Royal Enfield might launch three new models in 2016

Royal Enfield recently announced its plans of setting up a new technology development centre in the UK. Now, British media is reporting that the company is planning to introduce three models based on two new platforms in 2016. 

While finer details are still sketchy, reports suggest that one of these platforms will use a 410cc single-cylinder overhead cam engine while the other will employ a 750cc parallel-twin unit. One of the three new models will use the single-cylinder platform and will be a scrambler-style model. Earlier this month, it was revealed that the Chennai-based manufacturer had trademarked the ‘Himalayan’ name in Europe, and we expect this moniker to be used for this scrambler motorcycle. 

While Royal Enfiled’s current range has hit a sweet spot with the Indian audience, the company’s export numbers still are miniscule. With the aim of becoming the global leader of mid-size motorcycles, Royal Enfield has been aggressively expanding its operations and production capacity. It recently acquired a 50-acre plot in Vallam Vadagal, near Chennai, with the aim of ramping up its production capacity. The company has also hired ex-Ducati designer Pierre Terblanche and former Triumph Project Manager, Simon Warburton, to help it go global with its operations

Benelli unveils new paint scheme for their line-up

DSK Benelli has revealed the new paint scheme for their line-up of motorcycles. The bookings for the 2015 paint schemes begin on March 10 and deliveries will start from March 19.

The new body paint and sticker scheme applies to their current portfolio of motorcycles that includes the TNT 300, TNT 600i, TNT 600GT, TNT 899 and the TNT 1130R. The motorcycles will be sold in the Indian market in this livery.

DSK Motowheels made the headlines in late 2014 by announcing its plans to bring the much anticipated Benelli Motorcycle brand to India in early 2015. The company has revealed that these motorcycles with brand new colours will go on sale next month.

Maruti Swift Dzire facelift price, details revealed

Updated Swift Dzire is priced from Rs 5.07 lakh for the base petrol to Rs 7.81 lakh for top-spec diesel. (Ex-showroom, Delhi). 

Maruti gave the Swift a mid-cycle refresh late last year. Now Maruti is following suit with the Dzire facelift, which is expected to hit showrooms very soon. Bookings are already underway at dealerships all over India, with deliveries promised within two to three weeks. Although not officially launched yet, we have got our hands on the details of the changes in the new Dzire and the prices. The petrol variant now gets four trims, while the Diesel retains three trim levels. Here are the prices for the updated Maruti Swift Dzire compact sedan.
Petrol
Dzire LXi – Rs. 5.07 lakh
Dzire LXi (O) – Rs. 5.20 lakh
Dzire VXi – Rs. 5.85 lakh
Dzire ZXi – Rs. 6.80 lakh
Diesel
Dzire LDi – Rs. 5.99 lakh
Dzire VDi – Rs. 6.85 lakh
Dzire ZDi – Rs. 7.81 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom, Delhi)
Maruti Swift Dzire facelift: What’s new?
External changes on the updated Dzire include a new front bumper with a larger air dam, and re-styled fog lamp inserts with L-shaped aluminum trim on its sides. The headlights get black inserts and minor re-profiling. The grille is also all new, with a thick V-shaped chrome bar on the top and a prominent Suzuki logo in the centre that sits on the honeycomb style base.
Higher variants get new-look alloy wheels and rear parking sensors, while lower trims will get new-design wheel caps that are usually installed at dealerships.  It will also get new paint shades, some of them shared with the Ciaz.
On the insides, the updated Dzire, like the refreshed Swift, gets electric folding wing mirrors, push-button start for higher trims and smart-key access. It also gets new upholstery and a better six-speaker sound system with Bluetooth connectivity. The dual-tone shades for the dashboard will be retained.

Like the updated Swift, the new Dzire is expected to get more equipment in the lower levels, with better seat fabrics, music system and other additional bits. On the mechanical front, we expect the Dzire to carry the same engines albeit with better fuel efficiency numbers.

Kawasaki Vulcan S first look review

Kawasaki has just launched the Vulcan S in international markets. Will it make it to India?

Kawasaki has recently launched its new middle-weight cruiser called the Vulcan S. This is an all-new offering from Kawasaki in its Vulcan portfolio.

Kawasaki’s Vulcan S does not have the general features seen largely on all cruisers, such as healthy doses of chrome. Quite contrary, the Vulcan S is a modern looking motorcycle which follows the new age trend that companies such as Indian have followed with its Scout and Harley-Davidson with the Street 750.

The Vulcan S is a typical mix of lime green, a lot of matt black with brushed metal used on the headlight, while the other panels follow the Ninja closely.

The Kawasaki Vulcan S is powered by a 649cc, four-stroke, parallel twin, liquid-cooled and fuel-injected power plant. This is the same motor that features on the Kawasaki Ninja 650 and the ER-6n that are sold in India as CKD units.

The engine in all probability is tuned to deliver better low and mid range torque than its sporty counter parts, because cruisers are meant to deliver better comfort rather than strong performance.

DSK Benelli at India Bike Week 2015

DSK Motowheels had unveiled their Benelli range of sportsbikes in India just a few months ago. We have also reviewed them. Now, DSK-Benelli will showcase its entire product line-up at the India Bike Week 2015 in Vagator, Goa, in its production ready form.
Shirish Kulkarni, chairman of DSK Motowheels will unveil the motorcycles that will make it to Indian showrooms soon. The motorcycles will be clad in their launch ready colour schemes this time, exclusively for the crowd at the India Bike Week. Prices for all the motorcycles will be disclosed on the day of launch itself.

Also on display will be three new motorcycles that DSK Motowheels will bring to India by the end of 2015.

Ducati to launch complete line-up in India

Ducati India will relaunch operations in India in March 2015 with the launch of their complete line-up, initial sales to be handled from two dealerships – one in Gurgaon and the other one in Mumbai.

The first launches are expected to be CBU units and by the second or third month of operations, the CKD units are also likely to be included, completing the entire line-up of Ducati bikes, a Ducati official has told ZigWheels.

For India, Ducati will be importing the bikes from Thailand and will include the Monster series of bikes, Panigale supersport series, Multistrada adventure tourer, Diavel power cruiser and the newly launched Scrambler variants, which are likely to be the most affordable models in India, to be priced around Rs 7-8 lakh.

The Italian superbike maker had entered the Indian market early in 2008, but the choice of distributor in India put Ducati on the backfoot, with troubled Indian customers as well as a big dent to the premium Italian manufacturer’s reputation.

This time around, Ducati hopes to make a good impression in the Indian market, and even for existing Ducati owners, there will be service and spares support from the factory in India.

Honda India showcases CBR650F at dealers meet

Today we reported about the possible launch of a new scooter called the Activa 3G which was spotted at a dealership. We believed that the company will launch this scooter tomorrow but looks like the Activa 3G might share its stage with the CBR650F.

The company has showcased the Honda CBR650F to its dealers few hours that have come from across the country for this meet. As per a picture shared on a Facebook group, around six two-wheelers were covered, which makes us believe that there could be a range of products the company will be unveiling tomorrow at the official press conference. First unveiled at the 2014 Auto Expo, the CBR650F has been one of the most anticipated premium bikes to be launched because it will be sold as a completely-knocked-down (CKD) unit and will come with an attractive price tag. 

The Honda CBR650F is powered by a 650cc inline-four engine that churns out 87bhp at 11,000rpm and a maximum torque of 63Nm at 8,000rpm.The engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox. The bike gets a new aluminium swing arm, preload adjustable rear shock and owing to European regulations, ABS as a standard fitment and clip on handlebars. Stopping power in the front is provided by a pair of 320mm discs with traditional two-piston calipers. The display console is digital with white backlight and both the front and back get ample LED lights. 

It is very interesting to see Honda suddenly going aggressive with their launch plans. Looks like Honda is following its rival, Hero MotoCorp, who at the same time last year, unveiled five new products that got the market excited. We hope to see more than two new products at the press conference tomorrow.

Jaguar Land Rover shows off vehicle line up for upcoming James Bond flick

It looks like Jaguar has taken its “Good to be Bad” ad campaign a bit too seriously as it has unveiled its line-up of mean looking vehicles to feature in the upcoming James Bond movie called Spectre. Set to hit the theatres in November this year, the film will include the Jaguar C-X75, Range Rover Sport SVR and the Defender Big Foot. All of these cars have been provided by Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations division. 

The C-X75 will feature in what is being claimed as a “spectacular car chase sequence” through Rome alongside the Aston Martin DB10. According to Jaguar Land Rover, scenes including the heavily modified versions of the Land Rover Defender and the Range Rover Sport SVR have already been filmed in Austria. The SVR, as we know, is the fastest and most powerful Land Rover ever built. 

As for the Defender Big Foot, Land Rover has included huge 37-inch diameter off-road tyres to tackle the extreme terrain. The vehicle also features bespoke suspension systems and enhanced body protection to withstand all sort of beatings during the filming. 

Here’s what to expect from India Bike Week 2015

The holy gathering of all things on two-wheels is back for the third year in succession. Yes, we are talking about India Bike Week that will be held on January 20 and January 21, 2015 at Vagator in Goa and boy are we excited!
The 2013 edition was the beginning while the 2014 IBW saw a massive jump in attendance and events, so logically this year should promise to be even bigger, crazier and action- packed and guess what, it is!

What can we expect this year?

With the idea that your excitement for India Bike 2015 (IBW 2015) is uncontrollable we will get right to the schedule. First things first, there are 10 different venues hosting a variety of events spread out across the course of two days. The day will begin at 11:30am and end at 11:30pm, though given the biker community’s penchant to stretch out the good times; we expect the camaraderie and celebrations to carry on well into the night.
Some of the newer destinations for this year’s IBW include the Howling Dog Bar and Drag Racing Arena, ACE Café, DSK-Benelli Rock Stage and the Red Bull Stage. In addition to these new arenas most of the venues have been carried over from the last two years. Events include the custom biker build off, burnout competition, loudest bike challenge, stunting and the Bikini Bike Wash.

What about famous biking personalities?

Wanderlust seems to be the theme this year and there appears to be no shortage of riders who have unlocked achievements that we could only dream of doing on our own bikes. This year’s guest list for 2015 includes a wide variety of names from the Indian biking fraternity as well as the international biking community.

On the Indian front, we are looking forward to having a chat with Major General RK Jain, Gokulram Vasanthi, Deepak Thimoji and obviously India’s Dakar hero CS Santosh. Oh! but wait, there is more! The 2015 edition will also see Bikerni’s like Rashmi Tambe, editor of the Global Women Who Ride project and Sangeetha Jairam chronicling their travel tales. 
On the international front, in attendance will be Grant and Susan Johnson who have been touring the world for over 11 years now, managing to visit 39 countries and cover a whopping 100,000kms in that period. Expected to return for this year’s edition will be Nick Sanders and Ted Simon while a new visitor this year will be Mark Wilsmore, manager and founder of the Ace Café in London. 

Brands brands brands!

The event is being sponsored by Harley-Davidson so we expect a large contingent of the H.O.G from across the country to bike their way up to Vagator for the event. Exactly a year since it was launched, it will be interesting to see just how many Street 750s turn up for the event.

We also expect a full line- up from Aprilia, Vespa, DSK Benelli, Moto Guzzi. Given the potential for getting people excited about bikes, we also believe that all these manufacturers will have registration and financing counters at their respective stalls for people who want to put down their money for a brand new bike.

Not yet excited enough?  Then this bit of information should get you going which is that in addition to all the above mentioned brands, there will also be a ton of other bikes (new and old) from every possible manufacturer that you can imagine. All you would need to do at the venue is find the right parking section and you will get to see your favourite bikes.

What else will be there apart from the bikes?

Taking in all the right elements from such festivals around the world, India Bike Week 2015 is expected to play host to a large number of music artists over the course of the two days. This line- up comprises:
Day 1
•    Sky rabbit
•    OX7gen
•    Nucleya
•    Nichlson vs Fuzzy logic
•    DJ Akhtar
•    DJ URi
•    Rodney Braningan
•    Whirling Kalaps
•    Clayton Hogermeer
Day 2
•    DJ black Jack
•    Sound Avatar Vs DJ SA
•    Curtain Blue
•    Babyhead
There will also be a host of biking related movies and speeches from all the personalities that we have mentioned in the section above. The former will all happen at the SHELL Big Trip cinema hall while the bikers will share their experiences at various stages in the arena.
In addition to the music, movies and interactive sessions, the schedule also reveals that that there will be a host of games, stunt shows, strength challenges and of course a ton of shops for you to purchase gear, accessories, merchandise and memorabilia.

Hyundai Verna facelift to be launched on Feb 18

Hyundai Motors will launch the facelifted 4S fluidic Verna on February 18. The updated Verna gets minor cosmetic upgrades and a few changes inside the cabin too. 

Among the changes, the 4S Fluidic Verna gets new headlamps, grille, bumper, fog lamps and a redesigned bonnet. Changes at the rear are quite minimal with two large reflectors on the bumper and the new tail lamps. 

Inside the cabin, it might get a new seven-inch touchscreen with navigation and also the music system with internal memory function as seen on the Grand i10 and Xcent.

Expect not many changes in the powertrain department and it will continue to get powered by the same engines as on the outgoing model. A 105bhp 1.4-litre engine and the other a 121bhp 1.6-litre mill. Both these come paired to a five-speed manual gearbox. There are two oil burners a 1.4- and a 1.6-litre  that produce 89bhp and 126bhp of power respectively and come mated to a six-speed manual. Hyundia might do away with the four-speed autobox and offer a six-speed automatic gearbox with the Verna 4S.

While we aren’t sure of the mechanical changes in the car, we expect a few tweaks to the suspension for better ride and handling. It might be priced close to the outgoing model and it will take on the likes of Honda City, Maruti Ciaz, Volkswagen Vento and the Nissan Sunny.

Mercedes-Benz to launch the C-Class C220 CDI tomorrow

Mercedes-Benz is going to launch the diesel version of its executive class sedan, the C-Class C220 CDI, in India, tomorrow. While the C220 CDI will be initially sold here as a completely built unit (CBU) along with the petrol variant, we expect the German manufacturer to start locally assembling the car at its Pune facility, before the end of this year.

While the C-Class C200 CGI petrol variant was launched here last year, the company had stopped short of introducing its diesel variant in the Indian market. The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class has been a huge success globally and the car’s high demand in other countries can be the explanation of Mercedes-Benz’s decision. The C220 CDI will be powered by the tried and tested 2.2-litre diesel engine which delivers 170bhp and 400Nm of torque through the familiar 7G-TRONIC gearbox. 

The C220 CDI will be the second three-pointed star car to be launched in India this year. With 13 more models in the pipeline, Mercedes-Benz is aggressively expanding its presence in the Indian market, with the aim of grabbing a bite of the rapidly growing luxury car industry. We expect the C220 CDI to be marginally expensive than the C200 CGI variant. It will compete with the BMW 3 Series and the Audi A4.

CBR 150R 2015 MODEL PICS. TO BE LAUCNCHED IN INDIA IN 2015 -

This model is inspired from its bigger bike the fiebade. Looks like a pretty good update from its older model. And even the price is said to be lower than its previous model.