Mercedes-Benz B200 Blue EFFICIENCY

Mercedes-Benz B200 BlueEFFICIENCY Sports Tourer previewed in Penang

Like many of you, I find myself perplexed with the identity of this car. This is the Mercedes-Benz B 200 BlueEFFICIENCY and it is billed by the German carmaker a sports tourer. What?

Google reveals that sports tourers are either long-distance bikes or station wagons. The B-Class is neither; what it resembles is a scaled up hatchback, a paunchier A-Class if I may. Which is not exactly news considering the new A and the new B shares the same platform. So, essentially, a sports tourer is a longer, wider and taller hatchback.

Continue reading for the full scoop on the new B200.

Let’s talk measurements. The B 200 is 4,359 mm long, 1,786 mm wide and 1,558 tall. The sheet metal that wraps around the frame is designed in a way that makes the sports tourer look wider and tauter. The wide grille and extended headlamps gives the car an  aggressive face, which is enhanced by the dynamic creases under the belt line. To me, the overall package looks attractive enough.

The shape does more than just please the eye, or sore the oculars depending how you take to the design. The B-Class’ form is aerodynamic. It records a drag coefficient of 0.26 Cd, which is as wind slicing as the Nissan GT-R. Let’s end the comparison of these two cars here; both are of different sectors after all.

If the exterior is palatable, the interior isn’t. Not to say that the designers have mucked it up, the B-Class is just as stylish and luxurious as the other new-gen Mercs. The chrome bits inside are peppered appropriately and frequent touch-points are nicely packaged in leather. And dials and button have the necessary resistance that elevates the perceived value of the living space.

One more thing to point out is the dashboard trim. Mercedes-Benz is offering two versions, a high-gloss black ash wood or the matt burr walnut trim. I recommend you go for the matt wood. It is so much better to touch (you can feel the grains of the wood) and it makes the interior a cosier place to be

What falls short is the plastic. The dashboard has that malleable-plastic feel similar to the Volkswagen Passat. The transmission tunnel, especially at the area at the COMAND dial, is hard, rough and veryunMercedes-Benz. Shocking. By the way, the gearstick takes position as a steering stalk.

But I can’t fault the B-Class for not being comfortable. Because that is one thing it does well. With a wheelbase of 2,699 mm, there is a good amount of stretching space. Legs, shoulder and head have ample airspace to wiggle about. The front seats are comfortable with the driver’s ergonomics being near faultless. And while the rear bench could use more width for longer thighs, it is still good enough to catch 40 winks in the back.

Mercedes-Benz to introduce inflatable seat belts

Mercedes' BeltBag system packs inflatable bags into a car's seat belts to distribute impact forces.

Soon, the inside of your car might be one big airbag. New cars have so many of these safety devices (the 2013 Dodge Dart has 10) that car makers may run out of places to put them. With a new systems called BeltBag, Mercedes-Benz will be putting them in the seat belts of a future luxury vehicle.

BeltBag is exactly what it sounds like. Cars equipped with the system will have an airbag embedded between the fabric layers of the seat belt. In a crash, a gas generator will inflate the bag within the belt, causing the belt itself to inflate. The belts use gas instead of the pyrotechnics in normal airbags to keep passengers from getting burned. This is why BeltBag is being called an “inflatable seat belt,” not an airbag.

Inflation will increase the surface area of the seat belt, which should distribute the force of an impact more evenly and decrease the chance of injuries from a body pulling against the belt.

The BeltBag will only be installed on rear seat belts. Mercedes says front passengers already have conventional airbags to soften the impact. Mercedes previewed BeltBag on the ESF 2009 concept, a modified current generation S-Class with added safety features. The German company did not say which production car will be the first to get BeltBag, but the next generation S-Class, due in 2013, is a good bet. The big Benz has traditionally been a showcase for the company’s new technologies; automotive journalists like to say that the features on a new S-Class will be standard equipment on cars 20 years from now.

This time, though, Mercedes was not the first. Ford launched an inflatable seat belt system on the 2011 Explorer, and may sell the system on other vehicles as well. It will be interesting to see what affect BeltBag will have in an actual crash. The Explorer received a four-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and scored well in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests. However, there are many more factors at work than just seat belts.

With inflatable seat belts, the quest to protect passengers from 100 percent of accidents continues. To do this, cars of the future may be carrying a surprising amount of explosives and compressed gas. Who knows where airbags will turn up next?

Mercedes Benz B class for sale in Indian luxury auto market soon: 2012 sports tourer launch nears

Soon the new Mercedes Benz B Class will be seen in India, and the sports tourer is expected to be sloted in the Rs.25 lakh price range. Mercedes Benz B Class has seen adulation in international auto markets where the company has sold 70,000 units, and have confirmed bookings in excess of 30,000 units of the new generation compact car that are yet to be delivered.

For the Indian auto market, Mercedes Benz would allot a limited number of the new Mercedes benz B class for sale. The compact vehicles which will make their entry from MB plants situated in Rastatt and Kashkamet in Germany and Hungary, were lasr week showcased at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. The car will be initially imported into the country but the company hopes that localisation in parts at a latr time will enable them to keep prices at the sub Rs.25 lakh level.

Mercedes Benz B Class will offer the versatility of a purpose vehicle, while offering ride quality of a larger car. It will be seen with an aviation inspired dashboard design, enhanced boot space, seven airbags and accelerator skid control. Though initially only a petrol version is being introduced, the diesel version is not too far away. Entering a new segment will allow MB to compete with the Q3 Audi and BMWX1 here.

 SACHIN TENDULKAR TO BE BMW INDIA’S BRANDAMBASSADOR? 

Indian cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar’s love for four wheels is something that most cricket fans in India and abroad will be aware of. From the Ferrari 360 Modena to the Nissan GTR, Sachin Tendulkar is a connoisseur of delectable supercars. The cricketing icon is also known to enjoy driving holidays abroad with a bevy of high performance cars for him to hustle around race tracks. So, it will be only fitting for an iconic figure like Sachin to endorse one of the foremost high performance car brands on the plant, BMW. Alongside the launch of the F30 BMW 3 Series sedan on 27th July, 2012, BMW India is expected to announce signing up of Sachin Tendulkar as its brand ambassador for India.

Sachin Tendulkar endorses a wide range of brands, ranging from colas to automobiles. Talking of which, Sachin Tendulkar was a brand ambassador for TVS Motors with the master blaster endorsing the TVS Victor 110 commuter motorcycle. When it comes to cars, Fiat was the brand Tendulkar used to endorse, with the Italian car maker even launching the Palio S10, a hatchback replete with Sachin Tendulkar’s signature on the bonnet. Fiat even gifted Tendulkar a Ferrari 360 Modena. Incidentally, supercar maker Ferrari is owned by the Fiat group.

Coming to Sachin Tendulkar becoming the brand ambassador for BMW India, it will be the first time ever that brand BMW will use a celebrity to promote its sporty range of luxury cars. BMW India, for long has been resisting going the brand ambassador way, stating that its cars are the showstoppers themselves, and that is promotion enough. So, a tectonic shift in approach towards marketing is something that has caught us off guard. This change in approach clearly indicates a more aggressive, no-holds-barred stance that BMW India seems to be adopting, even as competition around it is increasing many fold.

2012 F30 BMW 3 Series Sedan

German Volkswagen group owned luxury car maker Audi, which is within sniffing distance of BMW’s number 1 position in India, is a brand that has been extremely liberal in using celebrities for promoting its products. In fact, almost every launch event of Audi India has one or the other celebrity gracing it, with the likes of Katrina Kaif, Lisa Ray and Gul Panag being seen at launch events. Mercedes Benz too has begun using star power with the likes of Genelia D’Souza and Ritesh Deshmukh, both Bollywood actors, promoting the brand’s latest entry level car, the 2012 B-Class sports tourer. So, with BMW India likely to join the celebrity brand endorsement brigade with Sachin Tendulkar, the top luxury brand in the world might have just pulled a fast one, on both Audi as well as Mercedes Benz, for the cricketing genius is a prized asset indeed.

Nissan to enter MPV segment with Evalia

The multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment is going to be hotter soon with Nissan planning to launch Evalia in Indian markets. 

The MPV market in Indian is holding up despite the slowdown in overall sales of vehicles in India.

Nissan Evalia debuted at 2012 Delhi Auto Expo and will be pitted against Toyota Innova, Mahindra Xylo and the recently launched Maruti Ertiga . 

According to a BS Motoring report, Nissan Evalia will be assembled at Renault-Nissan's plant in Chennai. The report says that Nissan Evalia will be powered by a 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine, which also powers the Sunny, and Duster in India.

Nissan Evalia may be priced in the Rs 9 lakh to Rs 11 lakh range.

Lamborghini builds 1000th Aventador

Lamborghini builds 1000th Aventador; celebrates in style

Company’s CEO, Mr. Stephan Winkelmann himself handed the keys over to the owner of the 1000^thAventador. 

A thousand units in 15 months of production - sure, it may not sound like a lot. However, this is no ordinary car that we are talking about. What it is, in all its magnificence is a 350kph, Rs 5 crore hypercar made by one of the most iconic names in automotive history.

What’s also impressive is that Lamborghini’s latest flagship, the Aventador has hit the four-digit production mark faster than any other V12 hypercar in the company’s record. The Murcielago, Lamborghini’s previous V12 hypercar, took nearly two and a half years to hit the 1000-car milestone. Lamborghini’s CEO, Mr. Stephan Winkelmann himself handed the keys to Hans Scheidecker, owner of the 1000^th Aventador.

Ever since its foray into the supercar market, the Aventador has been praised by enthusiasts and experts alike and according to Lamborghini, the company can’t seem to make enough of it. Despite increasing the production to 4.5 cars per day, the Aventador already has been sold-out for the next 18 months. 

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Toyota may make more Lexus SUVs in Canada,

Grappling with a strong yen that makes it more expensive to export goods from Japan, Toyota has gradually been transferring some of its domestic production abroad, saying in principle it aims to make products near markets in which they are sold.

But Japan’s biggest auto maker has also repeatedly vowed to safeguard production of some three million vehicles a year in its home market, roughly triple the equivalent output at rivals Nissan Motor and Honda Motor.

Toyota plans to boost output capacity at its plant in Canada in early 2014, and is considering transferring production of about 30,000 RX SUVs to Canada from its Miyata factory in southern Japan, public broadcaster NHK reported earlier on Tuesday.

Toyota produced about 81,000 RX SUVs at Miyata in 2011.

The total number of vehicles produced at the Miyata plant would likely be unchanged, as other models would be made instead of the RX, said the source, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak about the matter.

Toyota is set to make an announcement on the matter soon, the source said.

Earlier this month, the Miyata plant started production of the Lexus ES 2013 model, which will be exported largely to the United States and China, but will not be sold in Japan.

Hyundai Elantra Fluidic

Hyundai Elantra Fluidic to continue the victory march of Verna, i20 and Eon in India

The domestic arm of the South Korean car maker, Hyundai Motor happens to be one of the big brands in the India auto industry. The car maker has launched some of the world-class products in India and has planned a few more in its line-up. One of the defining characteristics of Hyundai cars is its innovative fluidic design. As of now, the car maker is gearing up for the launch of its new Elantra Fluidic, which is likely to hit the Indian market somewhere in August 2012.

Hyundai Elantra Fluidic to continue the victory march of Verna, i20 and Eon in I

 

Post launch, the model will be placed in the D-segment, the section which has been presently left untouched by the company. The 2012 edition of Elantra will be positioned amid some of the brilliant luxury sedans, competing for a decent market share. So, it would be spectacular to witness how the upcoming Hyundai Elantra Fluidic holds the grounds against the likes of Volkswagen Jetta and Chevrolet Cruze.

It is believed that the new car will be an epitome of luxury, which will boast of the typical Hyundai fluidic design with aerodynamically elongated body style and eyeballs grabbing the curvy style. Other cars from Hyundai's platform that features the Fluidic design are Verna sedan, i20 and Eon hatchback. All the aforementioned cars have been very successful in the country and the company believes that their new sedan will follow the footsteps of same.

The yet-to-be launched model from Hyundai, codenamed as MD, will be introduced in both petrol and diesel options, catering to the demands of a large number of buyers. The petrol model will be powered by a 1.8 litre engine, which is built to deliver 146 bhp of maximum power. On the other hand, the diesel model will feature a 1.6 litre unit under its hood, which can churn out 126 bhp of power. The diesel engine which is anticipated to be packed within the new Elantra is already serving on the Verna.

Buyers of the new model will be provided with a unique experience, comprising a bit of turbo lag while treading heavy traffic, however, its overall performance will set new standards in the industry. Even though the new car will feature a 6 speed manual gearbox, analysts believe that it will be still not as fast as the one is incorporated in VW Jetta, which will be the toughest rival for the Elantra Fluidic. To improve the comfort level and driving experience, Hyundai will also offer an option of automatic transmission in its new model.

Although, this particular segment boasts of a number of models that delivers an absolute driving experience to the buyers, the Hyundai Elantra Fluidic is expected to raise the bar. The upcoming model in the D-segment will be aggressively placed in the bracket of Rs. 13-16 lacs, which will help the car maker to counter the high level of competition easily. Besides Jetta and Cruze, Skoda Laura and Honda Civic are the other worthy contenders in the segment. It seems that the market is going to witness serious rivalry when Elantra Fluidic enters the scenario, wherein the car makers are adopting competitive strategies to stay in the race.

Source: Hyundai Elantra

2013 Audi Q5 First Drive

2013 Audi Q5 First Drive

The Q5 might be considered a compact utility vehicle, but it's no small fry for Audi. In 2011, Ingolstadt sold more than 180,000 Q5s to new owners worldwide, with nearly 25,000 of them arriving in the U.S. Globally, the Q5 was Audi's fourth-best seller last year, behind the A3, A4, and A6. Understanding the importance of such a model, Audi has refreshed its top-selling utility vehicle for 2013, announcing cosmetic changes and three new engines for the U.S. market: a 2.0-liter hybrid, a supercharged gas 3.0-liter, and a turbocharged 3.0-liter diesel.

Regardless of engine, each 2013 Q5 receives redesigned LED headlights with a parallelogram appearance, new bumpers, taillights and flat-bottomed exhaust tips, and a front grille with vertical slats just like the recently introduced Crossroad. Changes continue inside with new aluminum and oak trim packages, the introduction of Google maps in the navigation system, and an optional adaptive cruise control that brakes the Q5 to a complete stop in emergency situations. Electromechanical steering is now standard across the lineup to reduce energy consumption.

 

We drove the new Q5 hybrid first on a 25-mile loop that was largely flat, though somewhat winding, with minimal stopping. Already available in Europe, the new hybrid powertrain combines Audi's well-known 211-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four with a 54-hp electric motor. Combined, the two will produce up to 354 hp and knock out the 0-62 mph sprint in a claimed 7.1 seconds. Audi says the batteries are packaged in a way that doesn't infringe on cargo space, and a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission is employed.