Mahindra's Future SUV spotted again in Chennai

They say that all good things in life come after a long wait. I am damn sure that Mahindra's new future SUV (codenamed W201), which has been spotted testing yet again in Chennai will live up to the above saying. Even then, I feel that this wait is just too long with no official news coming from Mahindra regarding this important, all-new model, with which the company is expected to go truly global. Every time, seeing it on road is like watching the teasers of a big-budget movie with few new details being exposed in each subsequent spotting.

Unlike the previous test car which had the Scorpio's lights externally fitted onto it, this one had it's actual headlights and taillights on place, but nicely covered to maintain the suspense. I have to accept that, in the dark, the detailing on both the lamps were quite superb, especially the taillamps which were almost Land Rover like. The shape and size of the dual exhausts were impressive too, lending the vehicle a chunky and muscular look. The full glasshouse, barring one or two places, was covered with thick camouflage making it impossible to peep into the interiors. Hope, I will be third time lucky with this model to have a look at the interiors.

A big vote of thanks goes to the rush-hour traffic of Chennai city for blocking this test car from zooming ahead. But once the road ahead cleared a little bit, the car literally flew ahead in no time, leaving us in the dust, thanks in part to the 'potentially' more-powerful Mahindra common-rail diesel engine in it's hood. Any more details regarding this model, either from the company itself or by others, are eagerly awaited.

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Tata Aria spotted testing in Pune

They say that a keen eye for detail will never go unrewarded and it came true during my recent short trip to Pune, India's second automotive hub after Chennai. Having determined to spot something interesting related to automobiles there, I was overwhelmed with what I saw. The diverse range of yet to be launched vehicles that I spotted testing in Pune city ranged from a completely camouflaged bike, most probably a new model from Bajaj to a Mercedes-Benz City Bus doing intracity trial runs. But sadly, except this Tata Aria test vehicle, the other surprises could not be captured through my lenses.

When I first saw this new model from Tata during it's premiere at the Auto Expo 2010, I knew what I saw was big. But, I just did not expect it to be so big until I spotted this cool Tata Aria parked casually on a busy Pune thoroughfare. It was really huge, which is apparently obvious with the Indica (in the shot) as a reference. The Aria is surely going to be one size up than the competing models like Toyota Innova and Mahindra Xylo. If the magic carpet ride of the current Tata Safari is anything to go by, the Aria is sure to transport people in ultra comfort as it shares the platform with the yet to be launched new Safari.

The styling of the Aria is so conservative that it hardly turned heads, but the imposing road presence that the Aria commands cannot be denied either. The front end has been styled quite aggressively with big, peeled back headlamps that extends so far back into the fender that it almost touches the A-Pillar. But the design of the grille, with three horizontal slats leaves a lot to be desired, with it's high positioning giving it a slightly awkward look. The rear styling is comparatively more pleasant and pleasing to look at with Tata's signature Christmas-tree taillight cluster, which in this case is tapered at the bottom. The chrome-tipped dual circular exhausts lends it a sporty look, which is further accentuated by the chrome number plate garnish and the v-shaped rear windscreen. This car also had slots where the rear parking sensors are supposed to be fitted.



There was an old gentleman sitting in the driver's seat and the windows were kept wide open which allowed me to peep into the interiors. The quality seems to be leaps and bounds ahead of what Tata has produced till now barring the Vista and the Manza. If those two models took Tata build quality to a new high, this is going to take it further up the order. Having seen one on the road now, I am only more curious to see the response of the general public to the costliest Tata yet.

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Hyundai i10 Facelift spotted in NH4

Here is further proof that something is burning at Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Close on the heels of launching a facelift of their Verna mid-size sedan, the facelift of their bread and butter model, the i10 is spotted on public roads. Though these test mules have been spotted quite a few times in pitch darkness, this is the first instance of seeing these cars in total daylight. From a distance, at first glance, we thought that we have bumped into Hyundai's new 800cc car but getting closer to it revealed it's original identity.

Being India's second largest selling car after only Maruti-Suzuki's Alto, Hyundai has decided to play safe with the existing i10 by opting for a mild nip and tuck job. It literally means that it's only going to be a slight cosmetic upgrade to make the car look fresh and appealing. From the rear, nothing except the change in shape of the tail lamp lenses were visible through the heavy camouflage. When we passed the car, we found out that the profile remains virtually unchanged except for the indicators which are now positioned in the rear-view mirrors. Moving over to the front, the major change that could be noticed was the hexagonal outline of the grille, which could be seen by the shape of the camouflage. Also, the headlamps seems to have been blackened  out with a clear partition for the front indicators.

It seems to be a nice and sporty touch to freshen up the looks of a car which currently looks a little dated. Also, except for few feature-additions, no major changes in specifications are expected with this new model, unless Hyundai decides to spring in a surprise to us. Expected to be launched before the end of the year, I sincerely hope that this "transform"ation of the i10 does not go like the recent Verna Transform, which was criticized by almost everyone for transforming a bland-looking car into an outright ugly one.

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AL Intercentury Luxura spotted in Chennai

As reported quite often in this blog and everywhere else, the Commercial Vehicle space in the Indian market has evolved in the past few years. The bus segment in particular was given a shot in the arm in the form of Volvos and it has not looked back ever since. The erstwhile coaches by Tata and Ashok Leyland suddenly felt that the death-knell for their monopoly has been rung and it�s time for them to roll up their sleeves. One of the many models that were conceived to compete with Volvo B7R was the Intercentury Luxura, the body of which was built by Irizar-TVS and the chassis provided by Ashok Leyland. Though the model was launched with much fanfare at the 2006 Auto Expo and was displayed at a couple of auto expos, it had never seen the light of the day, the recent economic recession notwithstanding. Though there were reports of trial versions being used by APSRTC and the private operator Kesineni Travels, except for one or two rare sightings, absolutely none of these buses were spotted elsewhere.

Thats why, when I saw this model a couple of days back, I decided it was time for me to take out my cam and laptop. There was this white colored Intercentury Luxura with no badging, logos or registration running in stop-start Chennai city traffic. From what I saw, the bus seems to have good presence on the road and it did manage to turn a few eyebrows. Although the quality of the body was top-notch, there were no ground breaking design elements on this bus. When seen next to a Volvo, the Intercentury Luxura will not get a second glance for sure. 



While the Intercentury Luxura originally launched in 2006 was front-engined, I guess this one had it's engine at the rear, thus crucially spilling out information that Ashok Leyland is going to make a comeback with this model. NVH levels inside are bound to be higher than the Volvos though external refinement was observed to be good. Even after so many unprecedented delays over the past half-decade, I still feel Ashok Leyland can make a good business deal out of this model if it launches and markets this aggressively, especially to State Transport Corporations. A couple of years down the line, time will run out for this model forever. Hope Ashok Leyland will not let this beautiful model die a slow death.

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