Reference Auto

Mahindra company and global SUV specialist SsangYong’s Rexton, which has been priced cheaper than its counterpart SUVs such as the Ford Endeavour as well as the Toyota Fortuna, also offers a RX7 variant, which is loaded with features and this car has some pedigree also (it is based on the first-generation Mercedes-Benz M-class) but will such a pricing strategy for an unknown brand (SsangYong) work in India, at least initially?

Though a Mahindra brand, SsangYong is virtually unknown in India and the former would have to do some form of ad blitz to bring the Korean brand into limelight.

And, it does not seem that the Rexton, which comes for Rs 18.83 lakh for the RX5 version and Rs 21 lakh for the RX7 variant with automatic transmission, will make a splash in the near term.

The Rexton will be available in more than 13 cities initially.

The SsangYong Rexton has a globally famous 2.7 litre, 2696 cc engine which comes with 184 bhp of power and 402 Nm torque in automatic and 162 bhp and 340 Nm torque in the manual transmission.

Both variants come with offroading capabilities - all wheel drive or torque on demand (intelligent 4x4).

The Rexton also offers four airbags, stability program, anti-lock brake system, hill descent control, slip regulation and active rollover protection along with engine immobilizer. It is one of the few SUVs in the world which maintains an unblemished record in safety.

SsangYong cars are known for their safety and comfort along with the smooth drive features.

Besides five-speed manual and five-speed E-tronic automatic transmission, the Rexton SUV also offers touchscreen six-inch infotainment system with GPS navigation, DVD, CD, MP3, FM and USB.

Moreover, there is also the fully automatic climate control system, memory function, outside rear view mirrors, electric sunroof, which comes with tilt and open function, cruise control and audio controls on the steering wheel. The SUV also offers rain sensors and auto headlamps, among others.

Notwithstanding its initial response (which may not be too great), the Rexton is undoubtedly a very powerful and premium SUV, which comes with a litany of top class technology, comfort and safety features.

The Rexton offers premium leather upholstery, eight-way electrically adjustable driver's seat, which includes lumbar support, flat-folding second and third row seats, automatic easy access function for the driver, auto day and night internal rear view mirror, dual-tone beige and black interiors along with metal grain accents.

So SsangYong, a top-class SUV maker which prices its products economically, needs to do a lot of brand-building to make itself known countrywide before Mahindra can see the Rexton’s sales soar to unprecedented levels.

We have some budget SUVs like Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano and Tata’s crossover Aria raid the Rs 10 lakh SUV market, and in a bid to rev up the Scorpio’s sagging sales, Mahindra and Mahindra has again rolled out a limited (special) edition of the SUV (of which only 500 cars are up for grabs) for Rs 11.88 lakh (Delhi showroom price) while Skoda needs to do a bit of an ad blitz for the refurbished Yeti that will roll out around June.

The new Scorpio will come in a pearl white colour with chequered flag decals along the sides. The alloys are ditto similar to the previous model with the difference being that they are now chrome plated instead of silver.

India is finally developing an appetite for super luxury sports cars and this is prompting sport car icons like Lamborghini to bring in the Huracan but at an astronomical price of Rs 3.5 crore in view of a perceived boom in the country’s auto market.

Well, Toyota hasn’t really seen much presence in the mid sedan market of the country (except for the Innova and to a certain extent the high-end Fortuner) and all this could overturn with the roll out of the new 2014 Toyota Corolla Altis, which has been priced between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 16.89 lakh for the petrol as well as the diesel variants.

Mahindra and Mahindra has been going for brand building of its SUVs and after the Scorpio special variant, it has rolled out a special version of the XUV500, christened Mahindra XUV500 Sportz, of which only 1,000 units of this variant will be up for grabs.

Tata Motors, which has not been able to create a dent in the compact car market for a long time, is finally pulling up its socks to take on competition by not only giving a makeover to its Indica Vista and Indigo Manza but also by rolling out a hatchback Bolt and a basic sedan Zest, which are believed to have maintained European standards.

Both the cars, based on the X1 platform, would be rolled out may be around August 2014. The X1 platform means that the Zest and Bolt will have a new engine, suspension, gearbox (the automated manual transmission in case of the Zest), interiors and electronics.

General Motors India, in order to give a fillip to the somewhat stagnating sales of the Chevrolet Cruze, has rolled out a refurbished version, which has better styling as well as additional safety features, the price of which starts from Rs 13.75 lakh but the Volkswagen new Jetta may be a dampener.

The Cruze comes with a 2.0-litre VCDi engine, which belts out 166 PS and 380 Nm torque. The Cruze gives a choice of either a 6-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual gearbox version.

The new Chevrolet Cruze is offered with a new dual-port front grille that sports a neatly tucked ‘Gold Bowtie’ logo of the brand, a redesigned front and rear bumper and new dual bezel headlamps.

The new Cruze also comes with a set of newly designed alloy wheels and chrome bezels around the fog lamps. The new styling makes the Cruze wear a ‘sporty’ look.

On the interior, the Cruze has features such as blue ambient lighting along with a set of black leather inside.

The Cruze has an integrated infotainment system and premium speakers. This, along with three spoke steering wheel with steering mounted audio controls, give a luxury edge to the car.

The Cruze also comes with a push-button start along with an auto-dimming inside the rear view mirror. On the safety side, the Cruze has two front and two side airbags, beefing up safety in case the car collides.

Chevrolet Cruze LT (MT):                                             Rs 13.75 lakh

Chevrolet Cruze LTZ (MT):                                           Rs 15.25 lakh

Chevrolet Cruze LTZ (AT):                                           Rs 16.15 lakh

Volkswagen Jetta’s refurbished version is set to hit the Indian roads soon. Unfortunately, even after two years, VW could bring in minor changes compared to the existing Jetta.

The new Jetta may have new headlights, which are ditto to the ones offered with the Passat, with LED daytime-running lamps along with new alloy wheels.

On the inside, all versions of the Jetta will be equipped with automatic climate control, which is one of the USPs of the new car as the current model doesn’t have this feature, even in the top variant.

Unfortunately, there would be no change on the mechanical front and the new car will also come with the same 2.0-litre TDI engine diesel and the 1.4-litre TSI petrol engines. Both would be mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, while the diesel engine also has an automatic option.

The new Jetta is set to vie with the new Skoda Octavia and the Hyundai Elantra, which leads the segment, along with the new Chevrolet Cruze.

So, even as the Chevrolet Cruze can buoy sales of General Motors, the new Jetta may be a disappointment for Volkswagen.

In the wake of a rev up in India’s SUV segment, Mahindra and Mahindra is surging miles ahead – it first brought in the Rexton from SUV specialist SsangYong’s stable, and now, it has added a new powerful H-Series to its Xylo (that has been dogged by dwindling sales lately) – which like the MPV’s high-end E9 version, will be powered by the refined mHawk engine.

The coveted H-Series mHawk engine offers high power, high performance and high mileage.

The power-packed mHawk engine, with 120 PS power and 280 Nm torque, will be offered in all variants of the H-Series, namely the H4, the H8 and the H9.

These new models will come with driving comfort even on bad city roads and highways.

The ARAI-certified fuel efficiency of the Xylo H-Series would be 14 km per litre, which is commendable for an SUV.

The new H-Series comes with a new transmission, which paves the way for effortless gearshift.

The H-Series Xylos have been attractively priced in the wake of a slump in the car market and the dwindling popularity of the Xylo series cars owing to cannibalisation by Mahindra’s own products, the Quanto, on the lower end and the XUV on the higher side.

Starting at an economical price of Rs 8.23 lakh (ex-showroom price for the BS IV variant), the Xylo’s three H-Series variants – the base H4 (with ABS option), the H8 (with ABS and airbag option) and the feature-packed H9 version with a litany offerings like Voice Command Technology (VCT), Cruise Control and Digital Drive Assist System, are likely to hot up the Indian market with such high-feature offerings coming for almost a steal.

The new H-Series SUVs are also equipped with pivotal safety features like ABS with EBD, dual airbags, Extra Stability Technology Suspension (EST) and Reverse Parking Assist, among various other top-end features.

The Xylo H-Series cars are on sale at Mahindra dealerships across India and will come in one new colour – Dolphin Grey, (offered in the H8 and H9 models) besides being available in five other existing colours.

All additional customer benefits being offered in the H-Series SUVs do not have any charge (compared to the outgoing E-Series models), thereby coming with even a greater value for customers.

Speaking at the unveiling of the new H-Series Xylos, chief executive (automotive division) of Mahindra, Pravin Shah said, “Since its introduction in 2009, the Xylo has carved out a unique identity for itself in its class with regard to space and comfort. The addition of the world-class mHawk engine will further boost its performance and take it a notch higher in its segment. Equipped with higher power and enhanced efficiency, we are sure that the new Xylo H-Series would be a popular choice among the discerning SUV buyers.”

So, economical pricing may add power to the Xylo H-Series SUV sales.

Launch of special editions is slowly gaining ground to enhance brand value in a fiercely competitive car market and the latest to join the fray is Skoda with the roll out of its Prestige edition priced at Rs 8.99 lakh (ex-showroom price in Delhi) but will Skoda see a surge in Rapid sales with just a few deals and discounts?

The Prestige variant comes in only the 1.6 TDI diesel engine that churns out maximum power output of 104 bhp @ 4,400 rpm along with peak torque of 250 Nm @ 1,500–2,500 rpm.

The Prestige variant is nearly Rs 3,000 cheaper than the mid-variant Ambition Plus, which comes for Rs 9.02 lakh.

In line with Skoda’s brand value ‘Simply Clever’, the Rapid Prestige comprises a slew of unique features like front passenger seat adjustment from rear seat using ergo lever, anti pinch windows, one touch operation for electrically adjustable windows and adjustable dual rear air conditioning vents.

It has a security code for audio player, height and length adjustment for steering wheel, foldaway cup holders, rough road package, key product content, driver and front passenger airbags, Anti-lock Braking System or ABS, 2-DIN integrated audio player w/aux-in socket + SD/MMC data card reader along with adjustable dual rear air conditioning vents on rear centre console.

The mid-sized sedan is being offered with a slew of additional features such as a navigation system, parking sensors, wind visors, textile floor mats and the Prestige badging on the sides to give it a unique and distinct look.

Rapid slugs it out in a very competitive category (the mid-sized sedan segment) where competition is intense with Hyundai’s Fluidic Verna leading the pack, followed by Honda City and other competitors being Nissan Sunny and Renault Scala, among others, along with Toyota Etios.

Skoda is determined to see the Rapid among the top two cars in the category and is mainly focusing on buyers flocking for the Honda City.

The Rapid sedan came with a litany of deals and discounts, including a recent one, where 100 per cent finance was being offered on the showroom price at 10.75 per cent interest and with no down payment at all.

The auto giant had also rolled out an innovative scheme, whereby a buyer could own a car today and start paying EMIs exactly after a year.

These deals and discounts along with brand enhancement could help Skoda Rapid climb the mid-sized sedan ladder but would it achieve the coveted number two slot by dislodging Honda City?

Auto giant Mahindra and Mahindra has rolled out the Rexton from sports utility vehicle or SUV specialist SsangYong’s stable, and with the price being below the Rs 20-lakh mark, the Rexton will compete with Toyota’s Fortuner and some brand building may help the Rexton trump the Fortuner.

So, we have news that Yamaha is venturing into the four-wheel or car segment, which of course is not its area of expertise, and for a start, the Japanese bike major is going to launch a basic (Tata Nano-like) car, the Motiv, which is a next gen electric vehicle but the high price could be a big letdown, especially in developing markets like India.

Hero Honda is clearly the leader in the Indian bike market even though its share is slipping below the 50 per cent-mark, and now with Bajaj unveiling a new model under its Pulsar series christened the Pulsar 200 NS, an economically-priced sports bike, will it be able to drain the market share of Hero Honda further?

After all, the Pulsar 200 NS is undoubtedly one of the finest sports bikes which will be within the reach of the middle class. It will be commercially available in around three months.

An upbeat Bajaj Auto managing director Rajiv Bajaj averred, “The Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS is the best sports bike for the middle class. It will be commercially launched from start of the next fiscal through our 600 dealers in the country. The price will most likely be lower than Rs 1 lakh.”

The model is expected to have cutting-edge engine which sets new standards in performance, emission as well as fuel efficiency, Bajaj Auto’s chief technology officer Abraham Joseph said.

The engine of this new Pulsar will be based on the 200 cc mill from the KTM 200 Duke. The engine will be liquid cooled SOHC using not two (surprise!) but three spark plugs – Digital Triple Spark ignition is what they term it, claiming it to be the first in the world.

The company also unwrapped its triple spark technology. “You can hope for some more triple spark motorcycle roll outs this year,” Bajaj added.

The engine of the Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS is capable of 23.5 PS@9,500 rpm and 18.3 Nm@8,000 rpm, indicating low-down performance, which is a plus.

However, the fuel capacity is only 12 litres. The bike maker claims a fuel economy of 58 kms to a litre. So, with a full tank, the Pulsar 200 NS can travel only 696 kms. The bike weighs 145 kg, which is a tad heavy.

Production of the new Pulsar 200 NS will begin at Bajaj’s Chakan plant. There were more surprises in store. “We are also planning to launch a gigantic Pulsar next year,” Bajaj further said.

Bajaj revealed that growth for the two-wheeler industry would be 2-3 per cent this quarter. “This annual growth for the industry is likely to be only 10 per cent,” he said.

With its economic pricing (below Rs 1 lakh), which is a steal for a sports bike, Bajaj will surely get a big chance to erode the market share of Hero Honda to below 50 per cent in the near to medium term with the Pulsar 200 NS launch.

Tata Motors has rolled out a new Indica Vista dubbed the D90 with a powerful diesel engine and the pricing is prudent compared to other high-end diesel hatchbacks.

The D90 Vista comes with the 90 PS 1.3-litre Multijet engine, which is fitted in the Manza and Fiat Punto 90Sport.

Prices of the Indica Vista D90 are reasonable, starting from Rs 5.99 lakh.

There are two variants, the VX and GX+.

The Vista prices are Rs 15,000 more than the previous models.

The price hike of the D90 compared to the previous models may seem justified while considering the additional features offered in the new car.

The D90 comes with a power of 88 bhp while engines of other Vista models deliver only 75 bhp. The torque output of the D90 will also be 200 Nm instead of 190 Nm, which was seen in the older models.

The fuel efficiency is pretty okay at 21 km to a litre and the D90 comes with a bigger 44 litre fuel tank compared to 37 litres in the previous models.

The new Tata Vista D90 also features Variable Geometry Turbocharger technology. This makes it one of the most powerful diesel hatchbacks available in the country today.

The car is pretty stable though and if a speed of 150 km/hour is breached, the stability is still maintained but the engine gets a tad noisy.

The exterior is almost similar to the previous Vista with the difference being that the new Vista D90 has a black contrast roof not present in the previous car.

There is also the D90 badging. Tata Motors is offering a slew of external accessories like side skirts and a rear spoiler.

However, the interior has undergone significant change and sports the new dashboard present in the Indigo Manza. The instrument cluster has moved to behind the steering wheel.

The new Indica Vista D90 has automatic air-con with three modes and a new touchscreen stereo system with Bluetooth connectivity along with GPS. The suspension of the D90 has also undergone an improvement.

Tata Motors’ Vista models come with a choice of three engines, two diesel and one petrol (65 PS), in Metros and cities, which are BS 4-compliant. 

At this price, the Vista D90 is an affordable and a powerful car compared to other models in its segment, including the Punto 90Sport (which is available for Rs 7.37 lakh) and Hyundai i20 CRDi (Rs 6.01 lakh).

The D90 could touch Rs 6.5 lakh-Rs 7 lakh on road and may become one of the cheapest high-end hatches, and could also be billed as one of the most powerful hatchbacks in the country.

Considering a slew of additional features, car buffs may flock for the Vista D90 and cheap pricing compared to other high-end hatchbacks could help spur the D90’s sales.

French car maker Renault SA is going the Honda way it seems, by unveiling its plan to launch Micra-lookalike Pulse in the country sometime in January.

Like Honda, it is taking its own time to realise the mood of Indian buyers, and in the latest plan, the car maker is likely to roll out the Pulse for a price of around Rs 6 lakh, which is a tad higher for a compact hatchback.

Renault will have to vie with competitors like Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Hyundai Motor (which already have a strong infrastructure as well as a country-wide network) to sell its cars in Asia’s third largest car market.

The Pulse will be Renault's third car in India and the first in the highly-selling compact cars market, which comprises almost 70 per cent of car sales in the country.

But a first view of the Pulse does give us an impression that it is another Micra being offered at the same or even a higher price.

Renault and Nissan (maker of the Micra) are joint venture partners, both being headed by Carlos Gosn and Renault needs to differentiate its product as well as the price from Nissan in order to see decent sales for its Pulse.

The Pulse, however, shares its platform with the Micra. The Pulse’s K9 diesel engine will be the same as the Micra’s as well as the Logan’s.

But the Pulse that is slated to come to India could be propelled by a new 1.5-litre diesel engine and deliver a mileage of 23 km per litre, which could become the car’s USP.

But Renault’s weak marketing network across the country and its severing of ties with the Mahindra Group could put the car maker in a situation where it may have to scurry to find customers for its Pulse.

Renault and the Mahindras had tied up to make the sedan Logan, which despite being a top-class car, failed to garner adequate numbers.

This saw Mahindra and Renault part ways and Mahnidra, which is now making the Logan alone, has renamed it Verito.

The Pulse will be first unveiled at the Delhi auto show in January, where further details such as technical, financial as well as other information will be available.

But Renault is determined to rev up its presence in the country substantially, and as part of its expansion plans, is contemplating rolling out five of its models in the country within a year.

“India is a key market for Renault along with Brazil and Russia. Pulse is designed and produced for the Indian people,” Carlos Tavares, COO of Renault, said.

He has set an ambitious target for India, saying that his company planned to sell one lakh vehicles in the country by 2013.

The Renault Pulse will be manufactured at a factory near Chennai which Renault jointly owns with Nissan. The factory opened in March last year and had an initial annual capacity of two lakh cars.

Renault now sells the Fluence sedan and Koleos sport utility vehicle or SUV in the country and plans to roll out its SUV Duster by the middle of next year.

But Renault’s Pulse is unlikely to do substantially well owing to its Micra look, steep pricing plan and poor network in the country and Renault will have to offer much more besides coming up with some marketing ingenuity to see sales of the Pulse spurt.

Toyota Kirloskar Motors is planning to bring in a slew of new Toyota models into the country, including the popular Innova and the high-end Camry as well as the Fortuner but will it help the Japanese company rev up sales in the wake of an auto slowdown in the country?

Even the global markets do not seem to be set for a good 2012 and big markets such as the US and Europe could see the likes of a global meltdown of 2008, which could hit the fortunes of Toyota as well as other car majors in these markets.

But the Indian market, like in the previous slowdown, could prove impervious and add to the fortunes of the auto majors.

The new Innova to be launched is likely to come with a slew of cosmetic upgrades at both exterior and interior.

The front side of the vehicle, which many critics have hit out at, is set for a makeover with the almond headlights making way for wrap around lights, which are rectangular in shape.

Moreover, while the hood comes with attractive character lines, a wider grille is present with there being more chrome to it, making it almost a Camry-lookalike so far as the front portion is concerned.

Also, the all new 2012 Toyota Camry sedan will be unveiled at the forthcoming Auto Expo in New Delhi during January 2012.

The new Camry premium sedan will be brought into the country as a completely knocked-down or CKD unit and will be assembled locally at the Japanese auto giant’s Bidadi plant instead of it being imported as a completely built unit or CBU.

This way, Toyota can price the Camry competitively in the Indian luxury car segment.

This new version of the Camry will be the variant that is sold in the Japanese market. This new variant will come with refurbished looks, especially in the front.

According to the company, the body will be “classy” rather than “sporty”, the headlamps will wear a more-simple look and the front grille will be smaller.

The Japanese auto major is also planning to roll out an all-new Fortuner in the high-end segment.

The new Fortuner will be propelled by the same 3-litre D-4D engine, delivering 169 bhp @ 3,600 rpm and 35 kgm @ 1,400-3,400 rpm though.

This time, the Toyota Fortuner offer will be attractive: You can choose between a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission.

Even as the manual transmission gear car is more enjoyable for the professional driver (with smooth gears), the automatic transmission has been made for convenient drives in city roads.

Buzz is that the new Fortuner may fall in the above Rs 22 lakh price bracket.

Toyota is clearly out to grab a big chunk of the Indian car market with the swift rollout of even diesel models of compact segment cars, the Etios and the Liva.

It is also accelerating in the high-end segment in India (with the proposed launch of the new Fortuner, the Innova and the Camry), probably as fears in the lucrative North American and European markets loom in view of another possible global slowdown but the company can only reap benefits in India if it prices these top-end cars intelligently.

Volkswagen has brought in India’s most-powerful hatchback, the new Polo GT TSI for a steep price of Rs 7.99 lakh, but can it wean away sedan buyers or will the steep-priced Polo variant fade away like the Honda Jazz?

The GT TSI comes with a 1.2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged direct injection 105 PS/170 Nm engine, which is offered with a seven-speed DSG box. Volkswagen says the Polo TSI will give an ARAI fuel efficiency of 17.2 km per litre, which is commendable for a high-end hatch.

The USP of the new Polo is the seven-speed DSG twin clutch gearbox, which provides lightening quick gear changes.

What is also new is the standard manual gear stick, which has been replaced with an automatic drive selector with tiptronic controls for the DSG gearbox. But inside the foot well, the clutch pedal is missing.

The auto major claims the TSI is capable of achieving a speed of 100 km per hour in 9.7 seconds and will come with a top speed of 190 km per hour.

The Polo GT TSI will replace the 1.6-litre variant and comes with ESP, ABS, hill-hold function and twin airbags, which is among the top safety features offered in any hatchback in India.

Visually, the Polo GT TSI is far superior to its peers and comes with a GT badge on the grille and GT TSI stickers at the back and sides. Inside the cabin, there are seats in a black and grey contrast, which come with red stitches.

Besides the GT badge on the front grille and boot, a TSI badge at the rear and GT TSI stickers on the C-pillars, there is virtually nothing that Volkswagen can claim is different from any regular model of Polo.

The steering wheel, gear selector lever as well as the handbrake are all wrapped in good quality leather.

The new seat cover design, which is a kind of a two-tone treatment, not only looks great, but is also made of textile instead of leather.

The GT TSI comes with all the top-end kit, which is a two DIN audio system with Bluetooth telephone connectivity, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, electrically adjustable mirrors and automatic climate control.

So far as the exteriors go, the Polo GT TSI doesn’t really look any different from the standard Polo, which is available in the market currently.

It comes with the same blackened headlight surrounds from the Polo makeover and has the ditto 15-inch alloy wheels, which is a standard offering on the high-end model.

With the steep pricing, can the Volkswagen GT TSI attract high-end hatch buyers or will it go into oblivion like the Honda Jazz?

India’s largest car maker Maruti Suzuki has launched a new version of the SX4, a car which has come a cropper in the Indian market, but by keeping the prices unchanged, can Maruti change the way people look at the SX4 and make it popular as other cars in its category like Hyundai’s Fluidic Verna, Honda City and Skoda Rapid?

The price for Maruti’s mid-sized sedan remains the same (in the range of Rs 7.38-9.79 lakh, ex-showroom price). The petrol versions carry a price tag of between Rs 7.38 lakh and Rs 8.84 lakh while the diesel variants come for Rs 8.27 lakh-Rs 9.79 lakh.

The new SX4 has two engine options - the Super Turbo 1.3 litre diesel and the 1.6 litre VVT petrol engines and comes with a slew of exterior and interior add-ons along with enhanced performance, according to the company.

The SX4’s 1.6-litre VVT petrol engine offers 103 BHP and 145 Nm torque on tap. The diesel model has 89 BHP and 200 Nm torque.

The new SX4 is believed to deliver an improved fuel efficiency of 16.51 km per litre in petrol.

The diesel one offers 21.79 km per litre and the CNG variant comes with fuel economy of 22.1 km/kg.

On the exterior, the new SX4 sports changes like: it is 10 mm longer owing to the new bumper design. It comes with new chrome front grille, smoked out headlamp garnish and fog lamp with dual-tone garnish.

On the inside, it has black and beige dual-tone interiors, black dashboard and beige seat upholstery, black and marble prints on the interior.

There is also a touchscreen audio system with GPS navigation and Bluetooth and electrically foldable outside rear view mirrors or ORVMs with integrated blinkers. Also present are faux wood armrests along with chrome air conditioner side louvers and chrome finish side handles.

The car is being offered in two new colours — Serene Blue and Granite Grey.

Maruti Suzuki India vice-president (marketing) Manohar Bhat said in a statement, “The all new Maruti Suzuki SX4 comes with fresh looks and also brings new features like touchscreen audio navigation and electronically foldable ORVMs with turn indicator.”

The SX4 was first rolled out in India in 2007 and by bringing in a diesel variant only in 2010, Maruti probably lost out to its competitors so far as sales go with the total sales of the SX4 being just over a lakh units since its rollout.

So, can Maruti Suzuki do a U-turn by ramping up the SX4’s sales with these cosmetic changes and by keeping prices the same?

Mercedes-Benz is on a roll after it regained the top slot in the luxury car segment and has now brought in another powerful AMG to its India stable with the roll out of the SLK55 AMG for a whopping Rs 1.26 crore, ex-showroom Delhi.

With a slew of AMGs being rolled out in the country, Merc has riveted on the Indian market with the SLK55 (the most powerful SLK car), launching eight cars this year.

The SLK55 is powered by a 5.5-litre V8 engine, which offers 421 PS power at 6,800 rpm. It comes with a peak torque of 540 Nm at 4,500 rpm. 

This power is transmitted to the rear wheels with the help of a seven-speed transmission, the AMG Speedshift Plus7G-Tronic. This comes with three drive modes, such as Comfort, Sports as well as Manual.

The SLK55 can reach from 0 to 100 km per hour in just 4.6 seconds and the top speed it can touch is a mind blowing 250 km per hour. The Mercedes-Benz SLK55 is also 30 per cent more fuel efficient than other AMG cars and the company claims to have a mileage of 11 km to a litre.

Other AMG features that propel the Mercedes-Benz SLK55 are the AMG rear axle differential lock, AMG high performance braking system, AMG direct-steer system, AMG high-performing steering wheel along with an AMG sports suspension.

On the exterior, the SLK55 is offered with AMG aesthetics like wider fenders, quad tailpipes along with bigger air intakes.

The SLK55 also has multi-spoke blackened AMG alloys with silver brake calipers, bi-xenon headlamps with intelligent light system, active bonnet, adaptive brake light flashing, illuminated AMG door sills and a panoramic roof, which can become transparent or dark at the push of a button.

The car comes with an 18-inch alloy along with internally ventilated and perforated disc brakes.

While in the Sports mode, the gear shift takes place in a mind blowing 1/10th of a second and gears come with aluminum paddle shifters. The car is also offered with a three-stage ESP stability control system along with ABS as standard.

There is also a pre-safe braking system in the Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG, which though comes as an option. It senses a possible collision and sufficiently readies the brakes so that it can use full power soon after the pedals are pressed. 

Also, the torque vector braking system in the car aids during emergency braking. So, full marks so far as safety features go.

The AMG SLK55 also comes with a slew of coveted freebies. There is a 500 watt Harmon Kardon sound system along with USB and Bluetooth interface, a GPS with a seven-inch display screen and a 10 GB hard drive to store endless music numbers.

So, with a host of safety and comfort features along with a slew of hi-tech freebies, the Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG could become one of the biggest draws in the high-end luxury car market.

Maruti Suzuki’s sales has been going down (for instance, by 15 per cent in May) and it is going all out to woo buyers with the attractive limited edition Ritz @buzz and by rolling out the VXI variant of its Alto 800 (with airbag and prudent pricing), which could make a mark in the compact car segment.

The Maruti Suzuki’s limited edition, Ritz @buzz, offers 12 new features, according to the company.