BMW X7 now in India

German auto maker BMW has launched its flagship SUV the X7 in the Indian market today. The new model is the 6th SUV offering by BMW in India.

The X7 comes in 2 trims the X Drive 40i and the X Drive 30d DPE Signature.
Both the trims are priced at 98.90 Lakh Ex Showroom Pan India.



The X7 comes with sleek headlamps and the new big BMW kidney grill. The interiors looks somewhat similar to the existing X5 but comes with 3 rows of seating.




Main features on offer are
*Laser headlamps
*Autonomous Park Assist
*5 zone climate control
*Reclining function on all 3 rows

Solar Powered Hyundai Sonata Hybrid !

As everyone in the world is moving towards cleaner and alternate fuel, solar energy is what people have always been fascinated about for propelling a car.



Luxury brands like Audi have earlier introduced optional solar sunroof in their flagship sedan the A8 but it was only put to use for cooling the cabin by running the blower on solar energy.



Hyundai Motor Company has taken a step ahead and introduced a solar panel roof on its state of the art 2020 Sonata hybrid. The solar panel, if charged for 6 hours daily can shoot up the driving range of the vehicle by an extra 800 miles/1300 kilometers annually.

Apart from this the car also uses an Active Shift Control gearbox coupled with their latest Smartstream 2.0 Liter Gasoline Direct Injection engine which gives a combined output of 190 BHP along with enhancing the overall fuel efficiency of the car.

The car also has latest features like
*Near Field Communication Key
*12.3 inch Digital Instrument Cluster
*Color heads up display
*Shift by wire technology
*Smart high beam.

  

HISTORY AND TREND OF BADGE ENGINEERING

Badge Engineering is basically a practice of applying a  different manufacturers logo or brand name to any existing product and try to market it as a different product.
Economies of scale are the reason of this technology development as it helps a lot to reduce the research and development costs.

The first industrial mass example of badge engineering was in the year 1926 when Nash motors introduced small size cars names Ajax which were discontinued in the same year. As the Nash brand was prestigious and known to the public hence the management took a decision to rename the Ajax brand cars as Nash Light Six. Ajax to Nash conversion kits were also distributed to existing owners so they dont feel cheated and there is no drop in the resale value.

Nash light Six

Talking about India, The initial badge engineered cars were the Hindustan Ambassador which was derived from the Morris Oxford 3, Premier Padmini which was derived from the Fiat 1100.

Morris Oxford 3

Hindustan Ambassador

                         


Later on cars like the

1. Fiat 124 was a platform for Lada Riva and Premier 118 NE

Premier 118 NE

Fiat 124

                                          


2. Skoda Rapid and Volkswagen Vento,
3. Nissan Sunny and Renault Scala,
4. Renault Duster and Nissan Terrano,

Renault Duster

Nissan 

These car had similar platforms and interiors to some extent but the exteriors were mostly different and it was difficult for the general public to understand that they were the same cars.
But now the trend is changing and Maruti Suzuki India Limited as Tied up with Toyota Kirloskar motors and launching Maruti Suzuki Baleno as a badge engineered Toyota Glanza.
This new model is actually just a badge replacement. Every body panel of the car is same including the interior and exterior and only the Suzuki badges have been replaced by the Toyota Badges. It will be exciting to see how the consumers respond to such cars.

Toyota Glanza

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

HYDROGEN THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY

Hydrogen the element having the atomic number 1 is the also the number 1 substance which can be used for the mobility purposes by being used as a fuel for vehicles. It is the most abundantly available chemical in the universe. Most of the hydrogen on Earth exists in molecular forms such as water or organic compounds

Coming to Mobility, many of us know that hydrogen has been used as a rocket fuel since many years. A very few people know that before being used in rockets, Swiss inventor Francois Isaac de Rivaz in 1807 designed the first 4-wheel prototype that ran on hydrogen and oxygen gas. This was a vehicle which consisted of an internal combustion engine which used oxygen and hydrogen gas in the engine compared to todays engines which use Petrol or Diesel along with oxygen.

First Hydrogen Vehicle

In 1860, Frenchman Etienne Lenoir developed the 3-wheel Hippomobile. In this vehicle the novelty was that the hydrogen was created for the car by electrolysis of water and the resulting gas was run through the combustion engine. In 1966 General Motors created the first hydrogen fuel cell car. Though fuel cells have been around since the early 1800’s, General Motors was the first to use a fuel cell to power a vehicle.

General Motors Electrovan

Technology has come a long way and now and the fuel cell technology is becoming popular and more advanced with time. The first FCV used one hydrogen cylinder and one oxygen cylinder whereas todays FCV technology uses the oxygen from the air in the atmosphere making the system more efficient and light.

After fossil fuels the current trend is to switch to electric vehicles and Hybrids, But the problem currently in country like India is that most of our power is generated from coal powered electricity generation plants which leads to a lot of pollution and does not solve the problem of improving the air quality. Secondly the battery charging process is very slow and there are no charging stations available in the country and the range is also very less.

EV powered by Coal Power

The beauty of hydrogen fuel cells is that you get electricity, heat and (potable) water as outputs with hydrogen and oxygen as inputs. Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles generate electricity using compressed hydrogen from the tank and oxygen from the air and that electricity helps to power the motor mounted on the vehicle. They are also called as Zero Emission vehicles.

These vehicles have a complex design as have a lot of components and are also expensive, but in a long run are better as Hydrogen used in fuel cells has an energy to weight ratio ten times greater than lithium-ion batteries. To conclude, hydrogen fuel cells offer a potentially very clean, energy dense and easy and fast recharge energy source for vehicles and other systems, but are currently complicated, expensive and somewhat dangerous to operate, but I think with the advancements and development it will be the future of mobility.

Leading car manufacturer Hyundai Motor has launched its new generation Nexo Fuel Cell vehicle. The Nexo fuel cell SUV delivers the world’s best fuel cell efficiency and a driving range of 666 km. Its dedicated vehicle architecture delivers improved power-to-weight ratio, faster acceleration and cabin space. Aside from water, the Nexo has zero tailpipe emissions. And what’s more, it also filters and purifies the air as it drives.

REVIEW: A Jekyll and Hyde Personality: The Skoda Octavia 1.8 TSi DSG

What does 178 brake horsepower from an engine the size smaller than amount your car takes in engine oil? What does a 0-100 time of sub 8 seconds sound like? What does feature called sport mode sound? All this can be achieved by taking your family of 4 and their luggage in the boot. Confused? So was I. Then I was told the price. With prices ranging from 15 lacs to 25 lacs, a car can achieve so much? I was in utter confusion as to what was going on…

Until I was introduced to the brand new Skoda Octavia 1.8 TSi. Boy oh boy! My prayers have been answered!

            See, I am an avid lover of fast sedans. The fact that you can take your family, their luggage and still set a hilariously fast time on the nearest racetrack is simply astonishing. And this car ticks all the right boxes for me. And the best part, you do not have to break your bank to afford one of these. On point!

            Off late, due to lots of work pressure and deadlines, I just could not have any moment to relax. Constant stress and headaches that almost became a regular visitor to my mind were wearing me out. All my well-wishers were constantly telling me how tired I looked and that I should get some rest. But what do they know right?  I was getting the Born to race – forced to work type of feeling. I needed some remorse. I took the Octavia for a spin.

            On a cool Sunday morning, I decided to spend some alone time in the company of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan on the stereo, which was paired to my phone via Bluetooth. The early morning serenity makes you realize how pretty the surroundings are. Especially some parts of Delhi, with all the greenery, and the sunroof open, it makes do for an amazing drive.

            With some soothing tunes in the background and the smooth flow of traffic, I ponder as to what I really want to do in life.  Is this really what I wanted to do? Was I made to just study then work just to pay off the bills in life? This is a vicious cycle, which is really easy to fall prey to. Was this meant for me? Just then, I spotted an empty stretch of road and I floored the Octavia. I just realized something. The Octavia was meant for me. Skoda engineers took a picture of me and said, let’s build this man a car. And thus the Octavia was built.

            Soon enough, a mad biker cut me hence forcing me to step on the anvil. The brakes really do a sublime job of shedding speed. The front 288 mm discs are put in to full use in Delhi traffic with the biker and auto rickshaw attack. And all is settled around and back to the serene peace I was enjoying a moment before, back into introspection mode. Back to the same question, is this life?

            With this question, I am interrupted by a view that would plaster a smile on any petrol head. Up ahead was a series of fast corners designed to test the G forces (okay just kidding, just some curly bends) that lay ahead. I quickly check if the traction control is on and gleefully it is. I put the gearbox in Sport mode. And there I am. I flick the super fast steering to my right and the car changes direction with aplomb. Then flicked it left and same story. No fusses. The car took everything. The large seats made sure I was not thrown around mid corner with all the moving around. The Sport mode made sure the 7 speed DSG gearbox did not upshift and stayed in the gear right up to the redline. This meant I always had full torque every time I power out of the curves. Delighted? Certainly am. Impressed? For sure. Is this what I really want to do? You bet.

            And as I was turning up to my driveway, I learnt a couple things about myself. I had fallen to this vicious cycle of life. The stress. The deadlines. The worries. They were all eating a part of me like a blood-infested vampire. I was losing out on the definition of fun. This was never me.

            But then I realized something. Amidst all the stress, the Octavia gave me the smiles and the joy I had not experienced in my life since a very long time. It brought about certain happiness when I took it for a drive. It allowed me to think about what I really want and myself. And yes, I finally could actually think what I really wanted to do in life. I had taken a “ Simply Clever” decision, as Skoda would say. I just wanted to drive the Octavia TSi in my life. Oh and in the Race Blue shade please. With a cherry on top.

            Pictures: ©Archit Kishore

Return of the Octavia VRS Generation 3

Skoda is focusing on the Indian market more than ever before to regain its position in the market.
The company has already announced the launch of its 7 seat offroader Kodiak in India next year.
Now they are planning to get the Third Generation of the Octavia VRS version in India.
The VRS was launched in the year 2004 and was the first Turbo Petrol car in the country. The Immense driving pleasure , handling and acceleration made it a king in the performance car segment as was also was the fastest in the segment.




The new model internationally is offered with 2 engine options. The 2.0 TSI petrol engine producing a whooping 220BHP of power and 350Nm of Torque and a 2.0 Liter TDI diesel engine producing 184 BHP and 380 Nm of torque.
The petrol sprints from 0-100 in mere 6.8 seconds , whereas the diesel takes 8.1 seconds.
The car will also get sportier aesthetic upgrades like , Bigger alloy wheels, Sport seats, Sunroof, Boot spoiler, aggressive bumpers , twin exhausts etc.

Internationally the car is available in both Manual and Automatic Gearbox options. In the Indian market we feel the company will bring the automatic transmission although it will be a let down for some enthusiasts who prefer the manual box.

Skoda Octavia vRS to be launched in India in early 2017

The Octavia vRS made its debut at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed, but given the fall in demand of D-segment sedans in India and a high price tag which could clash with the price of its elder sibling, the Superb, Skoda India delayed the launch of the legendary car in India. But given the rise in demand of petrol cars, the performance version of the Octavia could be launched in early 2017.
Internationally, the Octavia vRS is offered with a 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine that makes 220 BHP @ 4,500-6,200 rpm and 350 Nm of torque 1,500-4,400 rpm. The car does the 0-100 km/h run in 6.8 seconds and hits a top speed of 248 km/h. Transmission options include a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed DSG automatic gearbox that transmit power to the front wheels.

The bad news is that, in India the car might get the 1.8 TSI motor with 7-speed DSG which is the same as the regular Octavia. The would get stiffer suspension, lower ride height, vRS alloys, vRS bumpers, vRS seats and all-black interior.