Toyota Etios

Apart from build quality and performance, prospective customers have also been rather concerned with mileage, after all mileage is the holy grail to any car's success in India. Tushar Mathur from Gurgaon voices his concern, "Toyota Automobile new sedan Etios has got the looks, the power and the reliability. The smiling 'human face' looks will definitely bring some smiles on people looking for sedan in this segment. The price range of Rs.7 lakh to Rs 9 lakh is very apt and will give a tough fight to the Honda Auto mobile, Hyundai Verna and the Chevrolet Optra. Also the 1.5 liter petrol engine will definitely produce impressive power but my concern is the fuel efficiency. It might be an issue."

On the contrary, Amanish Kumar Jena of Mumbai is confident on the average Toyota Etios will offer, he says, "I am sure the Etios will offer at least 13-14 kilometers to the litre, but I am doubtful with the price. I think it will be a costly affair."

The survey also revealed that there could be issues with the Etios matching the class it has been offered in. "I am a little dicey with the Q class concept. With price range getting low, it might affect the features the other segments have," says a confused Nitin Maheshwari of Bangalore.

Overall the feedback from prospective customers and enthusiasts alike has revealed that the Etios needs to be a car of quality and should stand as testimony to Toyota's build quality. The car should be spacious, fuel efficient and have decent features. The price should by no means reach the Honda City territory. If the Etios lives up to these standards, Toyota has a winner on their hands. Come December, when the Etios is finally made available to customers, we will indeed get to know if the Etios has lived up to customer expectations.

Yamaha FZ1 In India

Yamaha FZ1, with its 1000cc and four cylinders , would compete with the recentlylaunched Honda CB1000R. It is pitted in the same category as the Suzuki Bandit and Kawasaki Z1000S in the international market.

Superbikes are big-performance bikes with engine capacity of 500 cc and above. Japanese automakers such as Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki are top players in superbikes space along with Ducati and BMW . Most of them are now present in India.

Japanese bike manufacturer is believed to have sent the FZ1 for homologation. “The bike is priced cheaper than the Honda CB1000R, which is the cheapest imported superbike currently sold. The bike will be imported as CBU from Australia or Japan,”

said people close to development. It is also believed to be considering the semi-knocked down (SKD) route for the FZ1. This will help Yamaha to price the FZ1 competitively.

The super bike will be launched in December and will be priced between Rs 8-9 lakh.

Skoda Yeti Vs BMW X5

SUVs are not just about driving, but lording over the rest of the road users. But their massive size-which has been their trademark-has always bothered us. And that's where the Yeti differs. It's just like a big-boned hatchback which can do anything that a full-blown SUV can. So let's sit back and find out if it is capable of achieving all that its bigger competitors can.



Space wise the Yeti can easily seat five adults and what's interesting is its Varioflex space management feature. What it does is let you tilt back the reverse seats to such an extent that they can be simply folded or even detached completely to give you loads of extra space.

Powering this machine is a 2.0 litre diesel motor, the same engine that propels Laura but some tweaks have been done to achieve a max power output of 140 bhp. Adding more bite is its stupendous torque of 320 Nm which can be banked upon from as low as 1750 rpm. The best thing about the Yeti is that it's as easy to manoeuvre as a sedan. Due to its short wheelbase and a high ground clearance it can also easily tackle off road activities to quite an extent. But what takes the cake is its compact size which let's you carve your own way through narrow mountain trails which can be a hassle in a full-blown SUV.



The fuel efficiency on clogged city roads came in close proximity of double digit figure; no mean feat from an engine that whips the speedometer needle to 100 km/ph in 5.5 seconds, with a V8 power unit featuring twin-power turbo and direct injection delivering a torque of 600 Nm at 1,750-4 ,500 rpm. The eight-speed transmission is assisted with 'servotronic' steering assistance that gave us the comfort of driving a sedan. Add to it the wider tyres for a better grip and the refurbished alloys with more spokes to give it a rigidity on tardy Indian roads.

There are improved interiors with lighter shades of colours in its Nevada leather upholstery and BMW has added optional third-row seats to accommodate up to seven persons with ease storage space. Besides, there are minor changes with iDrive system which controls the entertainment and information functions. Clearly, X5 is trying to race past Audi Q7, with a reinvented blend of sportiness and aggression. With its signature kidney grille and dual round headlights, slightly cut off at the top, have been re-compassed to makes the car more striking, the X5 now can boasts of an expressive front that may force its global arch-rival , the Audi Q7, to come up with something better.

Mercedes Benz Launches New M-Class Grand Edition

The New M-Class was introduced in the country last year.

"The M-Class has been a popular model series in India. The Sports Edition and the Executive Edition are very aggressively priced considering the loadings and features of this marquee," Mercedes-Benz India's managing director and CEO, Wilfried Aulbur, said in statement here.

"We are confident that customers who expect highest standards from their vehicles will find the M-Class a vehicle that exceeds their expectations-both on and off the road," Aulbur said.

Mercedes Benz has its plant at Chakan near Pune in Maharashtra, where it produces models including C Class, E Class and the S Class

Luxury car-maker, Mercedes Benz, today launched its new M-Class grand edition in two variants--Grand Sports and Grand Executive--priced at Rs 54.11-lakh and Rs 47.91-lakh (ex-showroom Pune) respectively.

This December Debut For Nissan Micra Diesel

Yes, the Nissan Micra will soon be available with a diesel engine under its curvy bonnet and that's where the Renault-Nissan partnership truly shows its presence ? because the oil burner making its way into the Micra isn't just another small capacity one-it's the same powerplant that does duty in the Logan! The Japanese automaker has done away with the Logan's intercooler though, so the 1461cc engine should now make about 65PS @ 4000rpm and 155Nm @ 2000rpm which is very slightly lower than what the Logan makes in its current tune.

The trade-off between the weight saved and the reduction in power is minimal and seems like a great step by Nissan considering that the Micra is a smaller car and will weigh in at just over 1000kg.The Micra diesel will be available in two variants only-the XV and the XV Premium. The diesel XV will share its features list with the XV petrol ? which means it will come with a driver-side airbag and the Intelligent key system and push button ignition, electrically adjustable and foldable wing mirrors, body coloured door handles and the works, but it will still be sans ABS and EBD.

All of that though, will be available in the top-of-the-line XV Premium variant which will also sport 15? alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a spoiler at the rear. Expect the Nissan diesel to be priced in the Suzuki Swift DDiS territory-Rs 5 lakh upwards.