AUTO GAZETTE: June 2015

Sunday, 28 June 2015

New 2016 Chevrolet Cruze unveiled

Chevrolet has unveiled the second-generation Cruze sedan. It features redesigned exterior and interiors and now rides on GM’s new D2 FWD platform.

The new Chevrolet Cruze sedan's exterior styling is different from the one unveiled for the Chinese market last year. The styling draws inspiration from present-day Chevrolet models including the recently-unveiled Chevrolet Volt electric car. On the exterior, it gets projector headlamps and LED daytime running lamps on higher models.

Like the current car, the new Chevrolet Cruze’s interior gets a dual-cockpit design and comes with a piano-black or brushed-aluminum finish along with multiple soft-touch surfaces on the dash and other parts. A large screen sits at the centre of the dash and is surrounded by two vertical air-con vents.

The new Cruze is longer than its predecessor; it adds 15mm more to its wheelbase and 69mm to its overall length of 4666mm. It also offers more interior room than the earlier model and an additional 51mm of rear knee room. The new Chevrolet Cruze petrol sold in North America is lighter than its predecessor by around 113kg. According to GM, it features one of the 'most mass-efficient' chassis systems currently available in the market. It also gets a 27 percent stiffer body as compared to its predecessor.

The all-new Cruze is likely to come to India with two new engine options. The 2-litre diesel will be replaced by a smaller, state-of-the-art 1.6 variable geometry turbo-diesel, which GM’s powertrain engineer claims is 'whisper-quiet’ and sets a new benchmark for refinement. Featuring the latest injection technology and new low friction components, this 1.6 diesel is expected to be very fuel efficient too. The power and torque for this new engine has not been revealed yet, but company sources hint that figures could be close to that of the earlier 2-litre engine. With demand for petrol coming back, Chevrolet, for the first time in India, will offer the Cruze with a petrol option — the Ecotec 1.4 turbo-petrol with direct-injection developing 153bhp and 24.47kgm of torque.

The new Chevrolet Cruze for North America gets MacPherson strut suspension upfront and comes with a torsion beam axle on the lower models and an enhanced Z-link design on higher trims. It gets
15-inch wheels for the lower-specced trims. while the higher variants get 17-inch or 18-inch wheels.

Safety features such as 10 airbags, ESP, rollover mitigation and ABS are standard on all trims. It also gets four-wheel disc brakes, a rear-view camera and the GM OnStar with a 4G LTE system along with a Wi-Fi hotspot feature. Available advanced safety features include Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Keep Assist and Forward Collision Alert

The new Chevrolet Cruze is equipped with GM’s MyLink Infotainment system that employs a 7-inch touchscreen, compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Also available is the MyLink radio with a larger 8-inch display that also gets navigation and Apple CarPlay.Other features include wireless phone charging, heated rear leather seats, and heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel for higher trims.

The new Chevrolet Cruze will be sold in 40 international markets and will be available in both left-hand and right-hand drive configurations. It is expected to reach Indian showrooms in 2017.

New Honda Jazz variants leaked ahead of launch

Honda will launch the new Jazz on July 8, 2015. The car will be available in two engine options — a petrol engine with the option of a manual or a CVT gearbox, and a diesel engine with manual transmission. With a couple of weeks still to go for the launch, we’ve got our hands on the variant break-up of the new Jazz. Five variants will be on offer starting with the base E, going up to S, SV, V and the top-spec VX.

The Honda Jazz E will get the following features:

Power windows
Tilt steering
A multi-information display
Tachometer
Steel wheels with 175/70 R14 tyres
Driver seat belt and key reminder

The Honda Jazz S, which is the next variant, is likely to come with all that offered in the Jazz E, and in addition will get the following:

ABS with EBD (on the Jazz CVT and diesel only)
Body coloured door handles and wing mirrors with electric adjust
3.5-inch screen equipped with an audio system offering Bluetooth, with steering- mounted controls
Adjustable seat height on the driver's side
Central locking
Rear parcel shelf

The next variant, the Honda Jazz SV, builds on the Jazz S' list and offers:

Dual front airbags
Fog lamps
Advanced Multi Information display with real-time fuel economy and outside temperature gauge
A 5-inch display for the audio system and rear parking camera
Beige seats, and a premium gloss finish on the centre console

Yamaha R25 expected to hit Indian roads

India Yamaha Motor has dropped another hint regarding the YZF-R25’s Indian introduction. Our July issue featured this sporty model, along with the YZF-R15, and the YZF-R1, which is company's latest contender in the heavyweight, quarter-litre segment, to emphasize on the brand's ‘R’ DNA and possible intention of bringing the bike here.

Recently, the Yamaha YZF-R3, a larger-capacity motorcycle with the same ‘R’ DNA was spotted testing here in India. And interestingly, the differences between Yamaha’s YZF-R25 and the YZF-R3 are minor. What is being developed at Yamaha’s drawing board remains unclear at the moment, but we can tell you that Yamaha could bring either bike or both the bikes to India soon. Yamaha fans can surely look forward to experiencing Yamaha's state-of-the-art engineering.

Yamaha YZF-R25: The YZF-R25 was launched in the Indonesian market last year in May. The styling cues seem to be derived from Yamaha’s legendary YZF-R6S, with dual headlights and fairing-mounted mirrors. The R25 has a 250cc, four-stroke, liquid-cooled and parallel-twin cylinder engine mated to a six-speed gearbox. The eight-valve and DOHC motor produces 35.5bhp of power at 12,000rpm and peak torque of 2.25kgm is made at 10,000rpm. The Yamaha YZF-R25 has a kerbweight of 166kg, and uses telescopic front forks and a monoshock at the rear. A single disc brake is seen up front and at the rear wheel too.

Yamaha YZF-R3: Yamaha’s YZF-R3 has the same exterior at the YZF-R25 — dual headlights, a full fairing, fairing-mounted mirrors, split seats and a stubby exhaust canister. The Yamaha YZF-R3 is more powerful with a 320cc, four-stroke, two-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed gearbox. This advanced engine uses an eight-valve DOHC motor producing a maximum power of 41.4bhp at 10,750rpm and peak torque of 3kgm is produced at 9,000rpm. The Yamaha

YZF-R3 has a kerbweight of just 169kg. For suspension duty, it uses conventional telescopic forks up front and a monoshock at the rear. For stopping power, Yamaha provides the R3 with a single disc brake up front and at the rear.

More details will be revealed soon.

Saturday, 27 June 2015

Grand Cherokee redesign delayed at least a year

CHELSEA, Mich. (Reuters) -- Jeep brand CEO Mike Manley said a redesign for the popular Grand Cherokee SUV will be delayed until late 2018 or 2019, after initial planning for 2017.

Manley, speaking to journalists here today, said global Jeep sales are up 20 percent so far this year, which puts the brand on a pace to reach 1.2 million vehicle sales for the year.

Reuters three weeks ago reported likely delays of some of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' product lineup, citing sources.

FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne has said a redesign of the Grand Cherokee, one of the company's most profitable models, would be delayed for an unspecified period of time so engineers could take "a complete re-look" at the vehicle's basic underpinnings.

That architecture will be shared with a larger and pricier derivative called Grand Wagoneer that’s intended to compete with luxury SUVs such as the Range Rover, he said.

Originally, in its 2014 investor briefing, FCA said the redesigned Grand Cherokee would be introduced in fall 2017 and the new Grand Wagoneer in fall 2018. Suppliers have told Reuters that the Grand Cherokee introduction now may be delayed by up to a year, while the Grand Wagoneer's launch could slip even further.

In a related matter, the Chrysler brand is on pace to hit a sales goal of 800,000 vehicles in 2018, said Al Gardner, chief of the Chrysler brand.

Gardner confirmed that a Chrysler product will be produced in China, but he did not say when that would occur. By 2018, he said, the brand will continue to sell about 90 percent of its products in North America.

The product to be made in China will be one of the brand's current products: The Chrysler 200 midsize sedan, Chrysler 300 large sedan, or Town & Country minivan.

Jeep 'on pace'

Manley said Jeep is "on pace" to reach a goal of 1.9 million in worldwide vehicle sales by 2018. That target was given as part of the company's five-year plan last year.

Manley said local production in major markets is essential to reaching the 2018 sales target.

Production of the small Jeep Renegade began two months ago in Brazil and production of the Cherokee in China will start in the middle of this year's fourth quarter, to be followed by Renegade production in the first half of 2016, he said.

The Grand Cherokee will undergo a "mild refresh" before its redesign in 2018 or 2019, Manley said. Meanwhile, the Wrangler is "broadly on track" with its redesign plans announced in May 2014, he said.

Part of Marchionne's plan to raise FCA North American profit margin beyond its current 4 percent is to launch a luxury SUV to compete with vehicles like the Range Rover.

Manley said the new Grand Wagoneer is the "best opportunity" to make a luxury SUV that can command higher prices than any of the Jeeps now being made.

Hyundai creta varient details revealed

CHENNAI: Korean auto major Hyundai is gunning for the leadership position in the mass-market sports utility vehicle segment in India with its new model, Creta, which will be launched next month.

The company's Indian arm, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), has invested Rs 1,000 crore on the development of its upcoming five-seater model. It will compete with the likes of Mahindra & Mahindra, Renault, Nissan, Ford and Tata Motors in the volume segment of SUVs.

"The SUV segment ..