HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK NEW MODEL

Saturday, November 20, 2010

HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK NEW MODEL CAR





The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. In North America, the Civic is the second-longest continuously-running nameplate from a Japanese manufacturer; only the Toyota Corolla, introduced in 1968, has been in production longer.



The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded. Having gone through several generational changes, the Civic has become larger and more upmarket, and it currently slots between the Fit and Accord.





GENERATION OF CIVIC

Main article: Honda Civic (first generation)

The first generation Honda Civic was introduced in 1972, but sold as a 1973 model. Equipped with a 1,169 cc (71.3 cu in) four-cylinder engine, the first generation Civic was designed to compete with American compact vehicles and offered features such as front power disc brakes and reclining vinyl bucket seats and AM radio.


The Civic was available as a coupe, both a three- and a five-door hatchback, as well as a five-door station wagon. Due to the 1973 oil crisis, consumer demand for fuel efficient vehicles was high.



The CVCC engine debuted in 1975. Offered alongside the standard Civic engine, the 53 hp (40 kW; 54 PS) CVCC engine displaced 1,488 cc (90.8 cu in) and had a head design that allowed for more efficient combustion.



The CVCC did not require a catalytic converter or unleaded fuel to meet emissions standards. Only the CVCC engine was available in California due to stricter emissions standards.[10]

* EB1- 1169cc, black interior, honeycomb grill
* EB2- 1240cc, same body as the EB1, several choices for interior color
* EB3- 1240cc, revised hood, head rest on front seats, revised bumpers with plastic end caps, horizontal running grille, revised tail lights.

The first generation Honda Civics were notorious for rusting in less than three years from purchase where salt was used in the winter.

The U.S. importer, American Honda Motor Company, signed a final consent decree with the Federal Trade Commission that provided owners of 1975-1978 Civics with rusted fenders the right to receive replacements or cash reimbursements.



Hondas were so vulnerable to corrosion that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also issued a safety recall because lateral suspension arms, front crossbeam, and strut coil spring lower supports could weaken with exposure to salt.

A total of 936,774 vehicles built between 9-1-1972 and 8-1-1979 were subject to extensive repairs since Honda had to replace the suspension components, or the automaker bought back entire cars with serious body corrosion.

By 1981 about 10% of Hondas were to be inspected by a dealer and the automaker had 180 days to replace front fenders and supporting parts that showed rust within the first three years of use.

At the time, Honda's rust recall was the largest safety action among all the brands imported into the U.S.

ESTILO NEW MODEL CAR


ESTILO NEW MODEL CAR





The decade old Maruti Suzuki Zen was replaced by a re-designed tall boy and rechristened as Maruti Suzuki Zen Estilo.


Zen was the first Maruti Suzuki to be officially discontinued from production, and Maruti had chosen to keep the Zen branding alive with the Estilo when they launched the car in 2006 to keep maintain continuity from the original 'Jellybean-design' Zen which was launched back in May 1993 but Zen Estilo didn't managed to do so.






Recently, Maruti India came up with a refreshed New Estilo which looks better than the outgoing model with new headlamps, grille and bumpers.




Interiors have also been spruced up to give it an upmarket look with a beige theme


The Suzuki MR Wagon is a kei car with a mini MPV body, seating four, manufactured by Suzuki for the Japanese market only, and also marketed in Japan by Nissan as the Nissan Moco under an OEM agreement. The model debuted in 2001, and since 2007 it has been in its second generation. It was launched in India by Maruti Suzuki as Maruti Zen Estilo in 2006, Maruti Zen Estilo was discontinued in 2009 and renamed as Maruti Estilo.

The vehicle's name is somewhat misleading, as it does not sport a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout (which is often abbreviated as RMR, or more commonly, MR).


GENERATION OF ESTILO

FIRST GENERATION




The first generation model went on sale on December 4, 2001, featuring Suzuki's K6A kei car engine, in either naturally-aspirated (40 kW / 54 hp) or turbocharged (44 kW / 60 hp) versions, available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

In all versions, the transmission was a 4-speed transmission with column shift.

A hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle based on the first-generation MR Wagon was presented in 2005, using technology co-developed with General Motors.



The Nissan Moco version was presented as a concept car on the 35th Tokyo Motor Show in 2001 and only went on sale on April 10, 2002.

The basic engine, drive and transmission choices were the same as for the Suzuki.





The major difference between the Nissan and Suzuki versions was the Nissan's "wing" grille resembling that of the contemporary Nissan Primera P12.

The sales of the Nissan version stabilized at about 3,000-4,000 units a month, actually exceeding the MR Wagon's sales.

The first generation model went on sale in India in 2006 as the Maruti Zen Estilo. The Zen Estilo however, is powered by a larger F10D 1.1L MPFI engine that also powers the Wagon R in the Japanese market.





The First Generation MR Wagon is currently sold in India as "Maruti Suzuki Estilo", where it was known until 2009 as the "Maruti Zen Estilo".

This transition has brought about a steady decline in sales for this model though the redesign has brought significant improvement in performance and styling over the car's Japanese variants.

SECOND GENERATION






The model's second generation was previewed at the 39th Tokyo Motor Show in 2005, where a concept called Mom's Personal Wagon was presented, with many features intended to be useful for a mother driving her children, including food trays, a front bench seat and pillarless suicide doors on the left side (which is the curb side in Japan).

None of those would eventually make it to the actual MR Wagon, which went on sale on January 20 (Moco on February 1) the following year, while on the other hand the model features the new keyless entry and start system.




The engine, drive and shifter choice remained the same, with the same availability in both Nissan and Suzuki versions, but the gear shifter is now located on the instrument panel. As with the first generation, the cars are almost identical in outside appearance, but have different front end designs.









HONDA VERNA

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

HONDA VERNA




If you are in India and have not been to the Auto Expo in New Delhi in early January, you would be quite confused. After all, you keep hearing about it but there is not a single photo of the car anywhere. Here, we hope to provide you with some answers about the Hyundai Verna.

The Hyundai verna is a mid-size sedan alright. But then so is the Accent. What's the difference


The difference is pretty much the same difference as there is between the Skoda Octavia and the Skoda Laura. The Laura is the next version of the Octavia, and is priced much higher and is a newer, more sophisticated car. Same here. The Hyundai Verna is the next version of the Accent. But the Accent in all its different versions is selling reasonably well, and why would any company want to kill it off? (Don't pose that question to Toyota Kirloskar, though - they think different.)





And there you have the Hyundai Verna, which will sell alongside the current Hyundai Accent. The Accent will do battle against the likes of the Ford Ikon and Tata Indigo, Fiat Petra et al, the Verna will be positioned against the new Honda City ZX and the the rest, as well as against the Ford Fiesta petrol and diesels.

How would it be priced? The price of the Hyundai Verna would be right between the Elantra and the current Accent. Hyundai's president BVR Subbu told Business Standard that the Verna would not just be an aspirational model and that the company would be guning for big volumes.

When will the Hyundai Verna be launched? So far, the news is that the Verna's launch will be in the third quarter of 2006. Do not be surprised if it gets delayed by another 3 -6 months, such things happen all the time.



We also hear that there will be a coupe version of the Hyundai Verna. If this is true, that will be a courageous decision indeed by Hyundai India. However, we are not sure is the Verna - pretty much a normal, everyday car - is exactly what can pull off a coupe success story in India. Who knows? We will keep you posted with more photos and news as they become available.



1. Front seat height adjustment ( my wife is
shorter and so is my driver) - Even
Both cars support Front seat height adjustment

2. ABS and/or Seatbags - Verna- slight edge
ABS/Seatbags - Verna has its brakes supplied by Mando Brakes and Cityby Brakes India and the former has a slight edge over the latter - especiallythe ones with the ABS ( BTW I didnt have the time to wait for the ABS whichdoesnt roll out till next month).



3. Backseat depth to support Carseat (preferrably in the middle) - Verna epsilon edge
Both cars have good space (incidentally the Verna is about a few centimeters larger than the City -both in the front and the back - width and depth - and YES I had them measured ;-) )

Good trunk space - Even



The City is larger at 500 compared to the Verna at 400 but the Verna has a 60/40 Split back seat in case I need to load something long - I really considered this a wash because sometimes you need to have big things stored and have folks in the car and sometimes you might like the fact that you can choose to bring home the long items in the trunk.

5. Performance - Verna
I test drove both cars and I had expected the Verna to underperform the City in the 20-60 range (based on some reviews on the web) and I was surprised that it was not at all the case and the City was nowhere close to the Verna both in the City and Highway




6. Mileage (Fuel efficiency)- City
The City can go 12-13kpl and the Verna around 10kpl and so the City has atleast a 2.5-3kpl lead

7. Looks/Design (/Envy factor ;-) ) - City slight Edge
My only consideration was that the car shouldnt be butt-ugly like the Nissan Morano or the Maruti Swift - as thought half the engineering design paper was torn off. The Honda is a familiar sight in the city and the straight H symbol as well. The Hyundai looks very different and pretty good in the Real Earth(the color I decided on finally) - My wife felt that it was a wash and if at all the Verna was better. I dont care if the design was bootlegged out of Munich or Tokyo - you can enjoy it all the same.

P.S. I hate the faux wood in the interiors of all the C-segment cars. It reminds me of the American cars in the 80s. Unfortunately I have to live with it because apparently it is a desired factor.











8. Bells and Whistles - Verna with an edge I guess.
The Verna has all the small knick knacks that the city has and some more - I really didnt care about them and but I do remember telling myself that the verna had more.

P.S. the Verna XI doesnt have a music system - only the speakers - I didnt consider it a factor because I was planning to upgrade the existing City system to one that had aux input.

9. Cost - Verna
The City GXI was the least model that had all the features that I desired and so was the Verna XI.
City - 8.19
Verna - 7.10

10 Dealership - After Sales service/maintenance - Verna
Sundaram Honda is the only dealer in the city and I have heard about some problems with them in some other reviews online and offline. I spoke to the manager about this and he was very frank about this and said that they have accepted, identified and worked to rectify the issues - I was very impressed with this. They have also offered a new 7 free service plan (but its only within the first 18 months) But having said that - Honda spare parts are more expensive and 2 out of every 5 cars I see in Chennai are dinged, there are numerous Hyundai service centers and the spare parts are cheaper.

If you are going with the City - I think sundaram honda is a much improved place from what I have seen and that is only keeping in tune with the TVS name.

Kun Hyundai is the dealer I chose ( I test drove first from DSC Hyundai but the sales guy Gautham was not responsive enough). The people were friendly and when not informative atleast tried to dig up the info that I wanted.

10. Years of Ownership - Around 4

Overall - Verna

The main factors came down to Cost and Mileage - I had calculated my driving distance to be around 15000 to 20000 (max) a year and it worked to around 300 to 400 litres more for the Verna depending on the km driven. This translated to around 16K-21K a year or with fuel increases to Rs 65 - 19K-26K more per year.

The difference in the resale value of the car after 4 years worked out to around 20K on the plus side for the Honda.

Given a 4 year basis and positive differential ranges between 64K to 100K and a possible negative differential of -20K I decided to go with the Verna especially with it being the NKOTB and liking the feel of the car.





Partially affecting my decision was that I knew some of the Engineering folks involved in the Hyundai Verna and they gave me more details that helped make my decision.

OCTIVE CONFIGURATION

OCTIVA CONGIGURATION

The second generation was introduced in March 2004, based on the Volkswagen Group A5 (PQ35) platform also used by other Volkswagen Group cars, including the Audi A3 II, VW Golf Mk5, VW Jetta Mk5, SEAT León II, SEAT Altea, VW Golf Plus, VW Touran and VW Tiguan. Along with a new internal combustion engine range, also shared with other models of the Volkswagen Group, body changes included more legroom for rear seat passengers (a weak point in the original model) and increased ground clearance at front and rear to reduce the risk of grounding on steep ramps or facing kerbs.



In addition to the Czech factories in Mladá Boleslav and Vrchlabi, from 2008 the Octavia has also been produced at a factory in Bratislava, Slovakia,[5] as well as Shanghai (under the joint venture of Shanghai Volkswagen).[6]

In India, the second-generation Octavia is marketed as the Laura to distinguish it from the first generation.[7] The car is marketed in a segment higher, and is sold alongside the pre-gen octavia


.

There are two four-wheel drive versions of the Octavia - the 4x4 and the Scout, both featuring a Haldex Traction four-wheel drive system, based on a computer-controlled clutch centre coupling. The two models both have higher ground clearance than the standard Octavia - increased by 24 millimetres (0.9 in) for the 4x4 and 40 millimetres (1.6 in) for the Scout. The Scout (announced 2006[8]) is only available with the estate body style, and has some SUV crossover style exterior modifications such as larger bumpers.
[edit] Engines



There are several internal combustion engine options available:[9]


OCTIVA NEW MODEL CAR

OCTIVA CAR




The alloy wheels and the sport bumper give the car a dynamic look, making it appear modern and sporty. Its chrome plated front grille frame adds to the over all stylishness of the car. The body shape has been designed with the aim of reducing the air resistance coefficient; as a result the fuel consumption is reduced and you get better mileage.

The journey continues. The Octavia does not lack self-confidence and no wonder. Thanks to the extraordinary practicality of the car, it has become popular with customers throughout the world. And, thanks to its timeless design, it is winning even more...

A blend of elegance with practicality and quality - that are the characteristic elements of the Octavia design. Whether you look at the vehicle as whole or individual details, the Octavia makes an impression of spaciousness and reliability.









EXTERIOR

Some things stand out, no matter what they are compared against. The hall mark of quality, the painstaking details, and the over all finish… all add to the total package. When you see the Octavia, you will note that the effort that has gone to make it an outstanding car is also reflected in the design of the exterior.





With cars, as with people, the first impression counts. Whether it is the original front mask with the Škoda logo, or the robust, but elegant line of the whole body to the attractively stepped rear of the liftback, it definitely stands apart.

INTERIORS

The focus, in the design of the interior of Octavia, is to merge sophistication with practicality, the two key characteristics of the model. This is further reflected in each of the design features.

Elegance and practicality are the cornerstones of the cabin interior and are manifested in features such as soft-touch dashboard, which makes it a pleasure to look and operate the car. The wooden finish décor on doors, dashboard, and centre console give the interiors an elite look and an exclusive charm. The beige and onyx leather upholstery adds to the looks and make the interiors chic.



A wonderful blend of clever details and practical assortment of equipments make Octavia an attractive car for businessmen and families with children.



The basic volume of 528 liters provides more than enough space for all that you would want to take with you on a road trip or a holiday.

Skoda Octavia




Skoda Octavia has made driving an enriching experience with the array of convenient, practical and comfortable features.


Skoda Octavia makes an impression both ways – exteriors and interiors.

The exterior of the car is very elegant with sleek body graphics merged with the chrome finished radiator grille in the front mask of the car.

The halogen headlight adds the glittering effect to the car.

The alloy wheels also make the look very robust and sporty.

The logo on the bonnet of the Skoda Octavia justifies the trust and faith in the company.


ASTAR NEW MODEL

Tuesday, November 16, 2010



ASTAR NEW MODEL CAR




Overview - Very Cute & Stylish Small Hatchback


Maruti Suzuki A-Star is a A-Segment car as per the European car standards. The car is produced at the company's Manesar facility in Haryana. Designed by Rajesh Kumar Gogu and Saurabh Singh of Maruti Suzuki India, A-Star, which is a five-door hatchback; has been engineered keeping in mind the trends and standards of the European market.

A-Star is to be made in 200 variants and will be exported to 150 countries across Europe, Middle east , Latin America, Asia, Australia, and Africa. A-star will be exported under the name of Suzuki Alto and Suzuki Celerio. Nissan also sells A-Star under the name Nissan Pixo in middle East and African markets. A-Star has replaced the present alto model in other countries. But in India Maruti is selling both the models side by side like they have done before with Wagon R and Estilo.



Design & Style Of Maruti A-Star





A-Star is heavily toned down as compared to the Concept A-Star which made its debut in London & was also shown at Auto Expo, 2008 in New Delhi. No doubt that the newcomer is criticised for its looks since it looks as if styling has been taken of the Kia Picanto/Morning, Hyundai i10 and Citroen C1. But Maruti A-Star looks very cute and stylish from most angles.

Styling of the Maruti A-star is typically European - the low slung grille, elliptical glasshouse, sweeping oversized headlamps and compact dimensions gives the car the necessary character. It has a good road presence. One of the most striking features of A-Star that capture attention is the highly contoured rear bumper which brings in the cool quotient to the premium A2 segment car.





For the compact body, Suzuki designer tailored a stylish, sporty and youthful look for A-Star that simultaneously exudes solidity and urban energy. It is perfectly matched to European tastes and supports a low drag coefficient. It has a bold design language with strong lines and large wheel arches. In the A-Star, A stands for Aerodynamics the car pierces the wind like a bullet. A-star slippery drag co-efficient stood at 0.30.


Interiors of Maruti A-Star






The interiors of A-Star feel a bit cramped in comparison to Hyundai i10. Also the colors used by Maruti look drab unlike i10's beige n black interior trim which gives a airy and spacious feel. The rear passengers get very small windows - thanks to butterfly/wing design as it looks from outside. Also rear legroom is less for 6' tall people. From driver's point of view A-Star is a very comfortable car, the instrument cluster is quite big and all meters are easy to read. It also gets dash mounted tachometer which is first of its kind in thissegment. The only drawback is that the height of dashboard is little bit high and may obstruct view of short drivers.

As far as features are concerned the top model of A-Star comes fully loaded with smart dash mounted tachometer, digital trip meter, odometer, fuel gauge, clock, an integrated music system with AUX-in facility, Airbags, Anti Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD). All of these together offer an unmatched experience. Maruti A-Star features a floating cockpit design, sculpted aero-dashboard and wrap-around console add to the overall engaging sporty theme. The crimson illumination that is gentle to the eyes and has stress relieving properties, has been integrated soberly in the interiors.

Engine Of Maruti A-star









Maruti Suzuki invested over Rs. 1200 crores and 3 years to make this petrol mill. A-Star has KB-Series 998cc engine which is Euro 5-compliant with Co2 emissions and develops 67 Bhp of power with 90 Nm of torque. The flat torque of this engine and short throw gearbox makes the A-star an ideal car to negotiate the stop-go city traffic conditions. The engine loves to be revved but at high gears it feels short of torque than the expected. The gearbox feels good unlike the one in the Wagon R and Zen Estilo.

Maruti Suzuki has find somehow an engine delivering performance of a 4 cylinder motor and fuel efficiency of a 3 cylinder one. The fuel consumption of A-Star is 19.6 kmpl as tested by ARAI. The A-star is the first car from Maruti Suzuki to be fitted with the new KB Series engine. The K10B engine on the A-star is carefully designed to meet the current and forthcoming environment norms in India as well as in the advanced markets of the Western world. In India, the engine conforms to the present BS-III emission norms. The engine has undergone over 250,000 km of endurance testing and over 500 hours of engine calibration and 7,500 hours of engine validation on dynamometer.

Ride & Handling Of Maruti A-Star




rigidity and agility for passenger comfort.With a turning radius of 4.5 meters and a ground clearance of 170 mm, the A-star is suitable for all Indian conditions, including congested areas and potholed roads. The A-star boasts of a unique all-round gas damped suspension, making rides much more comfortable, and also reducing wear and tear resulting in a low maintenance cost.

Maruti A-Star has a front suspension frame for excellent handling. Front and rear suspensions have been fine-tuned for enhanced riding comfort with perfect handling on Indian road conditions. Ultra high-grade steel used in coil springs provides high cost.

Safety Features Available In Maruti A-Star






Safety features of the Maruti A-star includes Crushable structure energy dispersing frame and a high rigidity body combined with lightness, driver airbags and ABS. The A-star’s body reflects the Total Effective Control Technology (TECT) concept in the form of crushable structures that absorb impact energy and then disperse impact energy away from occupants in the event of a collision. If you ’re looking for a city car it’s certainly worthy of serious consideration indeed as the A-Star has enough stuff that could trump the Hyundai i10 as thesegment’s value choice.

Variants Available In Maruti A-star

Like the Swift, Maruti has launched A-Star in 3 variants - Lxi, Vxi & Zxi. The top model Zxi model is fully loaded with these features:

1) Power windows.
2) Power Steering.
3) Remote central locking.
4) Driver & Passenger Airbag.
5) Anti Lock Braking System (ABS).
6) Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD).
7) CD Player with 4 Speakers.
8) Dash-Mounted Tachometer.
9) Remote Boot & Remote Fuel Filler.
10) Rear Defogger with Rear Wiper/Washer.
11) Fog Lamps.

Price Of Maruti A-Star

Maruti A-Star seems to be priced on the higher side in comparison to space and features it offers. In my opinion i10 is a much better option if you want a comfortable, stylish and spacious Bsegment hatchback. Despite of some drawbacks Maruti A-Star has set the sales charts on fire, thanks to large volume of exports to Nissan. Following are prices of Maruti A-Star (In Rs. - Ex-Showroom New Delhi):

LXi - 347000.00
VXi - 374000.00
ZXi - 412000.00

MAHINDR SCROPI CONFIGURATION

Saturday, November 13, 2010


SCROPI CONFIGURATION









Specifications of Mahindra Scorpio




Engine NEF - TC, IC NEF CRDe - TC, IC
Type 4 stroke, Turbo-charged,
Intercooled, DI Diesel Engine
4 stroke, Turbo-charged,
Intercooled, DI,
Common Rail Diesel Engine (CRDe)
Bore / Stroke, mm 94x94
No. of Cylinders 4
Displacement, CC 2609
Compression Ratio 18.5:1
Max. Engine Output, kW @ RPM 80 kW@ 3800 RPM (109 HP) 85 kW@ 3800 RPM (115 HP)
Max. Torque, Nm @ RPM 255 Nm @ 1800 RPM
(26 Kgm)
278 Nm @ 1700 - 2200 RPM
(28.3 Kgm)



Gear Box 5 forward, 1 Reverse


Tyres P235/70R16 Radial


Suspension

Front Independent Front with coil spring for 2WD, Torsion bar for 4WD
Rear Leaf Spring


Brakes

Front Disc and caliper type. Twinpot+Tandem Booster
Rear Drum Type


Fuel Tank

Capacity in Ltrs. 60


Dimensions
Wheel Base, mm 2680
Track, mm (Front / Rear) 1450
Overall length, mm 4475
Overall width, mm 1750
Overall height, mm unladen 1916
Min. Ground Clearance, mm 180
Turning Circle Radius, Mt. 5.6 for 2WD
5.7 for 4WD


Weights
Max. GVW, Kg 2WD: 2510 Kg
4WD: 2610 Kg



Features of Mahindra Scorpio

Engine & Transmission Choices
Turbo 2.6
Turbo 2.6
DX
Sportz
Turbo 2.6
SLX
SZ 2600 Plus Turbocharged Intercooled Diesel Engine(BS II)

2.6 Litre Turbocharged Intercooled ,Common Rail Diesel Engine (BS III)
Optional : Borg-Warner Electric 4WD System(7 Seater,BS II only)







Safety
Collapsible Steering column & side intrusion beams
Crash protecting crumple zones & child locks
Fire resistant upholstery
Rear Wash & Wipe
Protective side cladding

Rear demister


Adjustable intermittent wipers


Voice assist function, vehicle security system & remote locking / unlocking







Luxury
Heating , Ventilation & AC with Rear Vents
Fabric & Vinyl combination seats

Black Leather seats


Full Fabric seats


ORVM manual remocon , power windows & swivel interior lamp
centre arm rests : 2nd row seats
cassette Player ,AM /FM Radio , Stereo with 4 Speakers.


Individual arm rests on 1st row seats

'Follow Me Home' headlamps & illuminated footboards


Theatre Style interior illumination with lit front footwells







Appearance
Styled steel wheels
Roof -top ski Racks

Side decals , bonnets stripes & side - window blackout


Two tone dashboard in Grey


Fully colour keyed two -tone interiors & exteriors







Convenience
Power steering , fuel lid opener & side step
Power windows & central locking





Seating
9 Seater


8 Seater
7 Seater