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05/10/2015

# # # # # Honda's car sales rise 23 percent in September backed by its three best selling cars # # # # #

Honda Cars India in set for another year of rise in sales due to the well received Jazz premium hatchback. It’s still a few thousands short of the segment’s best seller, the Elite i20 but 4,762 units in the month of September is a good run for the Jazz. The festive season begins now and sales should rise in the next two months.

Honda’s best seller in September however is the Amaze. It may be getting a bit old now but high mileage from the diesel Amaze and impressive levels of space in the car despite its compact dimensions continues to help it sell well. Honda could sell 6,577 units of the Amaze last month.

The City is the leader of its segment and there is no near and present danger to topple the City from its pole position any time soon. 5,702 units of the City in September continues to impress. If there is a threat, the Ciaz mild hybrid could be one with the revised prices and marginally better fuel economy figures.

A total of 18509 units were sold by Honda in September 2015, a rise of 23 percent from the 15,015 units sold in the corresponding period last year. Honda also exported 782 units in this same period.

05/10/2015

BMW X5M/X6M

The BMW X5M and X6M will be launched in India in October and will cost between Rs 1.5-2.0 Crore. Starting with the mechanical aspects, as expected, BMW has fitted the huge 4.4-litre twin turbo V8 engine in it that gives it 575PS of peak power mated to an all-wheel drive system and an eight speed gearbox into both the X5M and the X6M. Both cars also get adjustable suspension with many settings, a sports exhaust and huge M-spec brakes. Both the SUVs also ride much lower than their regular counterparts and run on huge 21-inch wheels. The X5M and the X6M also get lot more cooling options due to the larger engines. On the exterior front, the X5M and the X6M will also get sportier bumpers, wide wheel arches and a quad exhaust pipe setup. The X5M and the X6M will go up against the Mercedes-Benz ML63 and GL63 AMG.

05/10/2015

Chevrolet Trailblazer

Chevrolet will soon launch the brutish SUV, the Trailblazer in India in October. The new Chevrolet Trailblazer will essentially go up against the upcoming Ford Endeavour and the Toyota Fortuner. Powering the Trailblazer is 2.8-litre 4-cylimder duramax diesel engine that is known for its high torque output. With 200PS of power at 3600Rpm and 500Nm of torque at 2000Rpm, the Trailblazer has quite some punch to counter its 2068kg kerb weight. Although it is quite large in general, the Trailblazer does not really have the kind of street presence that the Toyota Fortuner has. That said, expect the Chevrolet Trailblazer to be priced between Rs 25-30 lakh.

05/10/2015

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

The Maruti Suzuki Baleno hatchback will finally be available in India post its launch in late October. As one of the most awaited cars of the year, the new Baleno will go straight up against the Honda Jazz and the Hyundai i20 along with the likes of Volkswagen Polo. The new Baleno gets a large front grille and a set of stretched set of headlamps that looks similar to the Swift but yet updated. The Baleno also gets a set of LED tail lamps and a set of 16-inch wheels. The new Baleno will also get a new interior with a lot of parts that are shared with the likes of the Swift. The Baleno gets a large central k**b for the climate control and a touchscreen infotainment system similar to the one found in the S-Cross and the Ciaz. Expect the Suzuki Baleno (YRA) to be priced between Rs 6.5-9 lakhs when it is launched in India. The Baleno will go up against the Honda Jazz, the Hyundai Elite i20 and the Volkswagen Polo.

27/09/2015

Renault has just launched one of the most highly awaited cars of recent times, the Kwid. With prices starting from INR 2.57 lakhs (ex-showroom, New Delhi) onwards, Renault is looking to take the entry level hatchback segment by storm with this car and, best of all, we certainly think that it could do just that.

The Renault Kwid is powered by an 800cc, 3 cylinder petrol engine that delivers 53 bhp and 72 Nm of torque. This power will be routed to the front wheels via a 5 speed manual transmission. In the future, there might also be the option of an AMT. However, this engine happens to be the most fuel efficient petrol motor on Indian roads today, capable of returning 25.17 kpl. Despite the engine being so small, because the Kwid only weighs 669 kg, it does not feel like a slouch to drive. Renault has also tailored this car for tackling Indian roads easily thanks to details like the 180mm ground clearance.

the Kwid, which features 98% localisation, looks very chunky and almost like a baby off-roader with its flared wheel arches, thick black cladding, round fog lights and its squared stance. On the inside, features such as a 7 inch MediaNav touchscreen system with an integrated navigation module, an audio system with bluetooth, aux-in and USB support, a 12 volt charging socket, a digital instrument binnacle, front power windows, an AC, central locking, keyless entry, plenty of storage space and so on mean that you are not completely devoid of gadgetry.

You also get 5 exterior paint colour options: Ice Cool White, Outback Bronze, Planet Grey, Fiery Red and Moonlight Silver. Although the wheels are 13 inchers, they look decently proportioned with the rest of the car. Its 300 litre boot is also rather capacious for a car in this segment. Renault will also provide 6 accessory packs that can be fitted to the car to give it a more personalised appearance. Also, since these packs are factory-fitted, they do not affect your warranty at all. Deliveries of the Kwid will commence next month.

For a detailed road test review of the Renault Kwid, click here. To see the 6 accessory packs in detail, click here. To see what you get in each of the 4 variants of the Kwid, click here. Introductory prices of all the variants (ex-showroom) are provided below:

Standard: INR 2,56,968
RxE: INR 2,88,960
RxE (O): INR 2,94,960
RxL: INR 3,11,664
RxT: INR 3,44,131
RxT (O): INR 3,53,131