140 PS / 321 Nm Force Gurkha Xtreme launched at INR 12.99 lakh

Force Motors has launched  the new Gurkha Xtreme with a 140hp motor. The new top-spec variant is priced at Rs 12.99 lakh (ex-showroom, pan-India)



The new Force Gurkha Xtreme is powered by a 2.2 litre Mercedes-Benz sourced diesel motor. Apart from the engine, the Gurkha also features a new gearbox and a transfer case.

The Mercedes-Benz OM611 engine is paired with a new 5-speed manual gearbox (Mercedes-Benz G32). This is the same four-cylinder engine that powered the now discontinued Force One SUV. It is capable of generating 140 PS of maximum power and 321 Nm of peak torque. Lower variants continue to employ the 85 PS 2.6-litre motor, which is priced from INR 10.49 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).



 

The new model gets a low-range transfer case but misses out on the shift-on-the-fly system, and also gets front and rear diff-locks, like the standard Gurkha.

The Gurkha Xtreme also receives an upgraded suspension setup with multi-link units up front, similar to the ones at the rear. The new suspension has resulted in a front track wider by 40 mm.



 

This new Force Gurkha Xtreme 2.2 receives improvements to the approach, ramp break-over and departure angles as compared to the Gurkha Xplorer. The SUV has a ground clearance of 205 mm and water - wading depth of 550 mm.

On the inside, the Gurkha Xtreme gets a new centre console, gear lever and transfer case along with other updates to the cabin.

When the standard Gurkha was pit against its arch-rival, the Mahindra Thar, in our comparison, the former came across as lacking in several areas. Now, with a more powerful 140hp engine and a suite of upgrades, the Gurkha Xtreme is expected to be a more challenging contender.

TVS Radeon launched. To take on the likes of Hero Splendor

TVS Motor Company has unwrapped its new 110cc commuter motorcycle called the Radeon. The new Hero Splendor 110 & Honda CD110 Dream rival named TVS Radeon has been priced aggressively at Rs 48,400 (Ex-Showroom).



The Radeon was the basis of the Phoenix 125 when it was first showcased as a concept model at the 2012 Auto Expo. The new motorcycle gets the same 109.7 cc single-cylinder engine that is used in the Star City+. It puts out 8.3 bhp at 7,000 rpm and maximum torque of 8.7 Nm at 5,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a 4-speed gearbox and has a fuel tank capacity of 10 litres. It has a claimed fuel efficiency of 69.3 kmpl.



Targeted primarily at young customers, the Radeon employs a brand new design and is built on a tubular steel chassis. The motorcycle is also equipped with TVS' synchronised braking technology which offers better control when braking and also avoids skidding under panic braking. It also has features such as long seat, USB charging spot, 5-step adjustable rear shock-absorber and a grab rail for the pillion rider as well.



The company will start the delivery of this new motorcycle next month and is the second big launch of the year after the TVS Apache RR310 and the TVS NTorq. TVS Motor Co sees a big opportunity especially in Tier-2 and rural market and aims at 44% market share in this segment.

The company aims to sell over 2 lakh units in its first year of sales in the Indian domestic market. The target customer for the Radeon is a tech-savvy rural buyer, the company aims to target the rural millennial with this new offering. Here are all the details on the new TVS Radeon that is set to disrupt the 110cc commuter segment motorcycle in India.



TVS is looking to strengthen its 110 cc bikes portfolio in India. TVS looks to manufacture 2 lakh units of the Radeon in the first year. The deliveries will begin next month. This particular segment has a lot of models with companies such as Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Auto and Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India having multiple models in the 100-110 cc segments.



Image Gallery: TVS Radeon

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="25507,25498,25499,25496,25510,25497,25505,25506,25509,25504,25503,25502,25501,25500,25495,25494"]

Kerala, North East to get Bajaj Qute first

Bajaj Auto's Qute will finally be made available for sale next month, with the company already having started deliveries of the quadricycle to dealers.



Bajaj Auto dealers in Kerala and in the North East have already placed orders for the four-wheeler as it is 'technically' possible to offer the Qute for sale in these markets, the company said.

"Technically Kerala is allowed to retail it so the initial plan is to send out 35-40 vehicles to all the dealerships so that registration process can be completed. But I would say that retails in the North-East and Kerala should commence next month," said Kevin D’sa, President (Finance), Bajaj Auto.

Qute, which is a four-wheeler, comes under a new category of vehicle. It is not classified as a personal vehicle and can be used only for commercial purposes. This means that the vehicle will need clearance from individual state governments. As of now, only Kerala and the North Eastern states have given their go-ahead.

Early last month, the central government cleared the policy to permit quadricycles for commercial use, after the Supreme Court asked the Centre to look into the matter. Several public interest litigations (PILs) were filed by various entities to stall the commercial launch of the quadricycle.

Unable to sell the vehicle in India, Bajaj started exporting the Qute to Latin America, Europe and Africa in 2015. The vehicle is powered by a five-speed, 216cc engine that develops a peak power of 13.2 PS and has a maximum speed of 70 kmph. It can seat three passengers and a driver.

Bajaj has created a capacity of 60,000 units per year for the Qute at its manufacturing facility in Aurangabad.

The quadricycle is part of a new category of vehicles recognized by the government a few years ago. Several companies including TVS Motor Company and Tata Motors had opposed the government's proposal to allow quadricycles to be sold in the market on the grounds that the vehicle does not meet crash safety norms.

[gallery columns="1" size="large" ids="24354,24353,24352,24351,24346,24347,24348,24349"]

Source

Suzuki’s mini-4x4 Jimny can go anywhere

The first video and action shots of the all-new Suzuki Jimny have been released, revealing the go-anywhere ability of the 4th generation small off-roader.



As you can see in these images shot in moody, icy landscape by Australian photographer Benjamin Hardman, who also appears in the promo video, the new Suzuki Jimny will deliver hard-core levels of wheel articulation and off-road traction.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkd8WxoPnBQ[/embed]

The 2019 Suzuki Jimny – only the fourth all-new version since April 1970 and the first full redesign since 1998 – will be powered by a cheap 'n' cheerful 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder gasoline unit called the K15B. It's tuned for bang on 100 horsepower and 96 lb-ft of torque, and comes with either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto transmission, both of which come with a high/low transfer gear ratio selector to make it suitable for steep and slippery off-road action.

[caption id="attachment_25448" align="aligncenter" width="640"] 2019 Suzuki Jimny high low range transfer[/caption]

The off-roading ability of Jimny is characterized by a rigid ladder frame and 3-link rigid axle suspension at both ends paired with Suzuki’s dual-range ALLGRIP PRO four-wheel drive system with low-range.

At the same time, major tech advances will include the availability of a 7.0-inch touch-screen projecting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, high-beam assist, daytime running lights, hill-hold, hill decent control, dual front, front-side and side curtain airbags, and autonomous emergency braking (AEB).



Image Gallery: Suzuki Jimny 4x4

[gallery columns="1" size="large" ids="25465,25464,25463,25462,25461,25456,25457,25458,25459,25460,25455,25454,25453,25452,25451,25446,25447,25449,25450"]

Image & video credits: Suzuki

Nissan Juke hits one million. Rolled off at Sunderland Plant.

Eight years after it created the compact crossover segment, the one millionth Juke has rolled off the line at Nissan Sunderland Plant. On average, a brand new Juke is built at the plant every 105 seconds.



Well known for its distinctive sporty styling, the 2018 Juke comes with a host of interior and exterior personalisation choices. Thanks to all the options and possible personalisation combinations, more than 23,000 different versions of the latest Juke are available for customers across Europe.

The one millionth Juke built in Sunderland was a Tekna grade in Vivid Blue, the most recent colour to be added to the range.

Juke was the second crossover to be built at the plant, following the pioneering Qashqai, which went into production in 2006 and began Nissan’s leadership of the crossover market. More than three million Qashqai have now been built in Sunderland, following Micra (2.4m) and Primera (1.5m) as models to have hit seven figures at the plant.

The one million figure includes the premium sports version, Juke NISMO, which went into production at the Sunderland plant in 2012. Sales statistics show that black is the most popular car colour for Juke customers across Europe – and is also the number one choice for personalised interiors and exteriors.



Juke remains a huge sales success, hitting sales of 95,000 in 2017 in Europe. More premium features on the latest model include a striking new dark chrome V-motion grille, dark headlamp interior and dark turn indicators on the door mirrors. LED fog lamps are now standard from Acenta grade.



Three new 16-inch and 18-inch alloy wheel designs have been added to the Juke range, also from Acenta grade. For customers looking to add a dash of design flair to their car, the wheels on Tekna grade can be personalised with coloured inserts.



The interior has complementary personalisation options, in Energy Orange and Power Blue, as well as black faux-leather seats, arm rest and meter hood with coloured double stitching. The Juke is available with a BOSE Personal sound system, which delivers a high-quality and immersive 360° listening experience through speakers built into the driver’s head rest.



The Juke also features innovative technology including Nissan’s Intelligent Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection, Lane Departure Warning and Blind Spot Warning.

No 'child lock' feature for cabs, taxis from next year

The demand for doing away with child lock in cabs has gained momentum after recent incidents of women being harassed, including in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. Once a child lock is on, doors can be opened only from the outside. 

Child locks in cabs and taxis, which have been misused by drivers to confine women passengers and misbehave with them, will be a thing of the past from July next year. The automobile industry will develop a new latch without the child lock function and it will be made available in the next one year.

These latches can be installed at the dealers’ end since car manufacturers could not predict which vehicle would be used for commercial purpose. While all new vehicles will get them, there will be a provision for replacing the existing child lock in already registered vehicles. The regional transport officer (RTO) concerned, which registers vehicles, will be responsible to see that such vehicles don’t have child lock.

Since every commercial vehicle needed to renew its fitness certificate annually, the RTOs could easily deny permission if existing taxis didn’t take out the child lock and fixed the new latch.

The demand for doing away with child lock in cabs has gained momentum after recent incidents of women being harassed, including in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. Once a child lock is on, doors can be opened only from the outside.

Though the ‘new taxi policy guidelines’ of 2017 specifies that every taxi must have GPS panic devices and the child lock must be disabled, there have been instances of cab drivers not following the norm. Secondly, some cab operators have started pasting stickers in cabs to remind passengers to ensure disabling of locks before the trip starts. But doing away with child lock is being seen as the remedy to the problem.

Source

2018 Renault Duster arrives in the Middle East

Renault Middle East is welcoming the arrival of the all-new Renault Duster in the Middle East.

The 2018 Renault Duster grows on the existing model and can be seen as a highly reworked version in terms of styling. While it still distinctively looks like a Duster, the design is a lot more upmarket now and keeps the butch appearance intact.



The grille is now wider and the headlights have been pushed to the either corner to make the SUV look wider. A new signature LED daytime running lights divided into three sections highlight the headlamp cluster. The bonnet has been reworked for a flatter surface and gets a U-shaped masculine line for a more assertive look. A silver skid plate has been added to the front and rear bumper now, which looks like a bull bar and is finished in scratch resistant coating to take some beating.

The new Duster's beltline has been moved higher while the windscreen is raked forward by 100 mm over the outgoing model in a bid to make the cabin look more spacious. There are new aluminium finished roof bars as well along with the new 17-inch alloy wheels that sport a rather interesting design.



At the rear, we particularly dig the new X-shaped tail light cluster that seems to have taken inspiration from the Jeep Renegade. It's still a compact unit, something the current Duster owners weren't too pleased about, but the new setup certainly looks better.

Inside, the all-new Renault Duster is fitted with a multitude of new, high-quality, driving aids and equipment making it an ideal candidate for those on a budget and are looking for an SUV.



Comparing the outgoing version with the latest one, the difference in quality is noticeable, as the Duster can now be had with Multiview camera and Blind Spot Warning, Hill Descent Control, automatic climate control, 4×4 monitor, seven-inch touchscreen multimedia system, Renault smart card with keyless entry and for GCC spec vehicles only, Remote Engine Start – as well as quality materials and trims.

Customers can choose between two petrol engines; a 1.6-litre 2WD mated to a CVT automatic gearbox, and a 2.0L 4WD connected to an automatic gearbox.

The new Duster is now on sale in select Middle Eastern countries including Lebanon and Egypt. From August, the model will go on sale in Jordan, whereas the in the GCC the latest Duster will arrive in September. Those in Iraq will have to wait till late 2018 to get their hands on the latest Duster.

Since its global launch in 2010, the Renault Duster has sold over 2.45 million units across the globe with both Renault and Dacia badges attached. The compact SUV has proved popular in Russia, Brazil and the Middle East.

Image Gallery: 2018 Renault Duster

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="25378,25379,25380,25381,25382,25383,25384,25385,25386"]