Honda Cars India has been pretty used to phenomenal growth in the last couple of years’ time, but more recently the company’s sales rates are falling short as compared to the same period in the last year. Now, the Japanese car major which is currently the leading premium car maker in India is planning a new car launch attack to keep up the growth momentum. For this, the car major is planning to launch two new crossover models in the country.

It is already a well known fact that the much awaited Honda BR-V compact SUV model is soon going to hit the car market of India. The BR-V which is a part of the company’s new car launch strategy is going to launch on 5^th of May this year and is going to fight in the highly popular Indian compact SUV segment. While, Honda Cars India is all set to launch the BR-V compact crossover, it is simultaneously also working on another crossover model to extend its presence in the proper crossover segment of India which is also getting highly populated over time.

In order to boost sales in the cutthroat competition of the Indian car market, Honda Cars India is reportedly readying up a new crossover model that will be based on the Jazz premium hatchback. The Honda Jazz based crossover model is codenamed as the 2FM and is likely to hit the Indian market by 2017.

Details on this new crossover model from Honda are scarce at the moment, but there are high speculations around it which say that this new crossover model would be borrowing styling elements from the Jazz hatchback itself. The model is also likely to carry over the same engine range that drives the Jazz hatchback, which means the same 1.2 liter i-VTEC petrol motor and the 1.5 liter i-DTEC diesel mill. The petrol mill on the Jazz offers a peak power output of 90 bhp along with a top torque figure of 110 Nm at 4,800 rpm, while the diesel burner has the potential to churn out a max power output of 100 bhp and 200 Nm of top torque.

Going by the reports and speculations, it is thought that the new upcoming Honda crossover model that is based on the Jazz will be joining the growing segment of hatchback-turned-crossover in India. This means that the new Honda 2FM crossover will be essentially a beefed up version of the Jazz hatchback which already has a sporty design language.

Thus, post its Indian launch the new upcoming Honda 2FM crossover model is most likely to join the hatch-crossover bandwagon which currently has several models such as the Hyundai i20 Active, Toyota Etios Cross, Fiat Avventura and Volkswagen Cross Polo.

It has been also reported that the new Jazz based crossover has already started its road testing.

In the meantime, Honda India is also expected to launch the new generation Brio as well as Amaze, while the all new Accord and CR-V models are also to come in 2018-19 fiscal.

Confirmed for a 5^th May launch, the Honda BR-V will be produced in India itself and will be priced below the INR 15.0 lac mark for the domestic market. Let us find out what this Brio-based crossover has in store for us as the production-ready version revealed more specs and features post the February Auto Expo premiere.

The BR-V takes some cues from the Honda City and Jazz styling details, but it is mostly unique. The exteriors of the new crossover will get projector headlamps with LED light directors, electronic ORVMs, roof mounted rails, 16-inch diamond cut alloys, skid plates, and a spoiler for the back profile. The BR-V will have a ground clearance of over 200mm, and will come in 6 exterior paint variants.

For the interiors, it will feature steering mounted control buttons, automatic temperature control with 3-speed settings and rear AC vents, and a music system with Bluetooth compatibility. The 7-seater will have foldable 3^rd row seats and the cabin space of the car will be very large. Standard safety features will include dual SRS airbags for the front, and ABS with EBD. There will also be seatbelts with pretensioner, and ISOFIX. The car will also feature Hill Start Assist, Vehicle Stability Assist, and rear parking camera.

The new BR-V will come with a 3-row seating arrangement. This will be a USP for the car because all its major rivals have 2-row seating arrangement only. However, with this arrangement, the BR-V might even cannibalize on the sale of Honda’s Mobilio. If that happens, Honda might need to consider discontinuing the Mobilio since it has been performing very poorly in the market for almost a year, and the sales have been drastically going down since around September 2015. However, as of now, there is no hint of Honda considering the discontinuation of the MPV.

The BR-V will get both, petrol and diesel fuel variants. There will be one 1.5 liter i-VTEC petrol engine and one 1.5 liter i-DTEC diesel engine. The petrol engine will produce power up to 118BHP, and peak torque of 145Nm. The diesel engine will produce up to 99BHP and 200Nm.

Though these figures are not that impressive on their own, the lighter overall weight of the car will ensure higher fuel efficiency, and easier handling, making up for the slightly lower performance specs. The petrol version will offer around 18kmpl, and the diesel version will offer around 23kmpl.

The petrol engine will be mated to a 6-speed MT as standard, but will also get CVT as option for agile performance, and increased fuel efficiency as Honda claims. The diesel engine will work with the standard 6-speed MT.

The car will battle the likes of the Mahindra Scorpio, the Renault Duster, the Nissan Terrano, and of course, the segment leader, the Hyundai Creta. The Maruti Suzuki S-Cross is also a rival in the segment. The price of the car can be expected to range from IRN 8.0 lac to INR 11.5 lac for the petrol version, and a lac higher for the diesel version.

The upcoming Range Rover Evoque will get additional equipment set as per new reports. As of now we know that there will be a new touchscreen infotainment system to go with, and a lot more new features for the interiors. With the summer launch of the 2017 Evoque, we will know more about the car.

As of now, we know that a Special Edition Ember variant in Black and Red combination has been launched. There need to be some detailed reports to figure out what the Special Edition has in addition to the regular Evoque.

So far we know that the 2017 Evoque will come with a huge 10.2-inch touchscreen advanced infotainment system with InControl Touch Pro system. This is the same one in the new convertible version of the Evoque, and in the Jaguar XE, XF, and F-Pace.

The InControl Touch Pro system enables pinch in and out zoom feature like in Smartphones. It also functions as a home screen that can be customized. The screen resolution will be 1280×542 pixels, thereby making an 8 percent improvement on the previous 8-inch screen. The system will be offered on the Evoque HSE Dynamic, Dynamic Lux, and the Autobiography variants.

The changes made to the exterior design too are worth noticing. There will be a total of 18 exterior paint options. The list will include new colors called Aruba, a mysterious new color, Farallon Black, Carpathian Grey, which will be a matte looking paint, and Silicon Silver, which will be a shinier version. All these new paint options will be premium metallic colors.

Now coming to the Ember Edition model, the Special Edition version will have a turbo diesel engine which will be mated to a 9-speed AT, and will offer 180BHP of peak power. The roof of the model will be Firenze Red color and the body will be Santorini Black. The interiors too will follow the black and red color theme, with mostly black elements with red accents.

The Evoque Ember is a limited edition car which marks the celebration of 520,000 sold units of the Evoque worldwide. The car will be on sale only for three months with the launch beginning early summer.

The Range Rover logo will be boldly placed in front in black paint and the Evoque logo will sit at the back in black and silver finishing. The red color will not only be present on the top of the roof, but also on the front and the back bumpers, thereby, giving the car an evenly distributed yet subtle fiery theme.

The 2017 Evoque will come very soon once the production takes full acceleration, and the waiting period too will be short, as the car is being produced at the Halewood plant in the United Kingdom, where it takes just about 80 seconds for a new piece to roll off.

The price of the car is a little bit of a bummer. The base variant will start from $50,000. For better understanding, this is an Indian equivalent of INR 33.35 lac. However, for those who like the Evoque and the Ember Edition already, the ride experience and status make the car worth the price.

Launched in the country on 22^nd April, the Bentley Bentagya is the most luxurious car of recent times. Designed exclusively for the richest, this SUV has become the most expensive SUV so far.

The model starts at INR 3.8 crore and the top trim variant, loaded with luxurious features costs INR 6 crore. The first piece of the most expensive variant was exclusively booked for the Queen of England. Hence, one can understand the status of this car, and the required status qualifications to even dream about it.

Though most of us reading this article would never have the riches to buy a car like this, it does not harm to take a look, either in awe, or just out of a little bit of curiosity. The name Bentagya comes from the Spanish mountains, the black peaks of Roque Bentagya.

The luxury SUV gets all the luxury treatment with over 20-inch alloys, panoramic glass roof, and the most premium interiors including plush leather upholstery, handcrafted wooden dash, and the best infotainment system.

Now, we can talk about the engine and performance of this super luxurious car and find out if it all is worth the price. The SUV runs on a 6.0 liter W12 engine with twin turbocharged fuel. It offers peak power output of up to 610PS, which is almost 602BHP, at 5,000-6,000rpm. The maximum torque output is 900Nm between 1,250-4,500rpm. The transmission system of the car includes an 8-speed AT.

Being addressed as the “World’s fastest SUV” on almost all websites that the car is being spoken of, it is probably good to know the real specs of some others. Amidst random claims that the Bentagya is the world’s fastest car and the most expensive one in India, here are some statistics.

The SUV can go from 0-100kmph in exactly 4.0 seconds, which is almost a second faster than the BMW X6 M model, and the R8 V10 from Audi, but a little slower than the Panamera Turbo S, and 0.8 seconds slower than the Bugatti Veyron.

The maximum speed the car can achieve is 301kmph. All these specs are pretty impressive. However, a few other luxury SUVs, like the Audi, Bugatti and Panamera mentioned above, the Mercedes-Benz model SLS AMG, and also the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, are actually faster than the Bentagya, with some of them having a peak speed limit of 350kmph and even 420kmph.

As far as the price is concerned, even the top INR 6 crore mark of the Bentagya is way below the INR 12.0 crore mark of the Veyron. The Chevy Corvette ZR1 is likely to start from INR 7.0 crore. The Range Rover Sport Autobiography Edition too will be a competitor of the Bentagya in India.

Hence, though the Bentley Bentagya apparently looks like the hottest deal around, it is actually lesser efficient than some cars worldwide, and also, a lot less expensive than some of them too. The deliveries of the car in India will start from June, and there will be only 20 units allotted to the Indian market for 2016.

Honda is all set with the new WR-V to enter the production phase. The car is being developed in Brazil, and is currently codenamed, the Honda 2FM. Some spy pictures reveal a few things about the car even before Honda Motors decided anything on the promotions and adverts.

Some spy pics have revealed the exterior and some things about the interiors as well. All the information could be subject to change because the car is still under development. This is a phase when a lot of things are changed either due to cost issues, or due to practicality issues.

However, here’s what we know about the WR-V so far. It is based on the Honda Jazz platform. Another upcoming Honda car based on the same platform is the HR-V sub-compact crossover. However, the WR-V will be much more affordable than the HR-V. The latter will be of the premium category, and may not even enter the Indian market due to its market-incompatible price range.

The WR-V on the other hand will be a moderately priced model in its segment, if not aggressively priced. A Brazilian media publication has revealed that the wheelbase of the 16-inch tires will be 2600mm, thereby outdoing its primary rival, the Ford EcoSport in this area, because the EcoSport comes with a wheelbase of around 2520mm.

The Brazilian spec model will have a 1.5 liter engine that could be the same as the one in the Jazz, that is, the i-VTEC Flex-One engine which offers 115BHP and 149Nm in the petrol fuel version. In the diesel version, it produces 116BHP and 150Nm, which is not really much of a difference.

That was about the Brazilian spec model. The Indian market might either get the 1.5 liter i-DTEC diesel version, and the 1.2 liter i-VTEC petrol engine. The transmission options are likely to include 5-speed MT as standard, and CVT as option. 6-speed MT will be available for the higher spec variants.

The WR-V will have an advantage in the engine fuel variants front because its primary rivals, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, and the Mahindra TUV300, do not have petrol variants yet. The EcoSport will be tough on the WR-V in this front because it has a wider range of options with two petrol variants in its lineup. Not only is the petrol lineup of the EcoSport higher in number, but also in power. The diesel variant of the WR-V will be the more powerful one to compete with the EcoSport. While the mere existence of the petrol options will take care of the Vitara Brezza and the TUV300.

The bootspace of the WR-V will be more than that of the Vitara Brezza, as well as the EcoSport, but lesser than that of the TUV300. However, the WR-V will have an USP, that is, the Magic Seats from the Jazz.

The car is under development and will enter its production phase soon in Brazil. It will debut at this year’s Sao Paulo Auto Show, which will be held in November. The car will come to the Indian market in 2017.

The all new Toyota Innova Crysta is just days away from its market launch in India, and is obviously being stocked up by the authorized Toyota dealers across the country. Thus, it is no surprise that the Innova Crysta has been just spied at a dealership yard in Mumbai. This simply indicates that the second generation Toyota Innova Crysta’s Indian launch is most imminent.

The new generation Toyota Innova Crysta was unveiled in India at the 2016 Auto Expo by the Japanese car major, while it is scheduled to hit the car market of India for sale on 3^rd of May 2016. The new Toyota Innova Crysta is going to replace the first generation Innova which has been India’s all-time favorite MPV, segment ruler and the bestselling product from the house of Toyota Kirloskar Motor India.

Most of the crucial information regarding the all new Toyota Innova Crysta MPV has been already leaked over the internet. As per the reports, the top of the range model of the Innova Crysta will be one of the most loaded new MPV models in the market with a number of premium features that will be offered as standard. The range topping Innova Crysta model will obviously come with all the bells and whistles and offer interesting features such as smart entry, pushbutton start/stop and an extensive package of seven airbags as standard. Other features on the top ZX trim model will include ABS with EBD and BA, automatic projector headlights, 17 inch alloy wheels, 7 inch touchscreen integrated audio system with navigation, premium wooden trim on the steering wheel and much more.

It is already a well known fact that the all new Toyota Innova Crysta is a much more premium and bolder looking vehicle as compared against its predecessor. It flaunts a new aggressive design language and is based on a new generation platform that is stronger and lighter than before, which makes the MPV safer along with enhanced handling. The second gen Innova Crysta is a bigger MPV and 150 mm longer, 70 mm wider and 35 mm taller than the previous model, while retaining the same wheelbase. The Innova Crysta measures 4,735 mm in length, 1,830 mm in width and 1,795 mm in height and sits on a wheelbase that measures 2,750 mm.

The new-gen Toyota Innova Crysta comes powered by a new engine lineup as well. Under the hood, it gets a 2.4L and a 2.8L GD diesel motor choice. The smaller mill is capable of churning out 149 PS of max power and 343 Nm of peak torque, while the larger engine pumps out 177 PS of power and 360 Nm of torque. The engines will come mated to the transmission options of a 5 speed manual and a 6 speed automatic transmission gearboxes. The AT option will be available only on the base GX and the range topping ZX variants.

Post its Indian launch the new Toyota Innova Crysta will be locking its horns with the Renault Lodgy and Honda Mobilio.

India’s second largest car maker, Hyundai Motor is currently basking in the tremendous success of the Creta compact SUV. The South Korean car major already has a commendable SUV lineup in India that includes the Santa Fe, Creta and the i20 Active crossover, and wishes to further strengthen it in order to make the most of the ever growing and highly potential SUV market of India. Hyundai India is already planning to re-launch the Tucson SUV in the domestic car market this year, while it is also working on a sub-4 meter compact SUV to go up against the newly launched Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza.

Hyundai Motor India has already revealed its plans of launching one new product in the domestic auto industry every year in order to grab more market shares. In this current calendar year of 2016, the South Korean car company will be bringing back the Tucson brand by launching the new Tucson premium SUV while in 2017 it will launch the new generation Hyundai Verna premium SUV. Hyundai India had also drawn a lot of attention by unveiling the Carlino subcompact concept at the 2016 Auto Expo in the month of February. And although the company said that it is only studying the market for such a product, several reports have confirmed that the South Korean auto giant has already started working on a new mini SUV based on the Carlino concept, which is expected to launch sometime in 2017.

It is being said that the Hyundai HexaSpace concept based new MPV project has got delayed just to prioritize the introduction of the Carlino based sub-4 meter compact SUV in India. The reason is very simple and clear, while the demand for the compact MPV models in India is very less, the sub-compact SUVs are the new rage. Capable compact MPVs such as the Renault Lodgy, Honda Mobilio and Nissan Evalia are witnessing poor sales, while even the very popular Maruti Ertiga MPV has received a comparatively dull market response recently. On the other hand, the sub-compact SUV models such as the newly launch Maruti Vitara Brezza is receiving superb market response, while the Mahindra TUV300, Mahindra KUV100 and the Ford EcoSport are all selling very well.

The sub-4 meter compact SUV market of India is a very popular and highly potential segment. Thus, all the car majors are very eager to launch their own mini SUV representatives as soon as possible. Indian car major Tata Motors will launch its highly awaited Nexon subcompact SUV by the end of 2016, while Honda is also preparing a new mini SUV reportedly named as the WR-V, which is expected to launch in 2017 or early 2018.

The Hyundai Carlino based mini crossover will be pinned on the Elite i20 platform like the incredibly popular Creta. The Carlino subcompact SUV will be available in both petrol and diesel versions and could be powered by a 1.4L petrol motor and the 1.4L U2 CRDi diesel mill. Transmission options might include a 5 speed manual and an automatic gearbox.

The sub-4 meter compact SUV as well as the sub-4 meter compact sedan segments are increasingly becoming popular in India. The heavy demands for these two body styles of vehicles have led to the car majors operating in India to work urgently and offer their own representatives in these two segments in order to take a piece of the sweet profit pie. The reason that the subcompact SUV and sedans are highly in demand is that they are more affordable that their full sized avatars while offering the same sort of benefits. Also a sub-4 meter car is highly city friendly owing to their compact size, while their small car category means tax benefits resulting in highly competitive price tags, which is a win-win situation for both the car buyers and the car makers.

Considering the high demands of the sub-4 meter compact sedan and SUV models and the car majors’ fight over them, it has been getting speculated for some time that Toyota India is also planning to develop such models to boost its sales in the country. The Japanese car major might be the world’s top selling car maker, but in India its sales are not impressive although Toyota does have segment leaders in some premium segments like the Innova MPV and the Fortuner SUV. Thus, it was thought that the company is looking into the highly popular sub-4 meter categories to reap some great sales figures. However, the company has denied such speculations recently.

While speaking to media, the Vice President at Toyota Kirloskar Motor India, Mr. Naveen Soni has cleared of the air by stating that the company will not be developing an India-specific sub-4 meter compact SUV or a subcompact sedan, despite the fact that these two segments are immensely potential and popular in the domestic car market of India.

Soni said that as far as the sub-4m category of vehicles in the Indian auto industry is concerned, the company doesn’t want to make any tailor-made models that will be India specific, which the company has been saying it won’t be doing as that would be sort of compromised solution in case of a car or an SUV.

This recent company statement further indicates that the company is going to go by what it had said previously about not going the small car way to concentrate only on premium market. Sometime back, Toyota Kirloskar Motor India had announced that it will not be focusing on the small car market of India anymore and will shift its focus towards the premium car segments of the country, as the company wishes to remain premium as it best produces high quality cars rather than low-cost cars. Toyota India already has a strong presence in the premium car market of India and is likely to strengthen that further. Toyota India is also going to launch the all new Innova Crysta on 3^rd May, while the new-gen Fortuner is likely to come by the end of the year.

On the other hand, for low cost cars Toyota India is planning to introduction the Daihatsu brand in India.

The brand new Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is a highly important new product from the largest car maker in India. Vitara Brezza is a new entrant in the intensely potential Indian sub-compact SUV segment; is the company’s first ever compact SUV model and the first project to be lead and developed fully in India by Maruti.

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza has the potential to be a new game changer for the company, as despite Maruti’s limited presence in the SUV market, its first ever subcompact model has already created a stir in the market. Vitara Brezza is currently in a huge battle with the popular Ford EcoSport and relatively new Mahindra TUV300, and it need not be said that the competition in this space is only going to get more intense as Hyundai, Honda and Tata Motors are all readying up their subcompact SUV models.

Here is a look at Maruti Suzuki’s new market hit – the brand new Vitara Brezza:

Styling

The Vitara Brezza is certainly an overall good looking vehicle. It is not flamboyant and its neat and smart look is its mantra of visual appeal. It looks like a perfect mix of a sporty hatchback and a SUV and unlike any other vehicle in the current Indian market. It does not try hard to look like a SUV and gives a miss to all the extra cladding and ornamentation, while managing to look sporty and attractive effortlessly. It looks larger than its actual size and its dual-tone exterior color scheme is again really appealing and a first among its rivals.

Interiors

The Brezza is a bit smaller than its market rivals, but is a pleasantly spacious and comfortable vehicle, although a bit of more legroom and shoulder space at the rear would have been more appreciated. It gets well supported seats to offer comfort during long distance drives. The overall cabin is pleasant with decent material quality and styling and it offers a comfort zone which feels more like a family sedan.

Features like all-black interior scheme, user friendly touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay support, pushbutton start/stop, standard driver’s side airbag and many more make the Brezza a good value for money car.

Under the hood

The Maruti Vitara Brezza comes powered by the tried and tested 1.3 liter turbocharged diesel mill that offers 90 PS of power at 4,000 rpm and 200 Nm of torque at 1,750 rpm. The subcompact SUV comes with a certified fuel efficiency of 24.3kmpl, making it the most fuel efficient SUV in India.

The refined diesel mill offers overall good performance, while the Brezza also manages to not sound like a diesel car at all, as its cabin is impressively quite. High fuel efficiency although makes it a rather slow car in the congested city roads, but it feels great on the highways. However, being light weight, the Brezza makes up its lack luster low-end torque.

Conclusion

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is not a flawless vehicle, but is an overall impressive package. All its great qualities can effectively make it the segment topper.

The new facelift of the Honda Brio has been showcased at the Indonesia Motor Show this year. There are quite a few changes made to the Brio in this mid-life facelift. The changes mainly involve cosmetic changes but some conspicuous tweaks are made to the engine and other features as well.

The Indonesian-spec Brio is called the Brio Satya. The facelift of the car seems to be inspired by the Honda Amaze. Many exterior features are similar to that of the 2016 Amaze. The front fascia gets most of the cosmetic changes. The front profile is made more aggressive with a large black plastic grille with dual-slats. The radiator intake and faux intakes are larger. The fog lamps are placed on the faux intake. The Honda logo is embedded boldly on the grille. The rear profile remains the same, with an added chrome bar as an attempt to make it look slightly different.

The interiors of the new facelift include changes inspired by the BR-V concept. The dashboard is similar to that of the BR-V and the Amaze facelift. With some silver accents, the new dashboard looks way more sophisticated than the plastic-like cheap looking dash of the predecessor. The new dashboard is matte.

The steering wheel design is not much different, but there is a new one-pod instrument cluster, a double DIN JVC stereo system. The HVAC system has been revised with new controls and a digital display unit.

The engine of the car is not being changed. It is the same old 1.2 liter i-VTEC engine with the 4-cylinder setting. The engine has however been tuned to produce 90PS power and 110Nm torque, compared to the 88PS and 109Nm of the outgoing model. Though this isn’t really a very conspicuous change, it has been undone with what seems like a mistake. The 5-speed AT option has been ditched for an Earth Dreams Tech CVT option. The 5-speed MT remains the standard transmission system.

The car is likely to reach the Indian market by the end of this year. Here, it will compete the Chevrolet Beat, the Maruti Suzuki Ritz, and tougher rivals like the Maruti Suzuki Celerio, the Hyundai i10 series and the Hyundai Eon.

The car is being sold in the Indonesian market at an Indian equivalent of around INR 6.6 lac. In the Indian market, all variants of the car can be expected to come in the INR 4.0 lac to INR 6.0 lac range, considering the aggressive pricing of all the rivals.

The recently launched Tiago hatchback from Toyota has a price range of INR 3.2 lac to INR 5.5 lac. If the Brio facelift is to do well in the Indian market, it needs aggressive pricing, because the Eon and the Tiago already offer the best of specs.

Until the Brio facelift reaches Indian shores, the Indonesian market can be observed to gauge the performance of the car in those parts. However, for the Indian market, it will be a totally different story altogether.