Scoop: 2013 Audi Q5 facelift spotted again linkedin share button

The Q5 facelift features subtle design changes and an improved range of engines.

Audi India will soon launch the facelifted Q5 SUV, which will be the carmaker’s first new model for 2013. Globally, the new Q5 made its debut back in April 2012 but come the 10^th of January, 2013, Audi India is expected to launch the 2013 Q5 which will replace the current model that has been around since 2009.
 

 The official launch indeed is just around the corner as the facelifted Q5 has been spotted yet again in Mumbai without any camouflage. The 2013 Q5 features an updated range of petrol and diesel engines, so we expect the India-bound models to come with same set of engines. Audi says this new model offers more performance and better fuel economy than the outgoing Q5.

As for the design changes, the 2013 Q5 gets a subtle makeover featuring a revised, six-point grille, updated headlights and a tweaked front bumper. While at the back, the only visible change comes in the form of updated taillights. The improvements inside the cabin are even more limited with a minor trim update and a revised steering wheel. 

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Pagani Huayra with chassis no.1 is up for sale!

The very first production version of the Huayra is now listed on James List; starting from 2 million euros. 

If 'owning a Pagani Huayra' is one of the things in your 'To Do Things in Life' list and you happen to have over 2 million euros in your bank account, then here is your chance to own the very first production model of the super exotic.

Currently listed on James List for 2 million euros, the Pagani Huayra features a two-tone exterior finish and has clocked only 1,000 ams on the odometer. Furthermore, it is also stated that the model on sale was originally tested by none other than Horacia Pagani himself! The Pagani Huayra with chassis no.1 is currently sitting in Germany waiting for it's new owner and the original listing on James List can be found here.

As a quick refresher, the Pagani Huayra is being powered by a Mercedes Benz AMG V12 engine with dual turbochargers that is able to produce 705PS of max power and 1,000Nm of peak torque. 0 to 100 km/h mark is achieved in less than 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 370 km/h. The super exotic is capable of withstanding 1.5G of lateral acceleration and its engine is mates to a seven-speed sequential transmission.

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Forget the Internet of Things: Here Comes the Internet of Cars

What if large groups of people could go beyond ridesharing – replacing traditional car ownership altogether through on-demand access to the cars they want: a convertible in the summer, an SUV for winter ski trips?
What if driving skills could be computed as a score that warned us of bad drivers nearby – real time, on the road – also enabling navigation systems to offer safer alternative routes? Imagine if we could get rid of traffic jams and accidents altogether. Or how about if our cars picked up our groceries on their own – and dropped us off at the airport like a self-contained limo service?
What if automakers could subsidize our car purchases by working with telecommunications and other companies that want to capitalize on the lifetime revenue opportunity of a connected driver? Consider also the possibilities for insurance providers to charge higher premiums (for those who drive their cars themselves), or for local governments to monitor personal CO2 usage (in exchange for not taxing or tolling public roads).
Whether you embrace or object to these scenarios, they’re not too far away. This isn’t just an evolution of technology-enabled, connected vehicles. This goes beyond self-driving cars. And it’s more than a simple sensor-network: This is the era of smart mobility — an Internet of Cars.

Basically, cars have become the “ultimate mobile device” and we, the people, are becoming “connected drivers”. These aren’t just buzzwords: As a longtime strategic adviser and analyst of this space, I’ve been using these terms since 1998 to describe this fundamental transformation of the automobile. And it’s coming within this decade. For example, by 2016, most buyers in mature automotive markets (U.S., Western Europe) will consider vehicles’ ability to access web-based information a key criterion when purchasing an automobile. For premium vehicle brand buyers, this tipping point will be reached even sooner: 2014. That’s just one year away.
The connected vehicle is leading the automotive industry to its most significant innovation phase … since the creation of the automobile itself.


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Honda Brio ships to South Africa

First batch of export includes 390 cars, to go on sale in South Africa in December.

Honda India has finally flagged off the first consignment of cars for the South African market. The first model to leave India's port is the Brio, which is planned to reach Honda South Africa's showrooms by December this year. 

The Brio exported from India is similar to the one we have in the market here, but with a few market dependent changes. Both Manual and Automatic versions of the small car are planned to be exported. The first consignment has a total of 390 cars, while they target to export around 1600 cars by March 2013.

Apart from announcing this significant move Honda India in presence of Mr. Hironori Kanayama, President and CEO of Honda Cars India Limited made a few other announcements too:

First, none of the current generation cars will get diesel power plants, which could only mean that a new car is on it's way. Don't even think that Honda's not bringing a diesel engine, because they have learnt about Indians' love for diesel the hard way and that's a lesson they will never forget.

Honda plans to bring the Brio sedan in the next fiscal year i.e. after March 2013. And like most of you must have guessed till now, the Brio based sedan will be the first car to get a Honda diesel engine in India. 

Honda also mentioned that only one engine will come to India, which means they might end up doing what Renault's doing with the 1.5dCI unit.

Unfortunately that's all we know at the moment. We shall update you soon on further developments.

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Tata Aria Pure LX 4x2 launched at Rs 9.95 lakh

Tata rolls out a new cut-price version of its flagship crossover to take on the Innova, again.

Last year, when Tata Motors launched the 4x2 version of the Aria crossover, the officials had told us that they had no intentions of entering the fleet operator segment with their flagship model. After all, the dominant presence of the Indica and the Indigo in the fleet car segment has backfired on the fortunes of the Vista and the Manza and therefore Tata has tried its level best to protect its poster-boy from this dreaded segment. However, it looks like the Tata is left with no option but to woo fleet operators now towards the Aria, as the crossover is unable to rake up numbers in the luxury segment. The result is a new cut-price variant of the Aria that is priced exactly similar to the base model of the Tata Safari Storme and aims to take on the Innova yet again.

Christened as the Aria Pure LX 4x2, the new variant is robbed off key features like airbags, dual-mass flywheel and ABS with EBD. At least the latter should have been left on, considering the enormous size of the vehicle. Thankfully, you still have disc brakes on all the four wheels. The interiors get a vinyl treatment for the seats and lose out on features like the audio system (including the steering mounted controls and the LCD screen), chrome garnish, roof mounted storage compartments etc. You still get the rear A/C vents and keyless entry. 

Last year, Tata had brought down the price of the Aria to Rs 9.99 lakh as a limited period scheme and the price point did help them in selling a considerable number of units. With the new cut-price variant, Tata might be able to garner some numbers for the Aria – but what good it does to the crossover’s image is something that remains to be seen.

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