New 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Maybach unveiled

The Maybach marquee is possibly one of the most significant luxury car brands in automotive history. Although Maybach has always been an independent brand as such, a few years ago,Mercedes-Benz pulled the plug on it due to poor sales.

Now though, the Maybach brand is back, but not as you would have expected. Instead of an all new car, the Maybach is back as an ultra luxury variant of the new S-Class.

The S-class Maybach was simultaneously unveiled at two events, the world premier at the Guangzhou Motor Show and a presentation at the Los Angeles Motor Show thereby capturing the imaginations of the two biggest Mercedes-Benz markets globally.

At 5453 mm long and with a wheelbase of 3365 mm, the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz model range is 20 cm larger in both dimensions than the S-Class Saloon with long wheelbase.

Obviously, the rear passengers benefit from this increased size as well as from standard equipment that includes executive seats on both left and right and other exclusive details such as innovative voice amplification. In the rear, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class is also the world's quietest production saloon car.

Speaking on the occasion, Professor Dr Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG said, "Our exceptionally successful new S-Class already defines the pinnacle of automotive engineering in a host of technical disciplines such as safety, efficiency, climate control and noise characteristics. The Mercedes-Maybach now sets the benchmark in the luxury segment even higher.,

The S-Class Maybach will be powered by a 6.0-litre V12 biturbo engine making 530PS of peak power and 830Nm of peak torque in its S version and by a 4.7-litre V8 biturbo engine that makes 455PS in the standard version. Mercedes-Maybach though is not intended to be a model variant for the S-Class but has larger implications. Just like AMG is a sub-brand of the Mercedes-Benz family, the German manufacturer intends to make Maybach another sub-brand offering ultra luxury versions of existing models. We presume the new GLS will be the next car to get the Maybach treatment in the near future.

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Honda may defer launch of Jazz to next year

Japanese auto major Honda is likely to start the fresh roll out of its 'discontinued' hatchback vehicle Jazz in Indian market next year.

"Last year we announced that within this fiscal year we will come up with Mobilio and Jazz. But the great demand (for other models) is exceeding our expectations. So we started the second shift of our second plant," Hironori Kanayama, President and CEO, Honda Cars India, told reporters in Hyderabad on Thursday.

"The demand seems to be so strong, so the launch of the Jazzis slightly adjusted. That's what we think. We have not yet taken a decision (on the exact time of launch). We anticipate the launch of Jazz any time next year," he said.

Honda had stopped production of Jazz last year. The vehicle was launched in India in 2009 with a hefty price tag of over Rs 7 lakh which was slashed by Rs 1.6 lakh later.

Kanayama said the company plans to add another 100 dealers by the end of March 2016 to the existing 200 dealers. He inaugurated the 200th dealer-Metro Honda in Hyderabad on Thursday.

"By March 2016, we will have 300 dealerships all over the country. Of the total 200 dealers we have now, 75 per cent are in tier-II and tier-III cities and towns. The network expansion is also an essential element in our larger vision of being the most trusted company in the country," he said.

To a query, he said the company aims to achieve sales target of 3 lakh vehicles and accordingly, production capacity will be increased from the current 2.4 lakh per annum.

HCIL has two manufacturing facilities at UP's Greater Noida and Tapukara in Rajasthan's Alwar district.

Backed by strong demand for cars like Honda City, Honda Amaze and the recently launched Honda Mobilio, HCIL achieved over 1 lakh sales in the current fiscal, registering an overall growth of 43 per cent during April-October 2014 with 1,01,442 units as against 70,831 units in the same period last year.

The company hopes to achieve a double-digit growth in sales in the current year, he added.

Source : businesstoday.intoday.in

Aston Martin DB9 Volante Morning Frost revealed

After the Aston Martin Satin Jet Black Vanquish Coupe the company's bespoke customisation division, Q, has revealed a brand new DB9 Volante in Morning Frost. This one-offAston Martin DB9 Volante Morning Frost showcases the possibilities customers can have to impart a personalised touch to their Aston cars.

The car was commissioned by the British firm's official dealership in Dallas and is certainly one of the most eye-catching Aston Martin. The DB9 Volante is draped in Morning Frost and is completed with blue tinted carbon fibre details such as the front splitter and wing mirrors.

Beyond the white paint finish and the blue carbon accents, the car receives a bright blue folding roof while the interior features blue leather across the seats, steering wheel, dashboard, gauge cluster and door sills. The cabin also boasts of pristine white leather which is found alongside blue piping and blue stitching.

Power is provided by a 6.0-litre V12 engine that churns out 510PS of power and 620Nm of torque. It is connected to a 'Touchtronic 2' six-speed transmission which enables the car to accelerate from 0-100kmph in 4.6 seconds.

The regular 2014 Aston Martin DB9 Volante is currently on sale in the international market with a price tag of Rs 2.3 crore.

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com 

M&M raises vehicle prices by up to Rs 11,500

Homegrown auto firm Mahindra & Mahindra on Tuesday said it has increased prices of its passenger and commercial vehicles from this month by an average of 1 per cent, in the range of Rs 2,300 to Rs 11,500 (ex-showroom), to partially offset the impact of rising input costs.

"We have been holding back on the price hikes for a while but now it has been necessitated to partly offset the impact of rising input costs," Mahindra & Mahindra , Chief Executive Automotive Division and International Operations, Pravin Shah said in a statement.

Farm Equipment Sector (FES), a part of $16.5 billion Mahindra Group, has also increased prices of its tractors effective from November 2014.

"The increase is in the range of Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000 depending upon the model.The price hike has been necessitated owing to increase in commodity prices and conversion costs," the company said.

Mahindra sells a range of passenger vehicles including the Scorpio, Bolero and XUV500 and commercial vehicles like Alfa and Gio. It also markets a range of tractor models like Arjun and Yuvraj.

M&M stock on  Tuesday closed at Rs 1260.65 apiece on the BSE, up 2.35 per cent from its previous close.

Source : businesstoday.intoday.in

Global NCAP asks Nissan to withdraw Datsun GO from India

In a setback to Nissan Motors, consumer safety testing body Global NCAP has asked the Japanese car maker to withdraw its compact car Datsun GO from the Indian market saying it was "sub-standard".

Datsun GO, which was launched in the country last year, had failed crash test results recently conducted by the Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP). It had failed on critical safety count.

In a letter to Nissan Chairman and CEO, Global NCAP Chairman Max Mosley urged for an "urgent withdrawal of the Datsun Go from the Indian and related markets".

"It is extremely disappointing that Nissan has authorised the launch of a brand new model that is so clearly sub-standard. As presently engineered the Datsun Go will certainly fail to pass the United Nation's frontal impact regulation.

"In these circumstances I would urge Nissan to withdraw the Datsun Go from sale in India pending an urgent redesign of the car's body-shell," Mosley said.

Applying the UN's minimum crash test standards to all passenger car production worldwide is a key recommendation of the Global Plan for the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, he added.

"Given Carlos Ghosn's responsibilities as Chairman and CEO of Nissan and President of the European Car Manufacturers Association, he should now demonstrate leadership both in Nissan and on behalf of the vehicle industry generally that corresponds to the UN's legitimate expectation that automobile safety should be improved during the Decade of Action," Mosley said.

As per the crash results, the Datsun GO scored zero stars for adult occupant protection and just two stars for child occupant protection. Its vehicle structure collapsed in the crash and was rated as unstable.

"The car's lack of airbags meant that the driver's head makes direct contact with the steering wheel and dashboard. The dummy readings indicate a high probability of life-threatening injuries. However the failure of the body shell makes it redundant to fit an airbag," Global NCAP said.

When contacted a Nissan India spokesperson said : "We have not received the letter yet?"

Source : businesstoday.intoday.in         

Porsche recalls 911, Cayman and Boxter models

After internal quality check,Porsche has issued a voluntary recall for some vehicles of thePorsche 911 Carrera,Porsche Boxster and Porsche Cayman sports car model. As a precautionary measure the German carmaker will be replacing the lock bracket on the front lid of the 4,428 two-door sports cars worldwide.

The company has found that some of the brackets may not meet the company standards and specifications in the long term. Porsche, however, claims that no incidents have been reported as yet caused by this or an unintentional opening of the front lid.

Porsche dealers will be contacting the owners of identified vehicles directly and customers would have to visit a workshop to get the bracket replaced free of cost.

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Suzuki Gixxer bike launches in September 2014

It has a new Suzuki Eco Performance technology engine and 5-gear transmission. This is completely a new and different engine compared to the previous 150 cc bike from Suzuki which was also having 6-gear transmission. The Design and look of the bike is very sporty which must attract the youngsters. It's Ex-Showroom Price is Rs. 72,500 approx in Delhi. 

Engine,  Mileage  & Performance : This bike sports a 155 cc powerful engine. Compared to all the 150 cc bikes I personally feel that it is the most powerful engine. The sound of the engine is pretty roaring which gives you a sports bike feel. It has awesome pickup, not just the starting pickup but also while driving in 4th or 5th gear the bike gives good pickup.

Tyres, Disc & Silencer : This bike sports wide tyres, 6-spoke 17-inch alloy Wheels. The Rear tyre is 140/60 & Front is 100/80. The only sad thing is that there is no Rear Disc available, but I feel that there is no need of Rear Disc, the Controlling of the bike is good enough without Rear Disc. The bike has 266mm Front  disc  130mm Rear Drum. 

www.autopriceindia.com
by Ajay Gupta