Hyundai i20: 1.4l diesel, petrol automatic variants launched

The bigger-engined i20 duo means the Honda Jazz should be a bit worried now...

Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) has launched two new variants of the i20 hatchback, with 1.4-litre common-rail diesel and 1.4-litre petrol engines. The 1.4-litre petrol variant is also available with an optional automatic transmission, the first such option in this segment.

While the Hyundai i20 is the best looking hatchback currently on sale in India, its 1.2-litre engine feels barely adequate for the car, which is heavier than the smaller i10 with which it shares the 'Kappa' engine. The new engines should certainly remedy the lack of power. The 1.4-litre CRDI engine makes 90 horsepower at 4,000rpm and 220Nm of torque at 1,750-2,750rpm, and the 1.4-litre petrol engine produces 100bhp at 5,500 revs and 136Nm of torque at 4,200rpm. The latter is coupled to a four-speed automatic gearbox, which should be just right for city driving. [We do wish, however, that the auto ’box was a five- or six-speeder instead of a four-speed unit. Four-speed automatics are so outdated...]

Both the new i20 variants will be offered with safety features like ABS, EBD and multiple airbags, which is a definite plus. Depending on the spec, the i20 diesel is priced between Rs 6.19-7.20 lakh, while the 1.4 petrol automatic is priced between Rs 7.31- 7.72 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi.

In the meanwhile, Hyundai plans to move a part of i20 production from Chennai to one of its facilities in either Turkey, the Czech Republic or Slovakia. This would allow it to save on import duties and logistics costs in European markets, where the i20 is fast gaining popularity. India will, however, remain the main production hub for the i20.

Honda to launch Jazz 1.5 in India, in 2010

Bigger-engine, more power for the Honda Jazz? Yes, please!

Honda Siel is all set to launch a new variant of its ‘premium’ hatchback, the Jazz, by early-2010. The Jazz, which is currently sold in India with a 1.2-litre petrol engine that makes a barely-adequate 89bhp, is likely to get the City’s 1.5-litre engine, with a rather more respectable 105-110 horsepower. The Jazz 1.5, which could be launched in India by end-2009 or early next year, will also be offered with an optional automatic transmission.

The Jazz 1.5 is likely to cost about 10-15% more than the current Jazz 1.2, but for those who don’t mind spending a bit more to get better drivability, the car would be well worth the extra dough.

Suzuki adds diesel option to Grand Vitara range in Europe

The three-door Suzuki Grand Vitara (not the five-door model you see here) is now available with a 1.9-litre diesel engine in Europe...

While Maruti Suzuki recently launched the latest edition of the Grand Vitara SUV, fitted with a 2.4-litre petrol engine, in India, Suzuki is now offering two new engine options in Europe. These engines, which we don’t get here, include a 1.6-litre petrol and more interestingly, a 1.9-litre common-rail diesel. However, these new engine options are only available on the three-door (rather than the five-door version which is available in India) version.

Along with the new engine options, the Suzuki Grand Vitara also gets bits like ABS, EBD, an Electronic Stability Programme (ESP), six airbags, 16-inch alloy wheels (17-inchers being optional), automatic air-conditioning, rear privacy glass and in-dash 6-CD-changer with MP3 compatibility.

We wonder if the diesel engine option would be useful for India, and whether Maruti Suzuki should launch a diesel variant of the five-door Grand Vitara for the Indian market. The 1,870cc common-rail diesel produces 129bhp at 3,750rpm and 221Nm of torque at 2,000 revs. Its outright performance would certainly not be comparable to the 2.4-litre petrol, but for those who may be looking for diesel economy, this 1.9-litre engine just might be the right choice…

Volvo XC60 R-Design tries its hand at ‘sport’

The Volvo XC90 R-Design Midlife Crisis edition

Today seems to be the day when all these supposedly extra-sporty SUVs are coming out of the closet. First it was the truly horrid 1980s-style Techart Porsche Cayenne and now it’s the ‘look at me, I’m going through a raging midlife crisis’ Volvo XC60 R-Design. It’s nowhere near as bad as the Porsche, but it’s still a 40-year-old wanting to be a teenager. Volvo is supposed to make safe, reliable and slightly dull sedans and estates, so what’s with the big wheels, flared wheelarches and bright red paint…?

Anyway, Volvo will present the new R-Design option pack at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show and, according to Volvo, its muscular curves and sharply contoured tail lamps give the car an even more purposeful and bold appearance. ‘The R-Design model boosts the XC60's already sporty aura and gives the car an even more refined character in terms of both driving experience and design. These are properties that we know appeal to the discerning buyers of this type of cars,’ says Lennart Stegland, president of Volvo Special Vehicles.

Techart tries its hand at restyling the Porsche Cayenne

If Techart's aim was to make the Porsche Cayenne even uglier, they've certainly succeeded!

The Porsche Cayenne is already one of the ugliest, most pointless SUVs in the world. So what do you do if you’ve been wise enough to buy one? Why, you take it to Techart, of course. According to a press release issued by Techart, it is a ‘German Porsche tuning company renowned for creating some of the world’s finest bespoke vehicles.’ Well, we wouldn’t know. The Techart-fettled Cayenne Diesel you see here certainly looks ugly as sin…

Anyway, if you like wearing tight, shiny-white trousers and white leather shoes to go with it, you just might like this Techart Cayenne, which looks like it’s walked off the sets of a C-grade television series from the 1980s. According to Techart, its ‘upgrade range has been developed to provide subtle enhancements to power, handling and styling, complemented by a range of interior trim options that can take the vehicle from comfortable to opulent.’ Ha, ha and ha...!

We could go into the details of the bodykit and bigger wheels and paint and interior trim, but we won’t. The only useful thing that Techart has done is that it has boosted the Cayenne Diesel’s power out from 240bhp to 290bhp and torque from 550 to 630Nm. But then again, in a vehicle as massively ugly, heavy and ungainly as this, those power figures are quite pointless really.

Worst looking SUV in the world? We’re convinced it’s this one. However, not all Techart vehicles are so bad. Take a look at this very cool 911 GT2, for example. Maybe Techart should stick with supercars and not meddle with SUVs...?

Yamaha India launches Fazer 150, claims it has the best products in the Indian market

The new Yamaha Fazer 150 is here, but when is Yamaha going to do a 250cc version...?!

Yamaha has launched a semi-faired variant of its bestselling FZ16/FZ-S model in India. The new version is called the Fazer 150 and is priced at Rs 72,000 ex-showroom, Delhi. Yamaha also inaugurated its new manufacturing facility at Surajpur, in Uttar Pradesh, where the Fazer and other bikes will be made.

The Fazer is essentially the same motorcycle as the FZ16/FZ-S, but with the addition of a small fairing up front. The bike is fitted with the same air-cooled, carburetted, single-cylinder, two-valve, SOHC 150cc engine that produces a mere 14 horsepower. The Fazer looks reasonably okay, but is nowhere near as good looking as its ‘naked’ siblings, the FZ16 and FZ-S. Also, the bike only offers very basic engine performance, which is not very likely to satisfy bike enthusiasts in India, who’ve been waiting for Yamaha to launch a bike with a 250cc or bigger engine.

‘The new Fazer is the latest addition in our portfolio of technologically superior bikes including YZF-R15, FZ16 and FZ-S, which exhibit Yamaha's global ingredients – performance, innovation and design – and are the best products currently in the market,’ claimed Yukimine Tsuji, CEO and MD, India Yamaha Motor Ltd. [Of course, Tsuji’s claims notwithstanding, whether or not these really are the ‘best’ products in the Indian market is still very much open to debate. Also, before he gets too cocky, Tsuji should probably look back at the post-RX100 to pre-FZ16/R15 days, when Yamaha got a proper kicking in the Indian market for almost 10 years…]

According to a statement issued by the company, Yamaha’s new plant at Surajpur will have the capacity to produce 600,000 bikes per annum, which can be increased to a million units if required.

Fiat, Guangzhou Automobiles to sign strategic alliance agreement

Fiat cars will once again be made in China from 2011 onwards

Fiat SpA will today sign an agreement for entering into a strategic alliance with China's Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group and starting in 2011, the two companies will produce the Fiat Linea, Bravo and Grande Punto models in China.

Fiat was present in China till 2007, via an alliance with Chinese company Nanjing Automotive. However, that alliance came to an end about two years ago, after which Fiat has not been selling cars in China.

Hero Group backtracks on commercial vehicles plan

Daimler will go ahead with its commercial vehicles plan for India, sans Hero. The company will start production of its commercial vehicles at Chennai in 2010

The Hero Group, which had signed an agreement with German company Daimler AG last year, for getting into production of heavy commercial vehicles, has finally decided not to go ahead with the venture.

Daimler and the Hero Group had planned to invest as much as Rs 2,300 crore in their joint venture for making trucks, Hero has decided to pull out because of the worldwide economic slowdown and the ongoing slump in demand in India for commercial vehicles. ‘We have no further plans of entering into the commercial vehicle segment. Things are shelved for the moment and as of now, we do not have any plans for making commercial vehicles in the future,’ said Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman, Hero Corporate Services.

Daimler, on the other hand, will still go ahead with its plans to manufacture commercial vehicles in India, at its upcoming plant near Chennai. The German company has bought Hero’s stake in the JV for about Rs 105 crore and will start production of its trucks in 2010, with the plant having an initial production capacity of 70,000 units per year.

Classic Cars: Jeremy Clarkson on the Lamborghini Countach

'A full SAS workout, at 270km/h. That’s what it was like in a Countach,' says Jeremy Clarkson

Here at India Automotive, if there’s one car we’ve always fantasised about, it’s the Lamborghini Countach. For sheer spectacle, drama and over-the-top histrionics, the Countach was unbeatable. Sure, the Miura was classically beautiful and the Diablo and Murcielago are far more capable, but as a boyhood-fantasy-fulfilling Italian supercar, the brutal old Countach remains in a league of its own…

Now we’ve never actually driven a Countach or even been anywhere near one. And, well, because of reasons that are probably obvious, that’s the way it’s likely to remain. But while we’ll never be able to bring you our personal experiences with the car, what we do have here is a recent article that Jeremy Clarkson wrote for the UK-based Times Online. He talks about the Lamborghini Countach in this spellbinding piece of prose and here are some excerpts:

‘As a 14-year-old boy when I first saw a Countach, I couldn’t believe any of it. Not the noise. Not the lowness – it was only 42in tall. Not the vast rear wing. Not the monstrous size of the tyres. And certainly not the claims that it would do 270km/h. At the time, you must remember, the world was a slower place so 270km/h was about Mach 6.’

‘It was many years before I actually got to drive one, and oh my God ... as disappointments go, this was like getting your girlfriend’s kit off for the first time and discovering she had an Adam’s apple.’

‘The steering wasn’t heavy. An elephant is heavy. A school is heavy. An American is heavy. The Lambo’s steering was in another league. Sometimes, you’d try to turn the wheel to go round a corner and, for a fleeting moment, you actually thought the whole system had jammed.’

‘And then there was the clutch. If they’d set the pedal in concrete, it would have been easier to depress. And all the while, you were rammed into a space that was tiny and very, very hot. I’m sure you’ve all seen The Bridge on the River Kwai hundreds of times, which means I’m also sure you remember the box in which Alec Guinness was made to live. Well, imagine being in there, on a sweaty day, while doing a full SAS workout, at 270km/h. That’s what it was like in a Countach.’

‘Parking, however, was even worse because you could not see out of the back, at all. The window would only wind down an inch. The car was wider than the owner of a Cheshire tanning salon and, to complicate everything even more, you could be assured you would be trying to get kerbside while under the scrutiny of a very sizeable audience.’

‘You might have imagined as you took delivery of your new Lamborghini that you would spend the rest of your life drowning in girls. Afraid not. Because you didn’t step out of a Countach; you crawled out, sweating, exhausted and dehydrated to the point of death. Sex? It was the absolute last thing on your mind…’

Hmmm… pretty vivid, that account of the Countach. And yet, we still want one. Why? Watch this chase sequence from the 1980s classic, The Cannonball Run, and you might understand…

It was the Lamborghini Countach that was the real star of The Cannonball Run...

China is now the world’s biggest car market, 2009 cars sales estimated at 10.3 million units

China has now toppled the US from the no.1 spot in terms of annual car sales

China has inched ahead of the US during the first half of this year, becoming the world’s largest car market in the process. While official sales data will only be available next week, January-June 2009 car sales figures in China are estimated to be at around six million units and it’s expected that sales figure for the full year will be at 10-10.3 million units.

In the US, January-June 2009 car sales figures stood at 4.8 million units – a massive decline of 35% over last year’s figures. The downward trend is expected to continue and analysts in the US predict that China will probably continue to stay ahead of the US in terms of car sales from now on.

Another statistic that provides a glimpse at how much of a car market powerhouse China really is, is that no less than 89 new car models were launched in China during the first six months of this year. Yes, that’s an average of one new car being launched every two days, of which 73 were cars, nine were SUVs, six were MPVs and one was a crossover.

Of course, 89 new cars being launched in six months may not really be much of a good thing. Automotive experts and analysts in China expect a lot of consolidation to happen in the Chinese car market over the next few years, as the market matures.

Zonda Cinque Roadster offers 678bhp, open-top thrills for 1.3 million euro

The 678bhp Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster costs 1.3 million euros (Rs 8.68 crore)!

Pagani has launched one more version of its outrageous supercar, the V12-engined Zonda. This time, it’s the convertible version of the Zonda Cinque coupe – the Cinque Roadster.

The new variant gets a redesigned carbon-titanium chassis, multi-mode sequential six-speed gearbox and adjustable suspension to go with the storming AMG-fettled V12 engine from Mercedes-Benz, which produces 678 horsepower and 780Nm of torque.

Other lust-worthy bits on the Roadster include 19-inch forged aluminium-magnesium wheels, leather/carbonfibre racing seats and Brembo carbon-ceramic disc brakes with six-piston callipers. The car weighs just 1,210kg dry and goes from zero to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds, zero to 200km/h in 9.6 seconds and hits a top speed of around 320km/h.

Of course, since the Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster also costs 1.3 million euros (Rs 8.68 crore!), the closest you are likely to ever get to this car is clicking its pics on India Automotive… :-)

Here's a video of Fifth Gear's Jason Plato, testing the Pagani Zonda F

Volvo Trucks bags order for 125 trucks from Vijay Leasing in India

Vijay Leasing has placed an order for 125 of these FM-series Volvo Trucks!

Based in Hyderabad, Vijay Leasing Company has placed an order for 125 Volvo FM-series trucks. This is the largest order that Volvo Trucks has ever received in the 10 years during which it’s been present in India.

The sale is being conducted through VE Commercial Vehicles, which is a joint-venture launched in 2008 between Volvo and Eicher Motors. The trucks will be delivered over the next 1-2 months and will be used in coal and steel mines in southern India. The vehicles will join a fleet of 108 Volvo trucks already owned by Vijay Leasing Company.

‘We are observing positive signs of a recovery regarding light trucks and buses. In terms of heavy trucks, the market is still declining, but at a slower rate,’ says Pär Östberg, member of Volvo's Group Executive Management and President of Trucks Asia.

Skoda Fabia to get revised 1.2-litre petrol engine

The new 1.2-litre petrol engine could be introduced on the India-spec Skoda Fabia by early-2010. This engine will also be offered on the VW Polo

Škoda has started building a revised version of its 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine at its plant in Mladá Boleslav in the Czech Republic. And yes, this new engine is quite likely to find its way into the Skoda Fabia 1.2 that’s sold in India as well as the Volkswagen Polo that’ll go on sale here in 2010.

The revised 1.2-litre engine gets a cogged belt to drive the camshafts (instead of the old timing chain) and a lighter crankshaft. The benefits are said to be reduced weight, smoother running and better fuel efficiency.

Mugen Euro confirms development of Civic Type R prototype

The Mugen Honda Civic Type R prototype looks awesome!

Confirming earlier speculation, Mugen Euro has now confirmed that it is indeed working on a highly-tuned Mugen-Honda Civic Type R concept/prototype road car, using the same powertrain as the Civic Mugen RR saloon launched in 2007 in Japan.

The car is being developed in Japan by Mugen Euro, the Northampton, UK-based subsidiary of Honda’s long standing tuning partner Mugen. At this stage, the car is being prepared purely as a prototype model though it’s slated for extensive tests later this year.

To enhance the performance of the already-impressive Civic Type R, Mugen Euro will tune Honda’s 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine to produce more power and torque, as well as developing the brakes, exhaust and suspension. Externally, the Civic will take on an even more aggressive appearance, with a new aerodynamic package including a larger rear boot spoiler.

‘In standard trim, the Honda Civic Type R is a thrilling machine to drive. It is a fantastic base model from which we hope to develop one of the quickest point to point front-wheel-drive road cars in the country,’ says Hiro Toyoda, Vice President of Mugen Euro.

Volvo to step up development of fuel cells

Volvo might actually be producing fuel cell powered cars in the not-too-distant future!

In partnership with Midroc and OCAS, the Swedish Energy Agency and the Volvo Group are investing SEK200 million (Rs 123 crore) in Volvo’s development of fuel cells. To accelerate the introduction of fuel cells into the market, the Volvo Group, through its company Volvo Technology Transfer, will receive investment from the companies Midroc New Technology and OCAS, as well as from the Swedish Energy Agency.

The above corporations will together make an investment of SEK200 million in Powercell Sweden AB, which is owned by Volvo Technology Transfer. Following the investment, however, Volvo will be a minority owner in the company.

A fuel cell resembles a small battery. It is charged with hydrogen gas and converts this into electricity, water and carbon dioxide through a chemical reaction. The areas of use include power supply units for cars and trucks. Compared with normal diesel or petrol engines, fuel cells produce significantly less carbon dioxide and no emissions at all of particulates and nitrogen oxides. In addition, they are more efficient, smaller and lighter.

‘I am proud that we are building this company on a technology that has been developed by Volvo for 15 years,’ says Per Ekdunge, CEO of Powercell Sweden. The company Powercell Sweden AB is based on two patented components: a fuel converter (reformer) and a PEM fuel cell – the type of fuel cell most often used in transport applications. The fuel converter produces hydrogen gas from bio fuels such as ethanol, DME (Dimethyl ether), biogas, methanol and biodiesel, but also from regular diesel or gasoline. The PEM fuel cell then converts the hydrogen gas into electricity.

‘Thanks to our reformer technology we are now ready to start our production without having to wait for an infrastructure for the distribution of hydrogen gas. This is truly a major step in the development of fuel cells,’ says Ekdunge.

Tata Nano to be launched in Nigeria in 2010

Next year, the Tata Nano will be launched in Nigeria

Tata Motors will launch its Rs one lakh wonder car – the Nano – in Nigeria next year. ‘Tata Motors will make the Nano available in Nigeria in the next one year to one and a half years,’ says Sudeep Ray of Tata Africa Nigeria.

The Nano will cost around Naira 360,000 (Rs 1.16 lakh) in Nigeria, which is said to be significantly lower than most used cars sold in that country. At this time, however, it’s not clear whether the Nano will be exported to Nigeria as a CBU or whether the car will be assembled there.

Tata Motors is also working towards launching the Nano in European markets by 2012. The Euro-spec Nano will be slightly bigger than the Indian Nano and will be fitted with a bigger, more powerful engine.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 launched in India

The new Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.4 is significantly more powerful than the older version, which was fitted with a 2.0-litre mill

Maruti Suzuki has announced the launch of its latest Grand Vitara SUV in India, which is fitted with a four-cylinder, 2.4-litre (instead of the older model’s 2.0-litre) petrol engine. This engine, which features variable valve timing (VVT) technology, produces 163.5 horsepower and 225Nm of torque.

The new Grand Vitara comes with 4-mode 4WD, disc brakes all around, 17-inch alloy wheels, 6-CD changer, multi information display (MID) instrumentation and is priced at Rs 16.67 lakh for the manual transmission version and Rs 17.97 lakh for the automatic.

Special Edition Nissan 370Z goes yellow

With this shade of yellow, the Nissan 370Z obviously isn't for everyone...

Nissan is now offering a special, limited edition version of its 370Z sports coupe, which is painted in a shade that Nissan calls ‘Ultimate Yellow.’ Indeed, as Nissan says, the car is not for shrinking violets…

With 331 horsepower from its V6, the Ultimate Yellow 370Z also gets 19-inch forged alloy wheels, special 370Z graphics, black leather and suede interiors, integrated satellite navigation system, illuminated entry plates, a Bose stereo with eight speakers and six-CD changer and… a dozen other cool bits and gizmos.

With its six-speed manual gearbox (a seven-speed automatic is optional), the Yellow sprints from rest to 100km/h in 5.3 seconds and goes on to a restricted top speed of 250km/h. In Europe, prices for this 370Z start at the equivalent of Rs 25 lakh and, of course, Nissan has no plans of bringing this special edition car to India.

Hitachi to increase lithium-ion battery production by 70 times!

When the Chevrolet Volt comes out next year, it's likely to be fitted with batteries made by Hitachi. The Japanese company will li-ion battery production by 70 times, by 2015!

According to a Reuters report, Hitachi Ltd., Japan's biggest industrial electronics group, plans to increase production capacity for lithium-ion batteries by 70 times, by 2015. The company will invest about 25 billion Yen towards this massive capacity expansion for its li-ion batteries, which will be used in hybrid cars.

Hitachi is said to have received orders for lithium-ion batteries from GM, for 100,000 hybrid cars that the American carmaker intends to produce and sell from 2010. Each hybrid car can be quipped with anywhere from 30-50 li-ion batteries and Hitachi wants to be able to supply batteries for as many as 700,000 hybrid cars per annum.

Production of Hitachi’s li-ion batteries will take place at the company’s subsidiary Hitachi Vehicle Energy Ltd's Tokai works in the Ibaraki Prefecture. These batteries are supposed to deliver much higher power output and weigh only half as much as older nickel-metal hydride ones.

According to the report, the global market for hybrid car batteries will be worth around 600 billion Yen in 2015 and Hitachi wants to corner 15-20% of that market.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week kicks off in Berlin

Photographer Peter Lindbergh created these visuals with the beautiful new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé along with Mercedes-Benz's fashion brand ambassador, Julia Stegner. Dresses for Ms Stegner and other models were provided by fashion label Escada

The fifth edition of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week kicked off in Berlin yesterday, and will conclude on Saturday, the 4th of this month. The first two days of what’s said to be Germany’s most important fashion event saw a unique fusion of fashion and automobiles.

DTM racing driver Susie Stoddart drove in with Mercedes-Benz fashion brand ambassador Julia Stegner, in the SLR Roadster, to the red carpet at Berlin’s famous Bebelplatz. ‘I think it’s fantastic that Mercedes-Benz, as part of its worldwide fashion activities, gives outstanding talents from domestic markets the chance to present their fashions on a major international runway,’ said Stegner.

Among the various activities at the Fashion Week, Gorden Wagener, head of Mercedes-Benz design, showed how modern automotive design works. At the Mercedes-Benz designo stand, Wagener’s team of designers created a likeness of the new E-Class Coupé by arranging strips of coloured adhesive tape on a large display. Similar to the sketches and patterns employed in fashion design, the so-called tape technique is a creative process used to develop forms and silhouettes for new vehicles.

Ever since the debut of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin in July 2007, Mercedes-Benz designers have been on hand to demonstrate in person how the design of a new vehicle is created.

Star photographer Peter Lindbergh created an impressive montage of visuals with the beautiful new E-Class Coupé along with Julia Stegner, wearing an exclusive evening dress by Escada, and a bevy of other models. The visuals will later be used in various marketing and promo campaigns for the E-Class Coupé, which, unfortunately enough, isn’t very likely to come to India.

Still, enjoy the pics and watch the video below to get a glimpse of what one of Germany’s best fashion shows looks like!

Highlights of the ongoing 2009 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Berlin

Fiat 500 C: The coolest contemporary Fiat goes on sale in the UK today

Yes indeed, the 500 C has to be one of the coolest Fiats ever...!

We’ll admit we have a soft corner for Fiat – the Italian company as well as its cars are a bit special. Compared with Fiats, Hyundais, Toyotas, Skodas, Chevrolets, Fords and various other brands (with the notable exception of Honda!) are all a bit soul-less. What can we say, maybe it’s all that Italian passion and brio that runs through cars produced by Fiat…

Anyway, we think the cars that Fiat has recently launched in India – the Linea and Grande Punto – are quite cool. Sure, they could use bigger, more powerful engines for better drivability, but these cars look quite good. However, for us, the coolest contemporary Fiat is one that isn’t available in India yet – the 500 C.

With the 500 C, Fiat has taken what was already its coolest car – the 500 – and dropped its top. And, of course, who can ever resist a topless Italian beauty?! With its electrically-operated sliding soft top, the Fiat 500 C convertible went on sale in the UK today (the UK being the first market in the world where this car is being made available, ahead of even Italy!), and colours include ivory, red and black.

The Fiat 500 C comes with a choice of petrol and diesel engines – a 75bhp 1.3-litre MultiJet turbodiesel, 69bhp 1.2-litre petrol and 100bhp 1.4-litre petrol, available with manual or automatic transmissions. The ‘cool’ factor continues inside, with Frau leather upholstery, automatic climate control, an innovative Interscope Hi-Fi system, Blue&Me portable navigation unit and a dozen other optional gizmos.

The 500 C is also a very safe car, what with seven airbags, anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake distribution (EBD), an advanced electronic stability program (ESP), anti-slip regulation (ASR) and hydraulic brake assistance (HBA) to help with emergency stops.

Fiat, which brought the standard 500 to India last year (albeit as a CBU, priced at a rather outrageous Rs 15 lakh!), should certainly look at getting the 500 C to India. For those who can afford to spend Rs 15-17 lakh on their car, the 500 C convertible could represent a slice of topless motoring heaven…

New BMW X1 unveiled, likely to come to India by early-2010

The new X1 is BMW's smallest SAV yet...

BMW created SUV history of sorts with the X5, which was launched about 10 years ago. With 1.5 million units of the X5 having been sold over the past decade, BMW has kept the momentum going with its other SUVs and crossovers, the X3 and the X6.

Now, the German carmaker is all set to launch yet another model in the X-series line-up – the X1 – which will be its smallest SUV (or, as BMW prefers to put it, SAV – Sports Activity Vehicle) yet. The BMW X1 will be offered with a choice of diesel and petrol engines, rear- and four-wheel-drive, six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes and even stop-start technology for improved fuel efficiency.

According to BMW, ‘The design of the new X1 is stylish and sporting, yet practical. Short overhangs front and rear, typical of every BMW, ensure the best basis for optimum handling. The profile of the car belies an interior space that sees five adults seated comfortably along with their luggage.’

As with all BMW vehicles, the X1 will be offered with a wide range of optional add-ons; bits like satellite navigation systems, sports seats in Oyster Nevada leather, anthracite headlining and high-spec wood trim. The X1 will go on sale in Europe by October this year and we expect the car to come to India by early-2010. Prices are likely to start at Rs 30-35 lakh.