Fast Car

Tuesday, 8 July 2014

Nepal – India-made Tata Marcopolo Starbus Ultra range launched

The Tata Marcopolo Starbus Ultra range of commercial vehicles with seating capacity ranging from 30 to 46 passengers, has been launched in Nepal. The buses will be imported as CBUs from India.

Tata Marcopolo Starbus Ultra Nepal launch

The Tata Marcopolo Starbus Ultra range in Nepal will be distributed by Sipradi Group.

The Marcopolo Starbus Ultra caters to the mid-premium segment of the passenger commercial vehicles. The vehicles are available in both city and school bus configurations (Ultra Skool) and can be specified with features such as wide entry, air conditioner and reclining seats with armrests and head rests.

The 30 seater variant is powered by Tata’s 4SP DICOR four-cylinder diesel engine that puts out 125 bhp (93 KW) and 320 Nm of torque. The 36, 42 and 46 seater variants are powered by the company’s 497 Turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine that outputs 123 bhp (92 KW) and 400 Nm of torque. All variants are equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission.

The Starbus Ultra has seating capacity ranging from 30 to 46 passengers.

The Tata Marcopolo Startbus Ultra range is being manufactured at the automaker’s production plant in Dharwad, Karnataka. The buses are being imported and distributed in Nepal by Sipradi Group, the authorized distributor of Tata Motors products in the country.
The vehicles come with a warranty of 3,00,000km/3 years for the chassis and the aggregates, and a 18 month warranty for the body.

Hero Motocorp lays foundation stone for manufacturing plant in Colombia

Hero Motocorp entered Colombia by forming a wholly owned subsidiary under the name Hero Motocorp Ltd. Colombia SAS (HMCL Colombia SAS).
Mr.Pawan Munjal, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Hero MotoCorp Ltd, has laid the foundation stone for a full fledged manufacturing plant at Villa Rica, Colombia. The plant will have an annual production capacity of 78,000 units and is expected to go on stream towards the middle of the FY2016. The capacity can be expanded to 150,000 units in the future. The facility will be spread over 17 acres.

Hero Motocorp Colombia factory foundation stone laying ceremony

Hero Motocorp’s CEO Pawan Munjal lays the foundation stone for the Colombian manufacturing plant in Villa Rica.

Hero Motocorp has announced that it will invest USD 70 million/INR 419.2 crore (capex of USD 38 million and the rest as working capital for the next three year period) in Colombia in the next 3-4 years. The local manufacturing operation is expected to create significant direct and indirect job opportunities in the country.

Colombia is the 20th international market for Hero Motocorp which has presence in Asia, Africa, Southern and Central America. By 2020, the world’s largest two wheeler maker aims to expand its global presence to 50 markets with manufacturing facilities in 20 countries. As far as financial targets are concerned, the company is looking to achieve an annual turnover of INR 60,000 crore by the end of this decade.
Other international markets that are on Hero Motocorp’s radar are US and Brazil.

5 things we know about the Fiat Punto Evo (facelift)

The Fiat Punto facelift (Fiat Punto Evo) has been spied inside out before its launch expected later this month or early next month. The refreshed Punto would lock horns with the VW Polo facelift that is scheduled to launch on July 15 and the next gen Hyundai i20 which is also near its D-Day, apart from the Maruti Swift and Tata Bolt.

Here are the list of 5 things that we already know about the upcoming premium hatchback.

1. Restyled front fascia

Fiat Punto Evo Facelift vs old Fiat Punto front

The new front fascia is nothing like that of the current car (left).

The Fiat Punto Evo’s front fascia is a far cry from that of the aging current model. The new peeled back headlamps and chrome outlined grille were borrowed from its upcoming crossover sibling, the Avventura.
The bumper incorporates chrome foglight enclosures and looks similar to the Fiat Viaggio sedan from China

Spied – IAB reader clicks the next gen Mahindra Bolero test mule

Like the Mahindra S101 mini SUV and the Scorpio facelift, the next gen Mahindra Bolero is also being tested extensively. Here is the latest spyshot of the new Bolero, clicked by IAB reader Mr. Satyajeet.
The current Bolero is available in varying lengths and the new gen model is also expected to have a similar family of variants. So far, the test mules of the upcoming UV, codenamed U301, have been remarkably shorter than the current Bolero suggesting that there is a sub-4 metre variant in the new lineup. A sub-4 metre product would bring down the entry level price point of the Bolero significantly.

The next gen Mahindra Bolero is expected to launch in late-2015.

The next gen Bolero is reported to be underpinned by a new hydro-formed ladder frame chassis. The sub-4 metre variant is expected to be powered by a 1.5-litre diesel engine to comply with the Indian small car norm.

The testing is still in its early stages and hence prototypes have temporary body panels. Except the facts that the spare wheel will continue to be mounted on the tailgate and the silhouette will be boxy, there is no clear information about the new UV’s styling traits.
Dr. Pawan Goenka, president and chief executive, Automotive and Farm Equipment Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra, earlier said that the company will launch two new compact SUVs next year. While the S101 is the first compact SUV, the sub-4 metre version of the next gen Bolero could be the second one.
Competitors: Tata Sumo, Chevrolet Tavera
Expected price: INR 5.5 – 8 lakhs, ex-showroom

Kuldeep Gill on the Tata Nexon SUV – “Coming to the party a bit late, we’ll still win”

Tata Motors announced its plan to enter the lucrative soft-roader segment at the Auto Expo this year. The company revealed the Nexon SUV concept which is confirmed to enter production within the next 20 months. Even as Tata say they’re on track in bringing out the production Nexon within that timeframe, competitors have already announced/showcased their respective competitors.

Tata Nexon Concept front three quarters at Geneva

The Tata Nexon concept was shown at the Auto Expo and at the Geneva Motor Show this year.

VW for example showcased a revised Taigun concept at the Expo, while Renault is reportedly planning a sub-Duster crossover. Hyundai would launch the ix25 (not a sub-4 meter offering) next year, and Mahindra will launch not one, but two compact SUVs next year.
Speaking to Indian Autos Blog at a recent event, Tata Motors president for passenger vehicles, Mr. Ranjit Yadav, said -

I’ve said at the Auto Expo as well that some people would argue you’re coming to the party a bit late, but what we’ve in the vehicle will make us come well. We’ll still win, because that’s what we’ve built into the vehicle.

Tata Nexon Concept seating official image

The Nexon was shown with a 1.2-liter three-cylinder petrol engine.

The Nexon concept was showcased with a three-cylinder 1.2-liter turbocharged petrol engine producing 110 PS and 170 Nm of torque. The car used a 5-speed automatic transmission and came with an electric 4WD system.
Competitors: Ford EcoSport, Mahindra S101, VW Taigun
Expected Price: INR 5-7 lakhs, ex-Showroom

Bajaj Pulsar 150 NS snapped up close

The Bajaj Pulsar family which currently consists of five variants (Pulsar 135 LS, 150, 180, 200 NS and 220) is set for an expansion in the coming months. The faired Pulsar 200 SS along with the SS 400 and CS 400 that were unveiled at the Auto Expo, would take the popular brand upmarket while the 150 NS and 180 NS are aimed at keeping the volume spectrum of the premium bike segment covered.

The Bajaj Pulsar 150 NS has a kick starter for backup.

The Bajaj Pulsar 150 NS has been spotted testing without any camouflage and these closeup spyshots reveal some finer details of the bike. The Pulsar 150 NS inherits the design from its bigger sibling but gets a single piece seat instead of the latter’s split type. The foot pegs are from the Pulsar 135 LS’s parts catalog.
The Pulsar 150 NS is equipped with a monoshock rear suspension and the rear tyre size (100/90 – 17) is same as that of the current Pulsar 150. The new motorcycle is expected to borrow its 149 cc DTS-i engine from the Pulsar 150. The motor generates 14.7 bhp and 12.5 Nm of torque and would come mated to a 5-speed gearbox.

The rear suspension is a monoshock element as seen in the Pulsar 200 NS.

Earlier media reports and test mule sightings suggest a Pulsar 180 NS variant is also in the making. The new Pulsar models are expected to be launched in quick succession starting this festive season.
Competitors: Yamaha FZ FI V2.0, Suzuki Gixxer, Honda CB Trigger, TVS Apache, Hero Xtreme
Expected Price: INR 72,500 to 80,000, ex-showroom

Tata’s Revotron engine family to power future UVs and SUVs

Tata’s new 1.2-liter turbocharged Revotron engine will power the company’s Zest and Bolt, the two most significant launches for Tata Motors in recent times. Going forward, the engine technology will be used on a range of vehicles across Tata’s portfolio.
Speaking to Indian Autos Blog, Mr. Ranjit Yadav, president of Tata Motors passenger cars division said -

The Revotron is a brand we’ll proliferate across a range of vehicles. I’m not saying it (Revotron) is a family of small engines only.

The Revotron, a turbocharged MPFI engine technology with three driving modes, will serve on a family of engines powering Tata cars small and large.

Cars that are categorized as utility vehicles (SUVs and MUVs) will also benefit from this engine technology. Says Mr. Girish Wagh, senior vice president for program planning and project management of Tata Motors -

We’re going to have the Revotron family certainly in the entire car portfolio, and as we go ahead we will also see it in UVs. We see some utility vehicles coming with gasoline engines, some of our future UVs… Going ahead we’ll evaluate if it has to go into the Tata Nano as well.

Tata’s other gasoline engines are the 2.1-liter four-cylinder unit used on the Safari and Xenon and a 1.4-liter four-cylinder unit employed on the Indica platform products. These engines principally serve export markets where petrol is the preferred fuel.
The 1.2L Revotron engine for the Bolt and Zest will produce 90 PS of power and 140 Nm of torque. The engine will come paired to a 5-speed manual transmission, and an automated manual transmission (AMT) is not under immediate consideration for this petrol engine.