Indian Car News

Safety features, a raft of new technology and Chris Bangle. In spite of all that's changed in 20 years, the E30 and E90 3-series still share the same spirit. Inevitably, the drive back home ends with Mrs Sorabjee slamming the door and storming off in a huff, muttering something to do with irresponsible behaviour. It’s hard to explain to my wife that the only way my 20-year-old E30 325i likes to corner is with its tailing hanging out. That’s the problem (for her) with my pride and joy. Age hasn’t dampened my Bimmer’s enthusiasm and, true to the DNA of the marque, it simply yearns to be driven in a fashion that might not qualify for mere A-to-B motoring. The handling is so crisp and predictable, the chassis so finely balanced and that creamy in-line six so responsive, that you can’t help but toss it around with gay abandon and full knowledge that it won’t snap back at you. Ever since I bought MFC 977 from my dear, late friend Jangoo Nicholson in 2002, I have never sat in any seat exc...

Volvo wants to take on the might of the Germans with these, the S80 saloon and the XC90 SUV. We drive them on home soil. Volvo’s design philosophy goes like this: If it isn’t functional, it can’t be beautiful. In this sense, both the S80 and the XC90 are the automotive equivalents of Ingrid Bergman. Like the Swedish actress, these Volvos certainly aren’t the most beautiful cars around. But their inherent talent more than makes up for this. The last time we drove these very same Volvos, it was in Sweden. The cooler temperatures, organised traffic and almost blemish-free roads of Volvo’s home country makes one wonder how the cars will handle the chaos that prevails in the warm tropics. We got a chance to find out on the drive from Delhi to Jaipur organised by Volvo. Both the S80 and the XC90 have their work cut out for them here. The S80 faces some serious competition in India. The formidable armories of the Mercedes-Benz E-class, the BMW 5-series and the Audi A6 are what it is up agains...

Mercedes-Benz C-Class was launched in the city on Friday by Sanjiv Sahajwala, Head-Marketing & Sales, DaimlerChrysler India Private Ltd. Speaking on the occasion, Sahajwala said: "To date around 6 million C-Class vehicles have been sold all around the globe. In fact, the C-Class is the worldwide leader in its segment and has been an immensely popular vehicle since it was first launched. The new CClass is more power-packed, more spacious and enjoys even greater street presence." As pioneers of the luxury car segment in India, Mercedes-Benz has the widest product range and the most extensive sales and support network spread across 28 cities, Sahajwala said. "The result of close and continuous engagement with customers is reflected through our growing sales figures as well. This year, we achieved record sales of 2491 units from January- December 2007. This marks a growth of 18 per cent over 2007." With a length of 4596 millimetres, the new C-Class is 68 millimetres...

Think cars fly only in the movies? Well, meet the Skycar. A cross between a Ferrari and a Batmobile, it takes off vertically just like advanced fighter aircraft and is just one in a series of personal flying machines being developed around the world. Cars this cool are still some way off. But driverless cars? Those you can get. For the past few years, robot cars have raced against each other, navigating deserts and city roads on their own, in contests backed by the US Army and private manufacturers. Using easily available technology like GPS tracking, Intel computer chips and laser censors, they still aren't quite as good. But in few years, they could replace our friendly neighbourhood taxi driver. Robots or not, cars need gas and gas costs money. Then there are cars that run on air. Compressed air moves the pistons, which in turn drives the wheels. Result: absolutely no emissions and speeds up to 150 km per hour. Tata Motors and French company MDI are already readying such a vehic...

Maruti Suzuki India Limited announced today its plans to launch an all-new car to be built in India. The car called the A-star will be showcased in concept form at the Auto Expo in Delhi in January next year. The company plans to sell the A-star with a 1.0-litre petrol engine, which will be Euro-V compliant. The carmaker will be following Hyundai’s footsteps (which, makes the i10 in exclusively in India and sells it in Europe) and will manufacture the car in India at its Manesar plant, and will sell it in Europe and India. Production at the facility is being bumped up and the plant is expected to roll out 150,000 A-stars annualy along a similar number of Swifts and SX4s. The car will also be sold under the Nissan badgeing in certain markets and will be on sale by autumn of 2008. The company refused to divulge details about the price and specifications but said that the car would be a size smaller than the Splash, which was launched internationally recently.

Fiat is planning to give its image a much needed boost in India by launching the 500 and Bravo hatchbacks in early 2008. These models won’t be assembled in India, but will be imported directly from Italy, so they will be ridiculously pricey. However, Fiat is not looking at large numbers and is using both these hatchbacks to make a statement about the company. The idea is to inject some zing into the Fiat brand — which has languished in India for the past several years — in the run-up to the launch of the Linea and Grande Punto. Style Statement The cute little 500, or Cinquecento, is a national icon in Italy and this latest model launched exactly 50 years after the original Cinquecento, fondly called the ‘Mighty Mouse’, has gone on to become a smash hit. Fiat can’t ever hope to replicate the Cinquecento’s success in India but this cheeky little car has the potential to become the style icon of 2008. Fiat is targeting Bollywood stars and celebrities as potential customers who would think...

The world's first solar taxi is on a trip around the world and has made a stop in India. It’s a car that is spreading awareness about global warming, the fun way. It’s a taxi with a difference. There is more to this sleek three-wheeler than what meets the eye. The compact electric car runs purely on solar energy. And how do you get a solar powered car? It’s simple. Just attach a solar cell panel to the car. This ingenuous idea took birth in the mind of taxi driver Louis Palmer a long time ago and he decided to stretch it to the limits by travelling around the world. He drives his electric car which runs purely on solar energy around the world to spread awareness about global warming and its causes. He says, "This idea came to me when I was 14. I wanted to travel the world and not pollute it so I designed this taxi.” The car's gearless electric motor runs on twin 380 volt batteries that are cha...