IndiBlog

Hyundai recently organised a Miles & Smiles Rally for customers of the i20 in New Delhi. Both the 1.2 litre petrol i20 and the 1.4 litre diesel i20 participated in the event which was organised to prove the car's frugal fuel consumption figures. The rally was flagged off from the Hotel Crowne Plaza and culminated there after a round on the Greater Noida Express Way. Astounding fuel efficiency figures were recorded by the winners; 38.81kmpl for the petrol i20 and 42.78kmpl for the diesel. What's surprising is that despite the i20 being a large hatchback it managed such low fuel consumption during the controlled run.

Hyundai's ‘i-flow’ concept which debuts at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show has been revealed. The concept is a part of the Korean manufacturers DriveTM eco-focused program. The boldly styled concept will become a future D segment sedan, possibly the new i40. Designed at Hyundai’s European design headquarters in Rüsselsheim, Germany the i-flow's sketch reveals fluid yet aggressive design cues with a lot of clear plastic body panels and a pronounced rear. Built using innovative lightweight materials, solar cells and other advanced materials from chemical company BASF , the aerodynamic i-flow concept is being pegged as a very energy efficient vehicle. How much of the futuristic design makes its way into production reality remains to be seen but i believe it will be toned down quite a bit.

Barely two weeks before its debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, images of Bertone’s new Alfa Romeo Pandion concept have leaked on the web. The Pandion is one of the three concepts which have been commissioned by Alfa Romeo from famous Turin, Italy based design houses including Stile Bertone, Pininfarina and Italdesign Giugiaro. The three concepts will take shape as the next generation 159 range and will include the Pandion concept based coupe, a sedan and a spider convertible. More details are expected from the debut at Geneva.

Nissan has released details and images of its new crossover dubbed 'Juke' which is based on the Qazana concept. The Juke debuts at next month’s Geneva Motor Show.

The Juke looks like nothing else on the roads today. Its distinctive organic design cues, sloping roofline, flared fenders and intimidating fascia are eye catching to say the least. The crossover will be produced in front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations and will feature a very efficient 187bhp 1.6 litre turbocharged petrol engine mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Two diesel engines will also be available with the option of manual transmission.

As of now the Juke is confirmed for launch only in Europe and U.S by late 2010. However there is a possibility Nissan may launch the new model in India depending on perceived demand.

Maruti Suzuki has finally plonked the next generation K-Series 1.2 litre petrol engine in the Swift and Dzire's engine bays. The engine which offers more refinement as well as atleast 15% better fuel economy are a welcome replacement for the ageing 1.3 litre unit. The Dzire's price has been increased by Rs. 10,000 while the excise tax benefit on the Swift (for cars with petrol engines under 1.2 litre and under 4 metres length) has balanced out the additional cost of the engine and the price remains the same.

BMW's ultra compact X1 SUV will be imported as CKD (completely knocked down) form and then assembled at the company's facility in Chennai which also assembles the 3 Series. As a result BMW will be able to price the X1 at a feasible Rs. 24 lakh, making it the premium manufacturer's entry level model in the country below the 320d Corporate. The base X1 will feature a 2.0 litre diesel engine and will be rear wheel drive. More powerful engines as well as xDrive AWD system will be available on pricier models.