Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Hyundai’s Getz-replacement for European markets, the i20, is all set to roll out. The car will be launched at the Paris Motor Show at the end of September. The company has released the first official pictures of the car before the launch. As you can see, the car’s face bears a resemblance to the smaller i10. It gets the same tear drop-shaped headlamps and the and horizontal slat in the grille is also similar. However, the air intake below the front bumper is not as large as the i10’s. This is Hyundai’s new look, bits and pieces of which you will see in its future cars. The stylish i20 has a longer wheelbase than the existing Getz, and the company claims that it is bigger than the Getz on the inside. The hatchback will be manufactured in India and exported to European markets. It is slated for an Indian launch around October. You can expect the base i20 to come with the 1.2-litre Kappa engine that currently powers the i10. There could also be a new range of 1.4 and 1.6-litre Sigma family of engines on offer. The i20 will also get the Verna’s potent 110bhp common-rail diesel engine.
Honda will display the Insight, the concept version of its new family petrol-electric hybrid car at the upcoming Paris International Motor Show..
The production model is slated to go on sale from Spring 2009. Honda is aiming to price the Insight much lower than any other hybrid car currently on the market. Honda intends to sell 2,00,000 units of the Insight a year, a big jump over the 17,000 units of the first Insight it sold worldwide since its 1999 launch.The five-door hatchback capable of seating five will be built on a completely new platform and will be slightly smaller than the Civic hybrid. Honda is also to launch a hybrid version of the Jazz and a new Civic hybrid over the next few years as well as hybrid based on the CR-Z.Honda intends to achieve sales of 5,00,000 units of all the four hybrids put together and by 2010, ten percent of its global sales will be comprised of hybrid vehicles. Honda has been able to achieve a significant cost reduction on production of the Insight in order to set such high sales targets. The car will be produced at Honda’s expanded hybrid vehicle production line in Suzuka along with the Civic Hybrid.
Toyota has just launched the much anticipated Altis. The car, although completely new bears much resemblance to the older Corolla. The view from the back of the Altis is strikingly similar to the older version while the front of the car resembles that of its bigger sibling, the Camry. Even the overall silhouette of the car is similar to that of the older Corolla. Where interiors are concerned, the Altis has improved levels of finish and feels more solid than the older car. Toyota engineers have also done a great job as far as drivier visibility is concerned. Where the Altis really impresses is in the seating. The seats off good support at the front and rear and though it is not as wide as the Civic, the back can seat three in comfort. There are twin gloveboxes and lots of cubbyholes all over the cabin to stash small items. Even the boot has lots of space, but the intrusion of the suspension towers clearly limits more storage. The engine retained from the old car is the same and develops a healthy 125bhp. It delivers great responses from low engine speeds and is perfect for driving in crawling in city traffic. The steering too makes driving in the city easy but on the highway it is a different matter. Toyota has also raised the suspension of the car which does a great job filtering out bumps at low speeds but on the flip side it adds to the skittish feel at higher speeds.
What you are looking at are the first official pictures of the stunning new Honda City. Autocar had carried an artist’s impression of the car in our July issue and we are happy to tell you that the car is just as attractive. Honda’s intention of appealing to a younger, more youthful car buyer is clear as the car is full of exciting and aggressive details. The profile of the car utilises the same sweeping lines as those used on the new Civic, but the interpretation of the front grille is very modern and aggressive. There is a strong V motif to the nose of the car, the grille and tapering headlights form a single unit and the beltline rises up towards the rear. The new City is 5mm longer than the current model at 4395mm (L), 1695mm (W), 1470mm(H). The car’s stance however is sportier than the current City as it is lower and slightly wider. You can also expect greater agility from the new chassis and this should come as a welcome change from the current car that doesn’t appeal to enthusiasts the way the original City did. The New City may be based on the Jazz supermini platform (code 2AP), but the car looks nothing like it. What will be similar is the running gear and the engines. A 1.3 and 1.5 motor are expected for India, with the motors slightly detuned. Still power is expected to be 100 and 118bhp. Both motors use Honda’s four valves per cylinder i-VTEC system, and they feature many hi-tech bits and new-age materials. The interiors are typically Honda in some ways, but not in others, the Civic-type steering wheel is an instant giveaway. The steering-mounted controls on this City however are not likely to be included on the car in India; the Civic and the Accord will have to be provided this feature first. There is however none of the visual drama of the Civic’s virtual Heads Up Display. The conventional but attractive orange-on- black dials look sporty though and the silver central console looks attractive. While the rear seats are placed higher than the ones at the front, it remains to be seen if Honda can maintain the comfortable rear seating position of the current City.
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