Fiat is set to launch the sporty Abarth version of the Punto hatchback, powered by a 1.4-litre T-Jet motor churning out 145PS. The Aparth Punto is one of the most powerful hatchbacks made in India and will be priced around Rs 10 lakh.

Unlike its sibling, the Abarth Punto will carry a more affordable price tag, since it is based on the Fiat Punto, which is produced in India. The visual difference will be the racy colour scheme on the Abarth Punto – including a red-and-black combination, and a matt grey body colour with bright orange highlights.

The major superficial difference will be the Abarth badges on the front and back and a set of new 16-inch alloy wheels with diamond cut finish. At the back, there’s also a subtle spoiler and chrome exhaust trims.

For the interiors, the Abarth Punto gets a sporty all-black interior, while the black seat upholstery comes with subtle yellow and red stitching combination.

Most importantly, the Abarth Punto Evo will come equipped with a turbo charged 1.4-litre, 4-cylinder, twin-cam engine which can punch out 145PS of peak power and 212Nm of maximum torque. This makes it one of the most powerful hatchbacks produced in India.

The hot hatch Apabrth Punto, is expected to be priced close to Rs 10 lakh, when it is launched. Meanwhile, Fiat has started accepting booking of the Abarth Punto across its dealership for a sum of Rs 50,000.

Courtesy :  Zigwheels

SK Motowheels has launched Benneli range of motorcycles in Goa. The new showroom located at Burdez area will offer its five motorcycles ranging from 300cc to 1131cc, and priced between Rs 3.05-12.07 lakh.

The new dealership has started accepting booking for the entire range of DSK Benelli motorcycles, including the TNT 300 in-line two-cylinder 300cc engine; TNT 600i  in-line four-cylinder 600cc engine; TNT 600 GT the tourer motorcycle with an in-line four-cylinder 600cc engine; TNT 899 in-line 3-cylinder 898cc engine; and the TNT R the 1131cc in-line, three-cylinder engine motorcycle. The Benelli motorcycle is priced between Rs 3.05 lakh to Rs 12.07 lakh in Goa.

Commenting on the launch of the Goa dealership, Shirish Kulkarni, Chairman, DSK Motowheels, said, “Our main focus is to align DSK Benelli’s presence across all strategic locations in order to generate strong brand eminence and Goa in that respect, is one of those key markets. The dealership will not only act as a platform to sell motorcycles but also a place for DSK Benelli superbike enthusiasts to interact with other bikers and share their love for the Italian biking legend.”

DSK Benelli superbikes ex-showroom, Goa price:

•          TNT 300 – Rs 3.05 lakh

•          TNT 600i – Rs 5.50 lakh

•          TNT 600 GT – Rs 6.09 lakh

•          TNT 600 GTS – Rs 6.47 lakh

•          TNT 899 – Rs 9.69 lakh

•          TNT R – Rs 12.07 lakh

Courtesy : Zigwheels

The Toro will go on sale in select South American countries; to be available as two-wheel and four-wheel drive.

The Fiat Toro was teased recently through a series of images. But now clear photographs of the pickup from the factory line have been released. The images fully reveal the Toro that has borrowed design cues from the FCC4 four-door concept showcased at the Sao Paolo motor show last year. The speculated features such as the hexagonal grill, sleek LED headlights and a tall front end are now confirmed. The images from the assembly line show that the Toro's LED tail-lights stretch around the rear panel and the rear tailgate features a barn-style opening rather than a conventional pull-down design, with the mechanism hidden under a huge Fiat logo. However, it is said that the images are of the base version that lacks the fog lamps, metal-like underbody protection and also the metallic accents seen on the top-end variant that was teased. 

The Stuttgart-based car maker recorded a growth of 22 per cent in the third quarter of 2015.

At the beginning of the year, Mercedes-Benz announced an aggressive strategy for its operations in India. The company revealed its plans of introducing 15 new models in 2015 in a bid to gain the top spot in the luxury car market. Nine months into the year the strategy has already started bearing fruit as Mercedes-Benz recorded sales of 10,079 units in this period, which a little less than the total number of units sold in 2014. These numbers reflect a 34 per cent year on year growth over January-September 2014. 

Roland Folger, Managing Director & CEO, Mercedes-Benz India commented, “Mercedes-Benz’s success run in India continues as we sold almost the entire 2014 volumes in first nine months of 2015. This continuous sales success is a clear reflection of our customer centric approach and our relentless drive towards creating customers for life. I am glad to see the India strategy is bearing fruits, and we are well poised for entering the Q4 with a very strong footing.”

Breaking down its overall growth in the year, Mercedes-Benz’s sedan portfolio led by the CLA, C-Class, E-Class and S-Class grew by 34 per cent in the period Jan-Sept 2015. But it was their SUV portfolio that that reflected a higher percentage growth. SUV portfolio comprising of the GLA, M-Class and GL Class grew by 70 per cent and is expected to grow higher in the last quarter with the launch of the GLE luxury SUV next week. 

Aside from an offensive model approach Mercedes has also given equal attention to its dealer expansion plans. The three-pointed star also inaugurated 13 new outlets taking their reach to 39 cities across the country.

Courtesy : Zigwheels

BMW, Honda and Yamaha are working together on technology that will warn motorcyclists of hazards on the road

Honda, Yamaha and BMW have announced that the three companies are working together on technology that could be life saving for motorcycle riders.

The three manufacturers are collaborating to evaluate and develop systems to warn motorcyclists of hazards on the road.  These systems will allow bikes to communicate with other vehicles so riders have advanced warning of changing road conditions, accidents and traffic behaviour.

The technology is called Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) and Honda, Yamaha and BMW’s collective program is called ‘Connected Motorcycle Consortium.’ Now, the three manufacturers are looking at others to join them in developing this technology for motorcycles.

The C-ITS is an umbrella term for technology that allows vehicles to communicate with each other and give road users early warning of hazards or conditions. These could include vehicle-to-vehicle warning systems that can alert drivers of an impending collision.

According to a press release, ITS systems designed for cars cannot simply be transferred to motorcycles. Due to the limited space available, electronic systems have to be smaller and be resilient to water, dust and vibration.

Since motorcycles exhibit different driving dynamics, software development and algorithms need to consider special requirements.

The new cooperation was announced on October 6, 2015 at the ITS World Congress in Bordeaux, France, the world’s largest event for intelligent transport systems and services. The three partners also encouraged other motorcycle manufacturers to join the consortium so as to further increase safety in powered two-wheelers.

Courtesy : Zigwheels