How does AirBag Work ??

Airbag inflation saved thousands lives. But do you know how it works ??

Today in this article we will uncover the working of airbag system. There are airbags at the front of the dashboard in most cars, and many vehicles have airbags along the side of the car as well. These bags are compressed and kept in a small area. It can be very helpful in cushioning the passengers in a car in many cases.

Crash Sensor

This is the most important part behind the success of airbag. Sensors are small electrical part which determine the shock , speed , sudden stopping, increased pressure as pieces of the car are moved due to the force of the collision, and more. Two types of airbag sensors used in cars are electrical and mechanical. Electrical sensors vary in design. Some use an electromechanical "ball and tube" mechanism, which basically consists of a small tube containing a circuit switch and ball that's held together by a small magnet. If a collision occurs, the ball is dislodged from the magnet and rolls forward in the tube, hitting a switch that completes the electrical circuit. Other electrical designs are similar in principle, using a metal roller or spring loaded weight instead of a ball, or in newer cars, an accelerometer to trip the sensor. Mechanical sensors work independent of the electrical system and respond similarly to the electrical sensors, with a design that actuates a firing pin triggering a small explosion after a crash. Since a mechanical sensor does not require a power source, it cannot be deactivated like an electrical sensor can when the battery is disconnected.

The success of the airbag system relies upon the crash sensors working not only accurately but also extremely quickly, so the most expensive and technologically advanced part of the airbag system are here.

Inflation of Airbag :-

There is combination of potassium nitrate (KNO3) and sodium azide (NaN3) which form nitrogen gas. Hot discharges of this gas inflate the bag at a speed of roughly 200 mph. Immediately after inflation, the gas is dispersed through tiny holes in the airbag, which causes it to deflate. The entire process takes about 1/25 of a second.

Jaguar XFR-S Specifications , Features , Prices

The XFR-S Sportbrake is one of the highlights of Jaguar's 2015 model year range being unveiled at the Geneva motor show next Tuesday.

Jaguar XFR-S Specification -

5.0 LITRE V8 550 SUPERCHARGED PETROL
Discover the thrill of the uprated V8 Petrol Supercharged engine with 550PS and reach 0-100km/h in an breath taking 4.6 seconds, with a torque of 680Nm.

Fuel Economy (combined): Up to 11.6 l/100km

CO2 Emissions: 270g/km

Transmission: 8 Speed Transmission with Intelligent Stop/Start

Features -

High Performance 19” brakes with red brake callipers
Jaguar's High Performance Braking System with 380mm front discs delivers confident, progressive feel and powerful braking performance. Features aluminium calipers in red.

Transmission -

8-speed transmission with Jaguar Sequential Shift™
XF's 8-speed electronic automatic transmission constantly adapts for almost imperceptible, faster, smoother gear shifts and multi-downshifts with no loss of power between changes.

Navigation system -

With HDD mapping
Enjoy faster searches and route calculations with the optional hard disk navigation system. Steer clear of unexpected delays with immediate congestion alerts, alternative route suggestions and even receive nearby filling station locations when fuel is running low.

Why Cars Tyres Are Black ?

Ever wonder why car tires are black in colour. Even Rubber and plastics can make any color we want, all we need to do is add the right chemical . Then why is Black ??

For being black it have a good reason for their specific color, and it has to do with the longevity and safety of your tires . Being black is the result in extend the life .

The chemical Used for making tyre black is ‘carbon black‘ and it’s added to protect your tires against ozone and UV damage. By adding the chemical, it drastically prolongs the life of the tire. So much so, that all tire manufacturers use this same additive in tire production.

Carbon black also has the capability to resist the corrosive effects of ozone and absorb the UV rays to convert them into heat. Heat is preferable because as the tires cool down or heat up, it can expand or contract to accommodate the added stress. Where ozone will attack the molecules and chemical bonds which weaken the overall integrity of a tire, expansion and contraction are less damaging and less dangerous. The result is a safer, longer life tire.

Without this proceedure the tyres will not be able to withstand the friction n stress of the road. This carbon is responsible for giving tyres the characteristic black colour .

What is CRDi Technology in Car Engine ?

Today in this article we will discuss about CRDi Technology used In modern cars. You ever seen that CRDi written on cars back mostly in Hyundai cars for example - Hyundai verna crdi  hyundai Accent crdi etc. . What does CRDi actually means . CRDi stands for Common Rail Direct Injection . CRDI is an smarter way of controlling a diesel engine with use of modern computer systems. It helps to improve the power, performance and reduce harmful emissions from a diesel engine .Conventional Diesel engine are noisy , poor in performance as compared to crdi engine.

CRDI system uses common rail which is like one single rail or fuel channel which contains diesel compresses at high pressure. This is a called a common rail because there is one single pump which compresses the diesel and one single rail which contains that compressed fuel. In conventional diesel engines, there will be as many pumps and fuel rails as there are cylinders.
As an example, for a conventional 4 cylinder diesel engine there will be 4 fuel-pumps, 4 fuel rails each feeding to one cylinder. In CRDI, there will be one fuel rail for all 4 cylinders so that the fuel for all the cylinders is pressurized at same pressure.
The fuel is injected into each engine cylinder at a particular time interval based on the position of moving piston inside the cylinder. In a conventional non-CRDI system, this interval and the fuel quantity  was determined by mechanical components, but in a CRDI system this time interval and timing etc are all controlled by a central computer or microprocessor based control system.
To run a CRDI system, the microprocessor works with input from multiple sensors. Based on the input from these sensors, the microprocessor can calculate the precise amount of the diesel and the timing when the diesel should be injected inside the cylinder. Using these calculations, the CRDI control system delivers the right amount of diesel at the right time to allow best possible output with least emissions and least possible  wastage of fuel.
The input sensors include Accelerator Pedal Position (APP) sensor, crank position sensor, pressure sensor, lambda sensor etc. The use of sensors and microprocessor to control the engine makes most efficient use of the fuel and also improved the power, fuel-economy and performance of the engine by managing it in a much better way.
One more major difference between a CRDI and conventional diesel engine is the way the fuel Injectors are controlled. In case of a conventional Engine, the fuel injectors are controlled by mechanical components to operate the fuel injectors. Use of these mechanical components adds additional noise as there are many moving components in the injector mechanism of a conventional diesel engine. In case of a CRDI engine, the fuel injectors are operated using solenoid valves which operate on electric current and do not require complex and noisy mechanical arrangement to operate the fuel Injection into the cylinder. The solenoid valves are operated by the central microprocessor of the CRDI control system based on the inputs from the sensors used in the system.
So if I summarize it, CRDI works on intelligently controlling the Diesel Engine by using sensors and microprocessors. It replaces some of the mechanical components with intelligent electrical and electronic systems which improves the power, response, efficiency and performance. It also reduces the noise, emissions and vibration levels to a considerable extent.

Maruti Celerio - Price, Review, Pics, Specs & Mileage

The Celerio's advanced technology is designed to excite. It delivers a best-in-class fuel efficiency and also gives you a peppy drive. Right from ignition, you know you’re going to experience a one-of-a-kind drive.

Maruti Celerio Price
Rs. 3.88 * - Rs. 4.88 * Lakh(s)

Maruti Celerio Millage

The all-new Maruti Celerio delivers an impressive mileage figure of 23.1 kmpl, which is certainly commendable with the market's perspective. Under the hood, the hatch comes with 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder K-Series petrol engine that delivers maximum power of 67bhp and 90Nm of top torque. Such fuel efficient hatch is definitely going to be a hit amongst the Indian buyers. The new hatch has now turned more fuel efficient with increasing over 5 per cent of total efficiency than any regular manual version. With this Maruti brings an amazing hatch which is going to show tough times to other brands in the segment.

Maruti Celerio Engine

New maruti Celerio gets a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder K-Series petrol engine. It produce max power of 67bhp and 90Nm torque. K-Next engine designed to drive with wire serves better torque delivery and an whooping fuel economy. Hydraulic system imbibed in the car allows to shift gears without even using a clutch

In Detail With Bmw I8 Laser Headlight

The BMW i8 will be the first production car to be sold with advanced laser headlights when it goes on sale later this year.

I8 offering a more constant beam of light. BMW lighting manager Thomas Hausmann says the new laser headlamps operate at up to 344 lux in high beam mode, as opposed to the 180 lux offered by the latest LED headlamps. By comparison, older Xenon headlamps turn out 120 lux, while conventional halogen headlamps boast a maximum 100 lux in high beam mode.

BMW says that lasers have an illuminating power 1,000 times more powerful than light-emitting diodes -- or LEDs -- which up until just recently provided the greatest wow factor of all the bulb technologies out there. Thus, BMW says, the laser lights can be much smaller than conventional lighting systems, they can use less energy to operate and well, they look pretty darn cool, too. Hausmann says the monochromatic properties of the new laser headlamps allow them to illuminate the road for a distance of up to 600 metres, or up to double the distance of LED units. As well as offering increased lighting intensity, the new laser headlamps are also claimed to be 30 per cent more energy efficient than the latest generation of LED headlamps, offering approximately 170 lumens (a photometric unit of light output) per watt.

Honda Two-wheeler Prices Down by up to Rs 7,600

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) today cut prices of its products by up to Rs 7,600 after the excise duty reduction announced in the Interim Budget 2014-15.

Honda has decided to pass the full benefit of 4 per cent excise duty reduction on two-wheelers to its valued customers across India with immediate effect," HMSI said in a statement.

The price benefit starts from minimum of Rs 1,600 on Dream Neo motorcycle, priced between Rs 43,150 and Rs 47,289, and goes up to Rs 7,600 on CBR 250R performance bike tagged between Rs 1.58 lakh and Rs 1.93 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

HMSI sells a range of scooters including the Activa and Deo, and motorcycles such as Dream Yuga, CB Stunner, CB Unicorn and CB Twister among others.

Presenting the Budget yesterday, Finance Minister P Chidambaram announced reduction in excise duty on small car, motorcycles, scooter and commercial vehicles to 8 per cent from 12 per cent, and on SUVs to 24 per cent from 30 per cent.

Large cars also saw excise reduction to 24 per cent from 27 per cent earlier, and mid sized cars to 20 per cent from 24 per cent.

Cars Prices To Go Down, After Reduction In Excise Duty

Finance minister P Chidambaram cut excise duty in the vote on account presented in the Lok Sabha on Monday. It is expected that prices of cars, SUVs, two-wheelers and commercial vehicles come down .

Finance minister P Chidambaram reduced the excise duty for small cars from 12 per cent to 8 per cent and for SUVs from 30 per cent top 24 per cent.

Excise duty on large cars will decreased to 24 % from 27 % earlier, while the duty on mid-sized cars will go down to 20 per cent from 24 per cent previously.

The excise duty cut will be applicable up to June 20, 2014.

Mahindra Verito Electric Is Likely To Hit The Road Soon

The car maker showcased the electric version of the spacious Verito sedan at the Auto Expo earlier this month and it was evident the car was not too far from being production ready.

However, Mahindra is not too keen on selling the electric sedan in India as the price for the car would be too high. Since the government has not yet started providing subsidies to electric vehicles and likelihood of an electric sedan such as the Verito leaving the showroom in profitable numbers is very low.

On the other hand, Mahindra cannot leave a product in animated suspension after having invested heavily in its development. The solution to this is exporting the Verito Electric.

Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai Dr. Pawan Goenka, President of the Automotive and Farm Equipment Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra revealed that the company may consider exporting the electric sedan, reports Autocar Pro.

Dr. Goenka revealed that if required the Verito Electric can be made production ready in 6 months time. Also, considering the Verito's spacious interior the electric sedan would make for an ideal city taxi, he said.

Even earlier Mahindra has made it clear that though it would continuing working on electric cars for the future it would only launch them in India once the atmosphere is made more welcome through introduction of subsidies by the government.

Mahindra's Reva e2o is is already suffering slow sales owing to its expensive price tag. The only way the likes of Reva e2o and Verito Electric can take off in the country is once the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) kicksoff.

The government plans on putting a dozen million electric vehicles on road by 2020 through this scheme by relaxing taxes on EVs and through subsidies. The first phase of subsidies could begin as early as April this year.

Mahindra Verito Electric is run by a 29 kW electric motor and a 72V lithium ion battery which can power the car to a top speed of 85 km/h and give it a range of up to 80 km. Charging takes 7 hours, but it can be cut short to just 1 hour through fast charging.

Mitsubishi India Plan To Launches 5 New Cars In Two Years Including Two SUVs

Mitsubishi is most well known in India for its sporty sedans, the Lancer and Cedia, which it no longer sells here, and its large, full size SUVs. That could soon change when the Japanese automaker brings its first hatchback to India in a couple of years.

Mitsubishi's executive officer and corporate general manager (Asia and ASEAN office), Ken Horinouchi has now said that the company is planning to launch, not just a hatchback, but 5 new models all together by 2016.

While exact details and launch dates weren’t confirmed, one of the cars that is a strong contender for launch in India is the Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback. While the ‘Mirage’ name was previously used for the Mitsubishi Lancer sedan and coupé in certain markets, it now refers to the company’s new compact hatchback. A rival to the likes of the Maruti Celerio and Hyundai i10, the Mirage is powered by a 77bhp, 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine in the ASEAN markets in which it is already on sale. Apart from a manual gearbox, it also gets a CVT automatic option

MyAVN, Coming Soon to India

A new car technology, MyAVN, is soon-to-be launched in India. This device comes in a 2 din size and has a LCD screen that is touch-enabled. Manufacturer of this product claims that MyAVN can be installed in most of the vehicles which run on the Indian roads, without tampering with the vehicle's wiring system.

MyAVN is targeted for car users who plan to use ipods, iphones and browse through Radio/FM/AM while on-the-go. This product provides an option of connecting an external device like Game Player or Karoke to the car’s system and is also designed to support picture output to additional monitors connected in the rear of the car. MyAVN is priced at Rs 26,990 onwards, and comes with a warranty of 24 months.

Pankaj Banka, Director, AVN INC says, “MyAVN is the solution for all those who are looking for a comfortable drive with clear music, live navigation and safe Bluetooth options. We have succinctly termed it as Explore, Experience, Enjoy.  You can explore the country with live navigation, experience the hi-tech features and enjoy the sound of music”.

Speaking about the growth of the car infotainment market, he adds, “The Indian market is one of the largest in the world for car infotainment as the automobile industry here is one of the most rapidly growing industry and happens to be the ninth largest in the world. The car infotainment industry is valued at Rs 500 crores onwards and with its launch MyAVN aims to be a part of this industry in a big way”.

MyAVN also has an additional feature of rear camera input that lets a driver to park or reverse a car by giving a live display on the LCD screen alongwith audio/video input. MyAVN also feature audio controls which enable a driver to change tracks and adjust the volume levels. The product also has an updated map software.

The company plans to launch online sales for this product in the upcoming days, to reach out to a large customer base.

Auto Expo 2014: New Hyundai Santa Fe launched at Rs 26.3 lakh

Hyundai has launched the new Santa Fe in India on Wednesday at the Auto Expo. With its Storm Edge design language, the new Santa Fe replaces the older model and competes with the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, Ssangyong Rexton and Chevrolet Captiva.

All variants of the new Santa Fe are powered by a four-cylinder, 2.0-litre CRDI engine capable of producing 197 PS at 3,800 rpm and 42.9 kgm of torque in the manual and 44.5 kgm of torque on the automatic. Transmission options include 6-speed manual and automatic gearboxes. Both, two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models are available in India. The manual returns 14.74 km/l, while the automatic does 13.01 km/l.

Features include a 12-way adjustable seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, 6 airbags, chilled glovebox, daytime running lights, 18-inch diamond cut alloy wheels and LED headlights. Electronics include sports/comfort/normal mode, Advanced Traction Cornering Control and Down Hill Brake Control system.

Inside, the Santa Fe offers three-row seating with 40:20:20 split second row seat, and 50:50 split for third row seat. The prices and variant details are located below.

Hyundai Santa Fe Prices:

Hyundai Santa Fe 2WD MT - Rs 26.3 lakh Hyundai Santa Fe 2WD AT - Rs 27.15 lakh Hyundai Santa Fe 4WD AT - Rs 29.25 lakh

SsangYong To Display XLV Concept At Geneva Motor Show

SsangYong is all set to showcase their new XLV concept at the premier Swiss motor show to be held in March this year

The South-Korean car manufacturer which was acquired by Mahindra in early 2011,will unveil their diesel/electric hybrid XLV concept car at the 84th Geneva International Motor Show. SsangYong describes the XLV as (eXciting smart Lifestyle Vehicle). It is a B-segment SUV measuring 4.3-metres long, 1.8-metres wide and 1.6-metres tall.

The XLV boasts of a mild hybrid system which combines a 1.6-litre diesel engine with an electric motor powered by a lithium ion battery which works in a synergy to reduce CO2 emission.

Although SsangYong is yet to reveal the car's interior, what interests us is the fact that it has not three but fours row of seating  in  a 2+2+2+1 arrangement that will help accommodate seven passengers. Apart from the regular three rows of two seats each, an extra seat will slide between the second and the third rows.

Showcasing SsangYong’s new design philosophy ‘Nature born 3 motion’  the new XLV project s bold exteriors and  adopts some of the design features from the recently introduced SIV-1 and LIV-1 midsize SUV.

Lamborghini Huracan Racks 700 Orders In a Month

Lamborghini Huracan obtains 700 orders in a month and bags candidature as 'Star of the show' at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show

The Lamborghini Huracán is already a star in itself by obtaining 700 orders in a month even before an unfinished month-long preview held across the world for their VIP clients. The descendant of the iconic Gallardo - Lamborghini’s best-selling car till date, has thus kickstarted this year with pomp.

The Huracan follows an edgy design and has bold lines that clearly define its front and rear ends. The slats in the rear windshield remind us of the legendary Miura. The stylishly done headlights and front bumpers add a sporty charm to its sleek looks.

The Lamborghini Huracán boasts of a 610PS, 5.2-litre normally-aspirated V10 engine, which allows it to reach a top speed of 325kmph and accelerate from 0 to 100kmph in 3.2 seconds.

The Huracán will make a grand debut on March 4, at the Swiss motor show, flaunting its ‘Star of the show’ candidature. It will be unveiled by Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO, Lamborghini.

Lamborghini was founded in 1963 in Italy. Their iconic Gallardo redefined the standards of the luxury sports cars. With 129 dealerships across the world and cars such as 350 GT, Miura, Espada, Countach, Diablo and Murciélago to name a few, this Italian car maker continues to romp the market.

New 2014 Honda City launched at Rs 7.42 lakh

Honda has finally launched the much awaited new 2014 City at a starting price of Rs 7.42 lakh for the petrol model. The new Honda City diesel’s prices start from Rs 8.62 lakh and the new Honda City Automatic will cost Rs 9.49 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom, Delhi.

This fourth generation City’s design is an evolution over the outgoing model rather than a revolution. But in its latest avatar, Honda has upped the game by making it a lot more upmarket. The car looks more premium, the quality of materials are better and there’s more space for the occupants. The Japanese carmaker has also focused on the rear seat, which now is plusher and gets more legroom. The new City also gets more features than before.

The most significant addition to the new City though is the diesel engine under its hood. After three generations of the petrol-only Honda City, this new car will cater to a wider customer base. The engine is the identical 1.5-litre i-DTEC block from the Amaze and delivers the same 100PS of power and 200Nm of torque but is mated to a new six speed gearbox. It promises to be one of the most fuel efficient sedans in the country with an ARAI certified economy score of 26Kmpl.

The petrol engine is the i-VTEC mill carried forward from the old City which delivers 119PS of power, one more than the last generation car. This petrol engine has two choices of gearboxes, a 5-speed manual and a CVT. The CVT is more efficient than the manual achieving an ARAI certified figure of 18Kmpl compared to 17.9Kmpl on the manual.

The new City will be available in five trims - E, S, SV, V and VX for the petrol manual transmission and diesel models and in the SV and VX trims for the CVT City. You will get a choice of six colours - Golden Brown, Carnelian Red Pearl, Urban Titanium, Alabaster Silver, Crystal Black and Taffeta White. Honda is offering a 2 year or 40,000km warranty on the new City.

BMW Showcased The I8 Electric Car At The Auto Expo.

BMW i8, which will be brought here as a CBU and go on sale at the end of the year. The BMW i8 is quite literally one of the best looking hybrid cars available today. It combines the benefits of an electric motor and petrol engine and BMW’s legendary driving dynamics to offer as exciting a drive as possible. The 96kW (128.7bhp) electric motor sends power to the front wheels, while the rear wheels draw power from a  1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol 228bhp engine. Combined, the two motors are good for 357bhp. BMW claims the i8 gets to 100kph in a super quick 4.4 seconds and hits a top speed of 250kph. The passenger cell is made from carbon-fibre and a lot of aluminium has been used in the car’s structure.

Hero MotoCorp Hastur 600cc Sportsbike To Be Revealed At 2014 Auto Expo

Last week, the world's largest two wheeler manufacturer revealed the HX250R quarter liter sports bike and the RNT Concept diesel two wheeler. According to an ET report, the next big reveal that's being saved for the Expo is a 600cc naked motorcycle named Hastur.

"It has an aggressive street-fighter look. The big sporty tyres, performance suspension and the yellow coloured metal frame tubes make it look lean, nimble and powerful," one of the sources told ET.

At the same time, influences left by Hero's American technology partner Erik Buell Racing is also evident in the frame design and the dual front discs for instance.

ET says the Hero Hastur is intended for international markets, but could be made available in India as well.

BMW Becomes First To Install LED Headlights In Its Car

Washington: German automaker BMW is now offering new laser headlights on its cars, starting with the 2015 i8 sports car, which has just entered production and due on sale later this year priced from 135,925 dollars with shipping.

Laser light is a different kind of light to that of regular light, as it's monochromatic-the light being produced only has one wavelength, rather than a color spectrum.

As a result the light can potentially be far more intense, reaching as far as 600 meters or double the range of LEDs, and the beam pattern can be controlled very precisely, instantly and safely, Discovery News reported.

In addition, laser lights consume around 30 percent less energy than already highly power-saving LEDs and the diodes, the actual lighting units, are ten times smaller.

This helps to save not only available installation space inside the headlight, but also weight-the size of the reflector surface can be reduced by a factor of up to ten vs. LEDs.

While other automakers have promised to deliver the technology, BMW is the first to actually offer it on one of its cars.

Note, the standard i8 is equipped with full LED headlights . BMW is offering the laser light as option, and only for the high-beam at present.

2014 Lamborghini Veneno Car Reviews & Specs

The Lamborghini Veneno is a $4 million supercar that will only have 3 examples created. Where does the name Veneno come from? It means “venom” in Spanish, a fitting name for this car considering those headlights look like mean snake fangs. Am I right?
The Veneno is built on the Aventador’s chassis and uses a 6.5-liter V12, good for 740bhp. Mated to the monster engine is a 7-speed semi-automatic transmission. Inside the Veneno is a full carbon-fiber monocoque that is not only lightweight, but also incredibly sturdy. The seats are made of Lamborghini’s Forged Composite and laid throughout the interior is the light woven carbon-fiber CarbonSkin®.
Each Veneno will feature a green, red or white color scheme to celebrate the cars Italian heritage. Want to reserve one of the three Venenos? Unfortunately, three buyers have already put down their deposits.

Specification :-

Base Price - $3.9 million,Engine - 6.5-liter V12,Horsepower -740 hp,
Transmission - Seven-speed semi-automatic ISR Transmission, 0–60 mph -2.8 seconds, Top Speed ~220mph ,

AGAINST - Extreme styling is unappealing to many, Ferrari LaFerrari is more powerful and cheaper

New Honda Civic Type R make its global debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show

Honda has released a dramatic new picture of the all-new Honda City Type R, which will make its global debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show

With the Geneva Motor show just a forthnight away, Honda has teased the first ever picture of the new 2015 Honda Civic Type R. The Honda Civic Type R is one of the most legendary hot hatchbacks in the world and is often said to be one of the best front-wheel-drive cars made. Currently in its 4th generation, the new 5th generation Honda Civic Type R, which will officially go on sale in 2015 and make its much-awaited global debut at the Geneva Motor show.

The Honda Civic Type R has always features the VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control) and later iVTEC engine, which uses different camshaft profiles to produce extra power when it's needed. This new model should be quicker and more efficient than before, thanks to the new Turbo VTEC engines but should make the car a very different beast to drive as compared to older generations of this legendary hot hatchback. The 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine is expected to produce about 300PS of power and 400Nm of peak torque. 0-100kmph times are expected to be around the 6 second mark making it go up against the equally capable Volkswagen Golf GTi.

McLaren New Supercar Announced

McLaren will launch a new supercar, the 650S to be slotted between the MP4-12C and the P1 hypercar.

McLaren has officially announced that they will showcase their all-new supercar, the 650S at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show in less than three weeks.

The new McLaren 650S will be positioned in between the McLaren MP4-12C Coupe and the staggering McLaren P1 hypercar and will rival the likes of the Ferrari F12 and the Lamborghini Aventador amongst others. According to McLaren, the new 650S has been developed taking in learning from both the MP4-12C and the P1 hypercar and has been made to celebrate 50 years of McLaren’s participation in Formula 1. The 650S has been designed to offer the ultimate blend of luxury, excitement and high performance driving all blended into a dramatic and beautiful body.

The 650S will be based on the carbon fiber monocoque body shell from the McLaren 12C but will feature all new styling. The McLaren 650S will be powered by a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 engine producing a total of around 650PS. The engine will be coupled with a seven-speed automatic dual clutch gearbox. Although not many details have been announced, we think the McLaren 650S will cost between Rs 2.5-3.0 Crore before taxes.

McLaren will make its way to India soon too with a dealer already appointed in Delhi and dealerships in Mumbai and Bangalore being finalized as we speak. More details about the McLaren 650S will emerge as we head closer to its reveal at the 2014 Geneva Motor show.

Renault Duster Gets new trim with safety features like Airbags, ABS, EBD and Brake Assist.

New Renault Duster 85 PS RxL plus gets additional safety features.

In a bid to grab customers from the popular Ford EcoSport, Renault has introduced a new variant for its Duster 85PS SUV. Named the Renault Duster RxL Plus, this model gets additional safety features like dual front airbags, ABS, EBD and brake assist. Buyers can also get an options pack on the RxL trim which includes parking sensors and a driver seat belt reminder in addition to the kit on the RxL Plus model.

There are no other changes and Renault has priced the Duster RxL Plus at Rs 10.6 lakh while the RxL options pack comes at Rs 11.18 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom, Delhi).

Renault Fluence facelift launched at Rs 14.22 lakh

Renault Fluence Facelift Shown in Auto Expo 2014.

The facelifted Fluence gets a new grille with a large Renault badge, restyled headlamps and a new bumper with integrated foglamps. It also gets a new design for its 16-inch alloys.

On the inside, there’s a new audio system, a soft touch dashboard, dual zone climate control, touchscreen infotainment system with integrated sat-nav, a digital instrument cluster and an electronic parking brake. There’s also other kit like a smart key with start-stop button, cruise control, parking sensors, four airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS), EBD, ESP, rain sensing wipers, dusk sensing headlamps, rear sun blinds and rear air-con vents.    

Renault Fluence facelift retains the 1.5-litre diesel motor that comes mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

Auto Expo 2014: Ford Figo gets updated with in-built Wi-Fi

Ford introduced a Figo that has in-built Wi-Fi at Auto Expo 2014.

Ford will offer this first-in-its-class option in all Figo variants that have the factory-fitted audio system -- the EXi, ZXi and Titanium. This is part  of a Rs 9,790 option pack that gets you a dongle that connects to the audio system and creates a Wi-Fi hotspot in the car. You will need to get an extra 2G or 3G SIM card for the system to work.  The option pack also includes colour co-ordinated seat covers and LED lights.

Ford has also made a few equipment updates to the Figo. The EXi now gets a stereo as standard while the ZXi adds a driver airbag and electric mirrors.

Prices on all variants have gone up with only the LXi costing almost the same as before. The EXi is around Rs 10,000 dearer, the ZXi is Rs 20,000 more and the Titanium's price is up by
Rs 10,000. The updated Figo is already in showrooms.