all MG cars enabled with iSMART Next Gen for connected mobility, starting with MG Hector SUV.

“The integration of internet with cars opens up a gamut of features that can ensure a seamless and updated ownership experience for MG customers in India. With an embedded SIM card and OTA, the MG Hector promises to do a lot more over time with constantly-expanding capabilities, to create a seamless driving experience, throughout the life of the car,” said Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India.

“Furthermore, with the advent of 5G connectivity in India, MG cars will have the potential to add new, breakthrough features to further enrich the car driving experience,” Chaba added.

The most stunning feature of the MG Hector is Voice Assist. It is a powerful voice application that works on the cloud and head unit. Developed by Nuance for MG India, it has been specifically designed for India for Indian accent learning. As a result of built in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms, the system will learn and get better every day with usage. Activated with ‘Hello MG’, the voice assist allows over 100 commands, including opening and closing of windows and sun roof, ac control, navigation etc. and works even under poor connectivity.

To add to customer experience, iSMART comes with pre-embedded and very relevant web applications. It will house the world leader TomTom’s real time navigation application. A leading player in automobile navigation around the world, TomTom has over 600 million vehicles under their platform. This navigation system would regularly update maps, routes and locations through their IQ Maps feature. Pre-loaded Gaana app with Premium Account and Accuweather will further help the customers to access music and weather forecasts. All apps have been specially customized for MG Hector’s large Head Unit.

The iSMART Next Gen is supported by the iSMART mobile App. MG iSMART App is feature-rich like none other in the Indian market. The car gets scanned each time the App is opened, and information includes location of car, tyre pressure, or if the doors are locked or not. Owner can use the remote app to directly lock or unlock doors, turn on ignition and switch on the air-conditioner. This is very useful in extreme weather conditions of India. It would also allow owners to schedule a service and keep track of service history.

MG with iSMART ensures that its customers remain protected against advanced threats while enjoying the benefits of technology. MG car owners can locate their cars remotely and geo fence it, so the car cannot be taken out of a predefined zone, thus enhancing the safety of the passengers. The App uses driver analytics data to help people drive smarter. The iSMART is hosted on Microsoft Azure Cloud providing impregnable cyber security for all data.

MG has set up a first of its kind customer management service centre called the Pulse Hub. This will enable eCall emergency response in all MG cars. If a car’s airbags are deployed under an emergency condition, automatic messages are sent to the Pulse Hub and the registered phones along with a series of emergency response actions that get activated instantly. MG hector also offers an industry first iCall. With just a touch on the Screen, driver is connected to Pulse Hub for a host of information services.

Adobe and Cognizant have partnered MG to develop the first ever Adobe Experience Cloud to make the customer journey a delight for MG customers. Likewise, SAP with iTelligence has built one of its kind Dealer Management System – ‘Magnet’, and connected apps. This system would host all information from company, dealers, service centres and customers at one place. This would make sure the customer can seamlessly be recognised and offered services at pre-sales, sales and post sales phases.

2019 marks an important milestone for the Italian brand with the scorpion badge which continues to fuel the dreams of fans worldwide even after 70 years. Abarth & C was founded by Carlo Abarth and racing driver Guido Scagliarini on 31 March 1949 in Bologna, Northern Italy. Carlo’s astrological sign, Scorpio, was chosen as the new company logo and the legend of the scorpion was born. Celebrating this anniversary means remembering the designers and engineers, sporting and technical achievements and the generations of customers who have all made Abarth what it is today.

“Telling the key stages of Abarth is an opportunity to rediscover the record-breaking cars, the revolutionary tuning kits and legendary races that marked the technological progress and motorsport accomplishments of the brand”, explained Luca Napolitano, Head of EMEA Fiat and Abarth brands. “All this belongs to the past and to the present of Abarth, together with the commitment and pride of the people who over time have worked in the factories and offices and on the race tracks, with a little extra something. Besides sporting satisfaction, for the engineers and technicians of the brand with the Scorpion badge races are the tough proving grounds where the most innovative technological solutions can be tested in the most adverse conditions before carrying them across to the street-legal Abarth models. In this way, we can achieve the very best in terms of performance, safety and reliability and offer it to our customers”.

70th Anniversary range
To acknowledge this incredible milestone, all Abarth 595’s produced from April 2019 will be identified by a “70th Anniversary” special badge. The 595 Competizione standard seats will also be embroidered with a ‘70th Anniversary’ logo, making this specification one for Abarth fans to own (from 10 April). Making its return in 2019 is the Abarth 595 esseesse which made its debut at the recent Geneva Motor Show and will shortly be on sale around the world.

The history of Abarth: 1949-1979
Carlo Abarth’s career started with motorcycles, at the age of twenty, he racked up his first wins as a rider on a Motor Thun, the following year he built his first customised motorbike under the Abarth brand. Unfortunately, during a competition at Linz, an accident forced him to abandon motorbikes. He continued competing with sidecars, a vehicle that he made famous in exploits endeavours such as the race against the Orient Express – that he won, of course. A second accident in 1939 forced him to abandon racing completely which marked a new beginning. In 1949, the first vehicle produced was the 204 A Roadster, based on the Fiat 1100, which won the 1100 Sport Italian championship and the Formula 2 racing title.

Carlo decided he needed to supplement his racing activities with the production of his now famous tuning kits for mass-production cars to increase power, speed and acceleration. Exhaust parts were built and supplied to a number of manufacturers including Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, BMW, Ford, Volvo and Jaguar.

Noteworthy components of the Abarth kits include the exhausts which, over the years, became a true icon of the “Abarth style”. In just a few years, Abarth & C. reached global levels: in 1962 with a staff of 375, it produced 257,000 exhausts, 65 per cent of which are destined for export markets.

With the Fiat Abarth 750 designed by Bertone in 1956, the brand broke the endurance and speed record: on 18 June, on the Monza racetrack, it broke the 24-hour record covering 3,743 km at an average speed of 155 kmph. Following this, from 27 to 29 June on the same circuit it racked up a number of records: the 5,000 and 10,000 km, the 5,000 miles and also the 48 and 72 hours. The same vehicle was designed by Zagato in two different versions: the Fiat Abarth 750 Zagato (1956) and the Fiat Abarth 750 GT Zagato (1956).

In 1958, Abarth completed a true work of art on the new Fiat 500, completely transforming the small utility car and enhancing its potentials to the maximum. In the same year, the brand intensified its partnership with Fiat which committed itself to reward Abarth financially based on the number of victories and records that the team managed to achieve. An event that formed the basis of the impressive winning streak: 10 world records, 133 international records, more than 10,000 victories on track.

The 1960’s were the golden decade for Abarth. In Italy “Abarth” becomes the byword for speed, courage, performance and development. The list of cars which displayed the name of Abarth in the history of motor racing is a long one: from the 850 TC, which was victorious on international circuits including the Nurburgring, to the Fiat Abarth “1000 Berlina” and the 2300 S that racked up an extraordinary series of records on the Monza track despite the harsh weather conditions.

In 1971, Fiat Auto became the sole owners of Abarth, and the last vehicle in which the founder actively participated in designing was the A112 Abarth. During the 1980s, the story continued with famous cars, such as the Fiat 131 Abarth, world rally champion, and the Ritmo Abarth.

Sadly, Carlo Abarth died on 24 October, 1979, under the sign of Scorpio, the same as his birth that had inspired the badge sported on his cars. At the time of his death, Carlo had overseen the production of 219 models all of which carried the Scorpion badge.

Abarth Racing
In the late 1970’s Abarth became Fiat’s racing department which lead to such rally classics as the 124 and 131. The iconic Fiat Abarth 124 rally won the 1972 and 1975 (group 4) World Rally Championship with driver Raffaelle Pinto and co-driver Gino Macaluso. The 124 rally was successful over a number of years until it was replaced by the 131. The Fiat 131 Abarth was a successful group 4 rally car which won the manufacturers world championship three times in 1977, 78 and 80, instantly recognisable to rally fans worldwide in its distinctive shape and livery. The racing department then turned their focus to Lancia which set the rallying world alight with their commanding performance of the sport, winning a total of 11 championships over the years.

The Abarth 124 rally returned in 2016, when it was unveiled as a surprise at the Geneva Motorshow as part of the dual announcement of the Abarth 124 spider. Only in its second season in the R-GT Championship, the Abarth established itself as the king of the R-GT class for 2018, recording more than 40 class victories in 12 national championships. Using the experience gained in the first two racing seasons, the 124 rally has been further refined with one goal in mind, make the Abarth the car to beat in the R-GT class.

A brand reborn
The Abarth badge appeared on a small number of Fiat special editions in the 1980’s and 1990’s including the Strada and Stilo. In 2008 the brand was relaunched with a new line-up created for motorsports enthusiasts with the Abarth Grande Punto (2007), Abarth 500 (2008) and tuning kits for each car, as well as racing versions of the Abarth Grande Punto Rally Super 2000 and the Abarth 500 Assetto Corse. Since then, new editions have been launched: the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari (2010), the Abarth 595 Yamaha Factory Racing (2015), the Abarth 695 Biposto Record (2015) and the Abarth 695 Rivale (2017). In 2016 the Abarth 124 spider and the Abarth 124 rally joined the model line-up, followed by the Abarth 124 GT (2018) with its carbon fibre hard top.

The annual WIAA Women’s Rally to the Valley Presented by JK Tyre will take place on April 7, with over 600 ladies expected to compete for top prizes and glory.

The organisers, the Western India Automobile Association, announced this at a press conference held earlier this week, promising a much bigger and grander event.

The highly popular TSD Rally, entering its fifth year, will be flagged off from Omkar 1973, Worli and cross important landmarks in the city, including Century Bazaar, Siddhi Vinayak, Shivaji Park, Shivsena Bhavan, Dadar Plaza, Dadar T.T, Five Garden, Sion, Eastern Express Highway, Vashi, Belapur before culminating at Aamby Valley City near Pune.

A team of celebrities and safety volunteers will be present at key points throughout the route to encourage the participants and to ensure a smooth ride for them.

“The goal of the annual women’s rally is to advocate legislation and policies for women’s empowerment and for their working rights. We push for girl child education and fight against sexual harassment,” Nitin Dossa, Executive Chairman of WIAA, said.

“Today’s woman is no longer a dependent soul. She is independent and self-reliant in every respect and is capable of doing everything. Our experience shows that such events have become extremely successful and popular and a matter of keen interest for all automobile owners,” he added.

The FMSCI-approved Rally to the Valley has become an important milestone in Mumbai’s motorsports calendar, endeavouring to celebrate the empowerment of women. At the same time, it promotes awareness about road safety, with the WIAA training and educating them about the various precautions they need to take while driving.

“As a major stakeholder in motorsports in the country, we are really proud of being part of this event. We have been at the forefront of fighting for women’s empowerment,” Sanjay Sharma, Head of JK Motorsports, said. “Our goal is to attract more and more women to our sport and this a perfect platform for it,” he added.

“Over the last few years, we have been actively supporting motorsports events for women, right from the YFLO Power Drive in Delhi to the Women’s Drive to Chandigarh. We even introduced an all-women’s racing team in the LGB National Championship for the very first time in India,” Sharma added.

Viveck Goenka, President of Western India Automobile Association, pointed out that “as the WIAA was entering its centenary year it would organize the 1st International expedition for women drivers in October from Guwahati. This will also support the cause of women’s safety and create awareness amongst people to build a protective society for women.”

After lunch and entertainment, the rallyists will return to Mumbai in the evening. The winners will receive their prizes during the Awards Distribution ceremony on Wednesday, April 10, 2019.

Even before its launch, the Skoda Scala has already received its first accolade. A jury composed of around 40 international experts has awarded the new compact model the prestigious Red Dot Award 2019 in the product design category. This is the 13th time the Czech brand has been honoured with this coveted accolade.

With its new sculptural shapes, dynamic lines and meticulously designed details, the Scala is the first Skoda production model to showcase the brand’s new emotional exterior and interior design language. Its perfect proportions, clearly defined surfaces, flowing lines and advanced aerodynamics make this new compact model appear modern and sporting.

Distinctive features include the upright radiator grille, a dynamic roof line and a sporting diffuser rounding off the wide rear section. In addition, the Scala is the first production model for the European market to bear the Skoda wordmark in individual letters on the tailgate, superseding the traditional logo. The optional extended rear window features that wordmark on the glass surface itself.

Introduction

The word ‘Figo’ means ‘cool’ in colloquial Italian. True to its name, the Figo has been the preferred choice of the cool and young, first-time car buyers since being first introduced as a brand by Ford India in 2009. Two years after its launch, the Figo was voted the Indian Car of The Year. And now, a decade since its launch and with over 320,000 units sold till date, the Figo is among the most selling Ford products out of the one million customers in India.

Earlier this month, the American auto giant has announced the launch of the 2019 edition of the Figo in India with ex-showroom prices starting from Rs 515,000. Redesigned with more than 1,200 new parts, the 2019 Ford Figo features a more stylish exterior and interior, an array of safety technologies and a new engine which promises more power and fun-of-driving.

The New Figo will be available in a simplified line-up of three variants across two fuel options and seven colour schemes. This includes a top-of-the-line Figo Blu with sporty cellular grille, new 15-inch alloys, dual tone roof, stylish blue themed interiors and a segment-first six airbags.

Befitting to its name, we went to the Blue City of India – Jodhpur to get up close and personal with the Ford Figo Blu. Read on to discover how it fared.

Design and Engineering

The new Figo sports a redesigned front fascia compared to its predecessor and feature a three-dimensional cellular grille which makes the car stand apart from competition and increase its style statement.

The fog lamps in the new Figo are aesthetically integrated into the front bumper and will come with a chrome and Blue touch, depending on the trim. Headlamps with a black encasing in the new Figo will deliver a sporty yet premium look while the side and rear decals in the Blu trim accentuate its visual appeal.

The top-of-the-line Ford Figo Blu will feature premium alloys and bigger 15-inch tyres to deliver confident inspiring and planted drive dynamics. This trim will also offer customers rain sensing wipers, automatic headlamps and electrochromic inside rear view mirror (IRVM).

NVH levels are well contained with minimum noise filtering inside the passenger cabin ensuring a quiet drive. Manufactured at Ford’s manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat, the new Figo will be available in seven colours, including White Gold, Moondust Silver, Smoke Grey, Absolute Black Deep Impact Blue, Ruby Red and Oxford White.

Interior and Comfort

Step inside the new Ford Figo and you will be greeted with the familiar charcoal black interiors which looks pretty smart. The seats are well bolstered and provide good lumber support making your journey comfortable. There is adequate leg and shoulder room both in the front and rear. The materials used inside the cabin feel decently nice to touch and most importantly looks built-to-last.

The cabin also comes with a host of convenience features including a reverse parking camera, automatic climate control system, two USB slots, push-button start/stop, rain-sensing wipers and a myriad of stowage spaces (20 of them) to tuck away your daily essentials while driving to work. An ample boot ensures that there is always space for your bags during your shopping spree or a weekend getaway. The big addition in the interior, however, is the 7-inch homegrown infotainment system with touchscreen and built-in navigation.

Performance and Handling

New Figo is powered by Ford’s all-new, three-cylinder 1.2-litre TiVCT petrol engine that is small, light and fuel efficient. The naturally aspirated engine generates 96 PS of peak power and 120 Nm of torque while delivering an ARAI-ratified fuel efficiency of 20.4 kmpl. The engine is surprisingly zippy making it fun to drive. There is adequate power delivery on throttle input and accelerates well when you need to overtake or simply pull away from the traffic, making it an ideal city car.

For the diesel lovers, new Ford Figo comes with the tried and tested 1.5-litre TDCi engine delivering 100 PS peak power, 215 Nm of torque and fuel economy of 25.5 kmpl. The diesel engine is both powerful and responsive. On the move the engine exhibits very little turbo lag and the power delivery is linear making it a joy to drive. Even at low speeds and in high gear the engine doesn’t knock or stalls and pulls well from low revs. The drivability of the 2019 Ford Figo diesel feels light years ahead when compared to its staunch rivals – the new Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Hyundai Grand i10 – especially in city traffic.

Both engines are paired with an all-new, five-speed manual transmission that’s sportier and more efficient. The transmission is precise making it a pleasure to operate. Ford claims that this new manual transmission is almost 15 per cent lighter and helps improve fuel economy while reducing NVH. It requires 40 per cent lesser gear oil than its predecessor. Drivers will experience slicker, more responsive gear shifts when they get behind the wheel of the New Ford Figo.

Offering greater choice to prospective buyers, Ford is also introducing its latest six-speed Automatic Transmission on the New Figo. Paired to the three-cylinder, 1.5-litre petrol engine, the Figo Automatic delivers a peak power of 123 PS and fuel economy of 16.3 kmpl.

The suspension set up is well tuned to handle Indian road conditions with the New Ford Figo sailing over broken patches and uneven stretches will surprising ease resulting in a plush ride quality. Even at high speeds the Figo remains well planted inspiring confidence. The steering feedback is praiseworthy as well.

Safety

New Ford Figo will continue Ford’s leadership on safety, offering standard dual airbags across the variant line-up. For those looking for greater safety, it will offer up to six airbags on top Blu edition.

Going beyond airbags, the 2019 Figo will enhance occupant safety with Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), thus helping drivers with better grip and a smooth drive. The New Figo will also enable its owners to navigate through quick turns with the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) in the automatic variant.

Verdict

Ford India has earned itself an enviable reputation of hitting the nail on the head each and every time in the past few years. Their product portfolio is fresh, well-engineered, brilliantly packaged and offers great value for your hard earned money. The New Ford Figo ticks all these boxes making it a great choice, especially for first time car buyers.

It looks very contemporary and stylish and is sure to win admirers. Fit and finish looks built-to-last. The interior is adequately spacious for a hatchback and aesthetically done up. The Figo diesel is both powerful and responsive resulting in a pleasurable drive. The petrol proves to be surprisingly zippy on highways, offering a smooth drive and holds its own very well on busy city roads too.

Safety is one aspect that Ford has been laying a lot of emphasis on and the 2019 Figo comes equipped with a host of features that assures to keep you safe in the unfortunate incident of an eventuality. Additionally, ensuring complete peace-of-mind, the New Ford Figo is the only hatchback in India to come with a first-in-class five-year or 100,000 kilometre warranty, which includes 2-year factory warranty and 3-year extended warranty.

Ford also claims that the new Figo will continue to offer lowest scheduled service and maintenance costs in its segment – with the cost of paid service in the first year likely to be around Rs 1,300 and only Rs 3,500 in the fifth year of its product life. What is even more assuring is that you need to service your Figo only once a year.

The cherry on the cake is, that despite offering more features and innovations, the New Figo is almost Rs 60,000 cheaper than the outgoing model. So you pay less for more. What the team at Ford India has been able to achieve with the New Ford Figo is taking a good product and making it ever better. Kudos!

Variant-wise pan India ex-showroom price comparison with outgoing model:

Ford Figo (Petrol 1.2L TiVCT)

Ford Figo (Diesel 1.5L TDCi)

Ford India organised its marquee ‘Great Ford Endeavour Drive’ for select customers and media in Kolkata on Saturday, March 23, to give a first-hand experience of the off-roading capabilities of the recently launched New Ford Endeavour.

The experiential drive, set amidst natural terrain on the outskirts of Kolkata, simulated challenging off-roading conditions including – sharp turns, steep hill climbs, hill descent, wading through slush, uneven surfaces, driving at high-degree tilt among many others. In the due course of this off-roading experience we got a clear insight about the Endeavour’s steering feedback, suspension, wheel articulation, differential lock system and water wading capabilities. With gentle throttle and brake inputs, the Endeavour managed to complete the off-roading course on stock tyres like a walk in the park.

With ex-showroom prices starting Rs 28.19 lakhs, the 2019 edition of the Endeavour comes with greater road presence, style and convenience while continuing to offer impressive off-road capabilities, safety and technologies.

The New Ford Endeavour will give customers an option to choose from Ford’s two, diesel engines — 2.2-litre four-cylinder TDCi and 3.2-litre five-cylinder TDCi.

The 2.2-litre four cylinder TDCi engine will now be paired to a six-speed manual transmission as well along with automatic. With the new manual transmission, the 2.2-litre engine will deliver an ARAI-ratified fuel economy of 14.2 kmpl. The Endeavour automatic will continue delivering a fuel economy of 12.62 kmpl as per ARAI.

Those looking for optimum fuel economy without compromising performance can choose the 2.2-litre diesel motor that puts out 160 PS of power and 385 Nm of torque. For those desiring greater performance, Ford continues to offer its 3.2- diesel engine that generates 200 PS of power and 470 Nm of torque. This engine has been tuned to deliver maximum power and torque and is perfect for frequent off-road adventures.

With a simplified variant lineup, the New Endeavour is now available in three-trims – 2.2-litre Titanium Manual, 2.2-litre Titanium+ Automatic and 3.2-litre Titanium+ Automatic.

Volvo Cars today reveals a new step in its ambitions to end fatalities in its cars by addressing the issues of intoxication and distraction.

Apart from speeding, which the company aims to help combat with a top speed limit, intoxication and distraction are two other primary areas of concern for traffic safety. Together, these three areas constitute the main ‘gaps’ towards Volvo Cars’ vision of a future with zero traffic fatalities and require a focus on human behaviour in the company’s safety work as well.

For example, figures by NHTSA show that in the United States, almost 30 per cent of all traffic fatalities in vehicles in 2017 involved intoxicated drivers.

Volvo Cars believes intoxication and distraction should be addressed by installing in-car cameras and other sensors that monitor the driver and allow the car to intervene if a clearly intoxicated or distracted driver does not respond to warning signals and is risking an accident involving serious injury or death.

That intervention could involve limiting the car’s speed, alerting the Volvo on Call assistance service and, as a final course of action, actively slowing down and safely parking the car.

“When it comes to safety, our aim is to avoid accidents altogether rather than limit the impact when an accident is imminent and unavoidable,” says Henrik Green, Senior Vice President, Research & Development at Volvo Cars. “In this case, cameras will monitor for behaviour that may lead to serious injury or death.”

Examples of such behavior include a complete lack of steering input for extended periods of time, drivers who are detected to have their eyes closed or off the road for extended periods of time, as well as extreme weaving across lanes or excessively slow reaction times.

A driver monitoring system as described above is an important element of allowing the car to actively make decisions in order to help avoid accidents that could result in severe injuries or death.

“There are many accidents that occur as a result of intoxicated drivers,” says Trent Victor, Professor of Driver Behaviour at Volvo Cars. “Some people still believe that they can drive after having had a drink, and that this will not affect their capabilities. We want to ensure that people are not put in danger as a result of intoxication.”

Introduction of the cameras on all Volvo models will start on the next generation of Volvo’s scalable SPA2 vehicle platform in the early 2020s. Details on the exact amount of cameras and their positioning in the interior will follow at a later stage.

Today’s announcement should be viewed together with the company limiting the top speed on all its cars to 180 kph from model year 2021, in order to send a strong signal about the dangers of speeding.

The company wants to start a conversation about whether car makers have the right or maybe even the obligation to install technology in cars that changes their drivers’ behaviour. Both the speed limit and the installation of in-car cameras illustrate how car makers can take active responsibility for the aim of achieving zero traffic fatalities by supporting better driver behaviour.

Volvo Cars today also revealed the Care Key, which allows Volvo drivers to impose limitations on the car’s top speed on all cars from model year 2021, before lending their car to others.

The Care Key, the monitoring cameras, the speed limit as well existing driver assistance systems all serve one single aim: to support safer driving.

The new Ducati Diavel 1260 has won one of the most prestigious international awards for design, the “Red Dot Award: Best of the Best” in the Product Design category.

Each year since 1955, the “Red Dot Design Award” has been assigned to the most original and worthy entries in terms of design and innovation. After evaluating over 5,500 products, a highly qualified jury made up of 40 international experts has assigned the new Diavel 1260 with the prestigious title “Red Dot Award 2019: Best of the Best”.

This is the third winner for the Bologna-based company, following the previous awards won by two such iconic motorcycles as the 1199 Panigale in 2013 and the XDiavel S in 2016, showing how a Ducati bike can be an icon of style, innovation and performance.

“It’s never easy to win such important and sought-after recognition as the Red Dot Award. Succeeding for the third time thanks to another iconic bike like the Diavel 1260 is a tribute to the creativity and innovation of Ducati, which fills us with pride,” commented Andrea Ferraresi, Ducati Style Centre Manager. “Even though we are aware that our motorcycles are exciting, refined and good-looking, it is always gratifying and stimulating for those who work in the field of design and style to receive such important recognition. A huge number of entries from major protagonists of design throughout the world competed for the award. Now we look forward to the same level of enthusiasm from our fans; the bikes are in fact already available through Ducati dealers.”