“Mahindra Launches Quanto – Live From Event” plus 5 more Motorbeam

Mahindra Launches Quanto – Live From Event
Maruti Alto 800 Interiors Snapped
Honda US Gives All New Colors To CBR250R
Toyota Contemplating Crossover On Etios Platform
McLaren P1 Is McLaren F1 Replacement!
Yamaha Ray – First Ride Impressions

Mahindra Launches Quanto – Live From Event

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 11:31 PM PDT

Mahindra is launching the Quanto compact SUV in India right now. We are at the launch and have already got our hands on the brochure. The Mahindra Quanto is powered by a 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder, mCR100 diesel engine with Micro Hybrid technology. The 1493cc motor uses a twin-stage turbo to produce 100 BHP of peak power at 3750 RPM and 240 Nm of peak torque between 1600-2800 RPM. This engine is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The Quanto has disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear. The Quanto’s suspension is an independent double wishbone, coil springs with anti-roll bar at the front and five-bar link coil springs at the rear.

The Mahindra Quanto has a turning radius of 5.4-metres with the ground clearance of 180mm. It is a 7-seater (5+2) and runs on 205/65/R15 tubeless tyres with mini XUV wheels. The fuel tank capacity is 55-litres. Mahindra is loaded the Quanto with all the features on the Xylo including ABS, EBD, dual airbags, reverse assist system, 2-din audio system, granite themed dashboard, digital drive assist system The Mahindra Quanto returns an ARAI certified mileage of 17.21 km/l. The Quanto is available in 6 colors – black, brown, beige, red, silver and white.

Maruti Alto 800 Interiors Snapped

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 10:48 AM PDT

The Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 is due for launch in a few weeks from now and clear interior shots have now surgaced. With the halt on India's largest selling car, Maruti 800′s production, Maruti Suzuki will be launching the Alto 800 and is expected to be launched with factory fitted CNG option as well, in and around the upcoming festive season. The Alto 800 is expected to be priced at around Rs. 2 lakhs and is already ringing bells in the Indian car market. The exterior design is based on a mix of cars, including the Ford Figo and now you can view the interiors with these pictures.

The Maruti Alto 800 comes in silver and beige finish interiors, which are most impressive compared to the M800. The A/C vents are impressively put, the central console has stereo system and the A/C control round knobs, the beige finish on the steering wheel, the 2012 Alto 800 has it all. The front seats have the integrated head rests and the seats are made for comfort. The height of the car has been increased, which means more leg room too. There seems to be some cost-cutting, though as it seems, the buttons for the power windows is placed in the centre below the gear lever, and there is too much use of plastic material on the dashboard.

The front beige and grey fabric trim inside the front door adds to the interior glow. A large pocket is also provided for small handy storage purposes in the front door. There is space allocated for mounting the speakers in the doors with round mesh on them. The outside black rear view mirrors are manually adjustable. The front view of the Alto 800 has a cute 'V' stretching from the view mirror up to the nose and a Suzuki emblem on the silver chrome strip on the grille. The headlamps are wide to the sides and pointy towards the inside giving off a cute ninja look and the large hexagonal grille and air-dams give Alto 800 a much more premium look as compared to the older generation Alto.

Pictures Source – CarBlogIndia

Honda US Gives All New Colors To CBR250R

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 08:34 AM PDT

As the amateur racing pool increases here in India, the motorcycle companies bring new cards to the table every now and then. Joining in on this race, Honda introduced CBR250R less than a year ago and owing to its mass appeal it has already gained voluminous demand and respect only to become India's Most Awarded Motorcycle in 2011. Just recently Honda added Repsol edition CBR250R to the line-up and now the Japanese automaker has given the Honda CBR250R all new colors for 2013.

The dual-tone color scheme doesn’t seem to pull the desired masses towards the bike, although performance, rider delight and comfort has been at the top end of the race. The sporty tri-color on the CBR250R may help Honda attract more enthusiasts. Getting its inspiration from Honda's global successes VFR1200F and CBR1000RR Fireblade superbikes, the eye catching Pearl White\Blue\Red and Repsol color combo on the new Honda CBR250R will now be sold alongside the new single-tone colors, Black and Red. The overall design of the CBR250R has not been altered, along with the features like Anti-lock Braking System, DOHC engine, Electronic Fuel Injection System remains unchanged.

Honda has also painted the alloy wheels in black color, which is a change we had anticipated at the time of launch itself. Overall the CBR250R starts to look quite similar to its younger sibling, the CBR150R. The new colors look aggressive and the Honda CBR250R does look sporty. Meanwhile in India, the standard spec tri-color model is priced at Rs. 1.45 lakh, while the C-ABS fitted top end tri-color version sells for Rs. 1.70 lakh as compared to its bi-tone counterpart.

Toyota Contemplating Crossover On Etios Platform

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 08:23 AM PDT

Toyota recently announced the launch of the Etios and Etios Liva in the Brazilian market. The India-specific Etios brand was a huge success in India when the sedan version was launched in December 2010, and later the Etios Liva hatchback in June 2011. Toyota India even exported the Etios to South Africa. Now the Etios brand is on its way to score some numbers in Brazil. However, Toyota believes that in order to revive its position in the global automobile market, and to get the sales figure high, the company needs to introduce new products.

The latest introduction to the Toyota line-up could be a compact crossover. Based on the same platform as that of the Etios, the crossover is expected to have the same engine as well, but with some performance improvements. A 1.5-litre petrol engine and a 1.4-litre diesel engine are likely to power the Etios based crossover. With Etios developed specifically for developing markets like India, it is highly likely that the Etios crossover will come to India.

Toyota has already commenced a feasibility study to gauge response for a compact SUV in the Indian market. Compact SUVs are the next big thing and the stupendous response to the Renault Duster are testimony to the same. Toyota already has the Rush compact SUV (second generation Daihatsu Terios) but its unlikely they will bring it here as it will turn out to be costly. Thus the Etios based compact crossover is just the need of the hour for the Japanese automaker. Even Volkswagen is doing something similar with the development of a Polo and Up! based crossover.

McLaren P1 Is McLaren F1 Replacement!

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 07:40 AM PDT

McLaren Automotive has finally unveiled the new design study named McLaren P1 less than one week before it makes its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show. Previously named as the P12, the new P1 is in essence a pre-production version of the model that will replace the famed McLaren F1. McLaren said that it would present the final design next year and have it on sale within the next 12 months. The company intends to make the P1 one of the most advanced supercar ever.

The McLaren P1 will be the result of 50 years of racing and road car heritage. Twenty years ago we set the supercar performance bar with the McLaren F1 and our goal with the McLaren P1 is to redefine it to new heights. Our goal is to make the McLaren P1 the most exciting, most capable, most technologically advanced and most dynamically accomplished supercar ever made,” Ron Dennis, Executive Chairman, McLaren Automotive, said

The British automaker claims the McLaren P1 will be the ‘safest and quickest car on road and the track’, but won’t tell us anything about what's hiding beneath the lightweight body panels. The Paris Motor Show will witness the legend in the making, where the full details on the McLaren P1 will be provided. To our understanding, we expect that unlike the BMW M V12-powered F1, the P1 will make use of a tuned version of the MP4-12C’s 3.8-litre bi-turbocharged V8, possibly linked to a Formula 1-style Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) for an output of well over 700-horsepower.

We recently tested the McLaren MP4-12C and found it to be astonishingly quick. The McLaren P1 will sit above the MP4-12C and is expected to be even better. The price will atleast 30% more than the MP4-12C and the P1 will be available in limited numbers. McLaren will certainly take inputs from its current Formula 1 drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button to ensure the McLanre P1 becomes the ultimate supercar. Chances of an India launch seem unlikely.

Yamaha Ray – First Ride Impressions

Posted: 19 Sep 2012 12:50 AM PDT

Scooter market in India has spiced up when Italian manufacturer Piaggio launched Vespa. Following footprints Yamaha has also launched their first scooter, ‘Ray’, which was showcased earlier this year at the Auto Expo. Yamaha desperately wants to penetrate in to Honda’s market and is leaving no stone unturned for the same. Yamaha launched the Ray scooter earlier this month in Hyderabad with its new brand ambassador Deepika Padukone. Autocar India has got their hands on the scooter and we bring you some key points from their test ride.

This light weighted 104 kgs scooter has got a sporty look, with a youthful appearance.
The front resembles the Honda Dio with large headlights and new age mudguards.
The saddle height has been kept low, keeping in mind the needs of its target audience. Ray offers a comfortable driving posture for average to medium built male riders, but the taller one’s may feel cramped up.
Instrument cluster is stylish with a big speedometer and fuel gauge.
The Yamaha Ray offers a good gripping over the accelerator and ergonomic brake levers.
The Yamaha Ray lacks in rear brake locking clamp, which is much needed in the scooters of this segment as an important safety feature.
The Yamaha Ray completely stands apart when it comes to storage space. It has got a large underseat storage bay, with a hook for bag near the ignition switch and too add it has got ample small storage compartments for your utilities.
The pillion’s foot rests are designed ergonomically, to ensure a comfortable ride along with a broad alloy grab bar at the rear.
The rear design is as impressive as the front with clear lens turn indicators included in the tail light.
The four-stroke air-cooled engine produces a top power of 7 BHP at 5000 RPM and a peak torque of 8 Nm at 5000 RPM which are pretty decent for 113cc engine. The engine is vibration free and smooth. It has adequate performance for commuting.
Handling is good with light steering and good stability.
The telescopic type suspension is used in the front and unit swing at the rear for a comfortable ride experience.
The brakes are drum type of equal 130mm diameter in front and rear, offering adequate stopping power.
Quality is very good and all the plastics feel built to last.
The Yamaha Ray is a comfortable scooter with modern styling, high quality and a reliable engine.