Total Recall: A quick look at last week’s launches

 

A lot has happened in the last few days in the Indian automobile scenario. We have had new launches, new variants, facelifts… chances are, you may have missed out on one or two of them. So here’s what we are doing, with our new sub-section, Total Recall, we will be covering all that has happened in the automobile sector in a single shift. So the next time you lose track, we’ve got you covered.

1. Ford Figo facelift

Ford India has launched an updated version of its popular hatchback, the Figo in Mumbai. The car has received a host of revisions that are mechanical as well as aesthetic. Ford is banking upon the festive season with the Figo and has therefore given it a VFM price-tag. With prices starting at Rs. 3,84,999* for the petrol and Rs. 4,81,999* for the diesel, the Figo has a lot going for it. You can read more about the Figo facelift here.

* All prices are ex-showroom New Delhi

2. Maruti Suzuki Alto 800

Maruti Suzuki has finally given the Alto, its first major update in 12 years. The car gets a complete make-over and has been christened as the Alto 800. Maruti has also tweaked the 800cc, F8 petrol unit for more power and better fuel-efficiency.  Available in both petrol and CNG variants, the Alto 800 starts at Rs. 2.44 lakhs. We will be doing a complete road-test of the Alto 800 in the coming months. Till then, you can read more about the new Alto here.

3. Tata Manza Club Class

Tata Motors has launched an updated version of the Manza Sedan, which it has christened as “the Club Class.” The company has stuffed its B-segment sedan with loads of equipment, just like how it has been doing for years. The Manza was suffering with poor sales figures in the recent months. August 2012 saw sales decline by over 46% compared to the same period last year. Tata Motors is now banking upon the Diwali season to boost the sales figures of the sedan. The updated Manza is priced at Rs 5.7 lakh for the base petrol and Rs 6.49 lakh for base diesel. The top-end diesel variant is priced at Rs 8.8 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom New Delhi. You can read more about the Manza here.

4. Tata Safari Storme

After much delay, Tata has finally launched the Safari Storme at an ex-showroom (New Delhi) price of Rs. 9.95 lakhs. The Storme is equipped with a 2.2L ‘VERiCOR’ diesel engine that produces 140 PS @ 4,000 RPM and 320 Nm @ 1,700-2,700 RPM. The 16-valve DOHC unit is mated to a 5-speed G-76 (Mark II) manual gearbox that helps the car reach 0-100 kmph in just 15.5 seconds.  The Storme is available in four variants and following are their ex-showroom (New Delhi) prices:

• LX: Rs. 9.95 lakhs
• EX: Rs. 10.77 lakhs
• VX: Rs. 12.37 lakhs
• VX 4X4: Rs. 13.66 lakhs

You can read more about the new Safari Storme here.

5. Mahindra SsangYong Rexton W

The much awaited Ssangyong Rexton finally made its Indian debut in Mumbai last week. Starting at an aggressive price-tag of Rs. 17.67 Lakhs, the Rexton W is available in two variants – RX5 with a 5-speed manual transmission and RX7 with a 5-speed automatic transmission. The Rx7 retails for a premium of Rs. 2 lakh over the manual Rx5, at Rs. 19.67 lakhs. All prices are ex-showroom Mumbai. To know more about the technical specifications and features of the Rexton, click here.

6. Force Traveller-26

Force Motors has launched th world’s biggest, 26-seater Monocoque Panel Van in India. The Traveller-26 comes as the most advanced van from Force and was completely engineered and tooled in-house by Force Motors’ R&D team. The van is available in three variants –Standard, School bus and Deluxe – with 26 + D (Driver) seating capacity and the following are their ex-showroom (Pune) prices –

• Standard – Rs. 10.87 lakhs
• School bus – Rs. 11.17  lakhs
• Deluxe – Rs. 13.78 lakhs

7. Honda Brio Automatic

Honda has added the option of an automatic gearbox to its B-segment hatch, the Brio. The Brio is India’s first hatchback to be offered with a 5-speed automatic transmission. The automatic gearbox uses a combination of close and wide ratios to achieve a balance between performance and fuel economy. Apart from the Brio A/T, Honda has also launched a new manual transmission variant called EX, which sits above the base E variant. The Brio automatic will be available in 2 variants, S(O) and V and the following are the ex-showroom (New Delhi) prices of the new variants.

• EX/MT – Rs. 4.26 lakhs
• S(O)/AT – Rs. 5.74 lakhs
• V/AT – Rs. 5.99 lakhs

To read more about the Brio automatic, click here.

8. Tata Aria Pure LX

Tata has added a more affordable variant to the Aria 4X2 line-up, called the Pure LX. The new-entry level variant is priced at Rs. 9.95 lakhs (ex-showroom New Delhi) and is aimed entirely at the taxi-cab market. The company however has stripped-down the cross-over with most of its features, so as to position it under the 10-lakh rupee price bracket. Under the hood, you get the same 2.2 litre Direct Injection Common Rail (DICOR) engine that delivers 140 PS of peak-power and 320 NM of peak-torque. The lack of a dual-mass flywheel means that the Aria LX will have a noisier cabin in comparison to the higher trim-levels. Still, at a sub-10 lakh rupee price tag, the Aria is a steal for what it offers. To read more about the Aria, click here.

9. Locally Assembled Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

 Mitsubishi India has slashed the price of the new Pajero Sport by Rs 1.87 lakh and the SUV is now available in the market at an ex-showroom New Delhi price of Rs. 22.56 lakhs. The Japanese car maker has also announced that it has begun manufacturing the Pajero Sport from CKD kits at its Tiruvallur plant. Currently, components like tyres, the battery, window glass, seat belts, lamps, wiper assembly, alloy wheels and the headlining are the major items being locally assembled. The company is looking at a 20% market share with the cut-price Pajero Sport and plans to further increase localisation with time. With the price-slash, Mitsubishi has also asked its dealers to stop accepting bookings for old the Pajero SFX, which means the vehicle will soon be discontinued. Read more about the Pajero Sport here.