Next generation Honda city to get 1.8L i-vtec engine

A reader of the blog has sent the following tip in one of his comments on the next generation honda city.Unfortunately no name has been given and so I cannot personally thank him for the same.However that said whoever you are thank you very much for the invaluable tip.

I quote his comment as it is

"There will be no 1.3L engine any more.1.5L and 1.8L will take place. 1.5L i-vtec will be the same on the new jazz,and 1.8L will be R18A,just the one on civic sedan."

This will make the Honda civic or the next generation honda city choice even more interesting.Ofcourse no official word from Honda yet in this regard[they are not even acknowledging the fact that the next generation city is in the pipeline forgot about engine configurations].Once I do get a confirmation I shall update all of you.

As far as launch date is concerned seems to have been postponed to november 2008.

Honda civic horrific accident

Remember the ford ikon which was cut in half,received an email forward of a similar crash this time of a honda civic.The accident took place in Thailand.


Just look at the distance between where the front half of the car lies and the back half is[refer above picture].



Have no doubts the honda civic is an absolutely safe car,infact its one of the safest around on our indian roads.Its just that the most important safety device is the driver and ofcourse luck.

RIP the poor souls involved.

The VW jetta is here

If you believe the tech specs you will certainly feel VW is selling a c-segment car for the price of a d-segment one.We have C -segment sedans with more powerful engines forget about competition like the Honda civic.Yes petrol prices are high but if you end up with the VW petrol something surely is wrong considering the cheaper rivals like the Honda Civic and the upcoming Toyota corolla.Guess this is the german joke VW are referring to in their ads.

The saving grace ofcourse is the 1.9L tdi [diesel engine] but again prices are still on the higher side with cars like the Honda accord within striking distance.The diesel engine after its success in the skoda laura should be the one most buyers would opt for.The VW family[includes skoda] believe that Indians ought to pay a significant premium for buying cars from their line-up and their strategy has not been a complete failure so far.

What are the goodies you get for the top of the range variant.For starters you get 8 airbags then there is the six speed auto-box[DSG] however that is only for the diesel variant.

Prices range between Rs.13 lakhs to Rs16.70 lakhs[ex-showroom delhi]

Tech specs:
1>1.6L petrol engine: Power 102ps@5600 rpm and torque 148Nm@3800rpm

2>1.9L TDi[diesel] engine: Power 105ps@4000 rpm and torque 250Nm@1900rpm

Is it worth the money.In my opinion no,I would stick with the cheaper japanese cars.I just hope Toyota don't get the wrong ideas from VW after the Jetta launch.Then ofcourse there is the skoda laura,why would you put your money on the VW.

[image source:wikipedia]

Honda launches the Honda Civic Executive

After a relatively successful run in the Indian market ,the civic sales have taken some what of a beating of late[though not as much as the Toyota corolla].New competitors and a lack of a diesel option are the major factors working against the Honda civic.[No unlike popular perception, ground clearance or rather lack of it has so far not kept away any buyer]

Honda is now trying to attract new segments of customers and what best than existing Honda city buyers.The Honda civic executive is aimed at customers who would otherwise have ended up with the Honda city Vtec.Honda has badged the car,executive and says the car is aimed at executive.Honda have intelligently cut down on a few extras and have been able to price the car at Rs.10.80 lakhs.Things like the side protectors,leather wrapped steering wheel and chrome from some parts of the body have been removed in the executive version.Also you get a lower spec'ed Music system[all things things can easily be retrofitted at your accessories shop]. You also don't get climate control,alloy wheels and rear seat based audio controls.

However would this be enough for the Honda to save itself against the attack of the diesel toyota corolla,my opinion don't think so.Until the corolla arrives[expected by august,2008] sales of the civic will rise courtesy the executive variant.A very smart move from Honda indeed and it is homework well done.

[Source:Economictimes]

Honda to launch Civic hybrid on June 18th

Everything seems to be going according to plan so far[remember Mr Kuldip Nayar, Chairman of Pinnacle Honda] after the accord launch the civic hybrid launch too has been confirmed.Now only the Next generation honda city launch remains.

Honda will launch its civic hybrid in India on June 18th and it would be available for test-drives at all its 80 dealerships from day one.After all Honda want to showcase this car as honda's commitment to the environment and depending on its success plan the future course for environment friendly vehicles in India.

Although the timing is perfect what is disappointing is the goliathian price tag of approx Rs.20 lakhs plus[and that too not the on road price].

Honda is having a dual strategy in India where it plans to take on the economy segment like the nano and the maruti 800 with its bikes while its cars target the upper segments.

Also read:
Honda civic hybrid- Taking nature for a ride

[source:the hindu]

Update:Now launched with a 1.3L petrol electric engine and a price tag of Rs.21.5 lakhs[ex-showroom]

Honda civic hybrid- Taking nature for a ride

Now its a well known fact that most of the save the planet claims regarding hybrids is just nothing more than shrewd marketing.But what's most interesting is the company which rides on the green tag has actually performed the worst when it came to real world conditions.

Auto express UK tested various hybrids under standard road conditions and the results are quite startling.Unlike manufacture claims Hybrids are nowhere as environment friendly or fuel efficient.Infact these green cars are emitting 56% more carbon dioxide than what the manufacturers claim.Auto manufacturers are taking undue advantage of the scare regarding global warming and are misinforming customers.Its upto federal agencies to ensure that consumers are not taken for a ride.

Of the cars tested not a single hybrid lived upto expectation and such was the Honda civic hybrid performance that the hybrid tag is called nothing but a marketing gimmick.Neither did it live upto its fuel efficieny claims but also polluted the environment much more than claimed by the company[Instead of the 109g/km of CO2 claimed in the makers' specifications, it was found to put out 171g/km. ].Now we know why Honda says it has taken nature for a ride.So if any of you are interested in the Honda civic hybrid[which in anycase is overpriced at Rs.20-25 lakhs] may this be an eyeopener.

But its not only the civic hybrid,even though other hybrids like the Toyota prius did not do so badly at the tests they certainly do not live upto the environmental friendly tag and all incentives by governments for such petrol-electric hybrid vehicles need a serious relook.

Whats the way forward,thankfully we have cars like the Honda Fcx,now that's an environmental friendly car true to its name but for the moment its best to stick to diesel and not get carried away by the manufacturers marketing brilliance.

[source: sify]

Civic Sport

Honda Siel India Ltd plans to launch the Civic sport soon. Unlike rumours, this car will not get the hot K20 engine but the same R18 engine found in the other variants of the Civic in the same set of tune. So what is this sport about?

Well the Civic sport will get a full body kit, along with a rear spoiler and bigger wheels (maybe body coloured 16 inchers) and thats about it, nothing else. It will be priced Rs. 60,000 more then the regular Civic which makes it quite good value, however i would have loved if Honda would have boosted the power a bit.

More pics at Source

Hyundai could just steal the thunder from Toyota

We all know the new Toyota Corolla is due pretty soon.Just putting out a few pluses and negatives of the next generation corolla.

There is plenty of storage space and cubby holes if that's what you are looking for in a D-segment sedan.This corolla is loaded with toys like cruise control,rain sensing wipers etc[Check this post for more details:Hottest corolla].We have a very roomy interior and a very refined engined but the list of negatives may just outweigh the positives.For starters Toyota plan to stick with their old engine line-up[slightly tuned up],OK this may not be such a big complaint but we certainly expected the global leader to show the way forward.Then there is the quality issue,as far as the interiors are concerned the civic feels more upmarket than the latest generation corolla.Even the instrument cluster is down to earth compared to the fighter jet like of the civics.

Now for even more bad news.The next generation corolla is going to be significantly more pricier than the existing corolla and we don't know if it will come with that diesel engine[I say that because the chances of a diesel seem pretty remote].To cut it short if you were to tell me to put my money on one of the two[corolla or civic],I'd stick with the civic as being the overall winner in this segment.The corolla will sell but looks unlikely to upset the Civic's leadership status unless Toyota change their strategy.


Now for the Hyundai part.Hyundai have so far not been able to sell high end cars in India.But the new elantra/avante could just change all that for Hyundai.There is a huge opportunity in the D-segment for a reasonably priced diesel sedan.Hyundai will definitely launch a diesel and if reasonably priced[make that priced much lower than the corolla] hyundai could just steal the thunder from Toyota.As for the Chevrolet optra diesel,If I were the GM boss I would soon start a marketing campaign emphasizing the diesel for it too has an opportunity to winover customers from the japanese camp.Make no mistake diesel is going to be king for a pretty long time to come in markets like ours.

[image source:autoblog]

Preferably don't buy these cars in 2008

If you have any plans to buy the Skoda fabia this year I suggest you wait for a year if resale value is important to you.VW [skoda's Parent company] say that they will lower costs of the Fabia by manufacturing the fabia at the chakan plan [while VW plan to delay their debut vehicle in India to 2010].Skoda have already done this with the Laura where later on they launched cheaper models which severely affected resale value of the cars which were already sold.I came across one such Laura owner who says he lost close to 6-7 Lakhs in resale value in just an 8 month old car.

However I must add that nothing wrong with Skoda cars,infact the Octavia[Laura as we know it here] has just been voted the best car in the UK for the second consecutive year.Octavia[Laura in India] drivers are the most satisfied lot in terms of reliability,build quality,running costs and ease of driving.Skoda beat rivals like Honda,Toyota,BMW,Mercedes for the second consecutive year.The Fabia too should be more or less on these lines and will definitely not disappoint you. If the car is going to be with you for a long time or you are not bothered about resale value please do go ahead with your purchase decision.

But the case with the cars I discuss next is a bit different.In these cars you will see a major revamp pretty soon.

1>.The first car in the list is the present Toyota corolla which is currently one generation behind its main rival the Honda civic.It is confirmed that you will get the next generation in India in 2008[maybe a diesel option as well].

2>.The next car in the list is the Honda city.You can see pretty much the push both the company as well as dealers are giving to increase sales since a major revamp of the Honda city is expected by the end of the year[2008].You will be left with a model which would be one generation behind in just a matter of few months.

Now I go back to the title I say preferably because you could also take advantage of this situation since all the above mentioned cars are great cars as well and dealers would be pushing for sales by adding incentives for you to buy these cars.But yes you must be ready to accept the fact that you will be driving an outdated model soon.

If you ask me what is the best alternative at this moment ,well I suggest the Hyundai Verna CRDi.It is a relatively safe bet and a good car with good mileage[FE.].In case of a petrol car I suggest the Maruti SX4.I don't expect any drastic change very soon to either of the two.The Toyota Corolla is not in the C segment and its alternative would be the Honda Civic which too should not see anything drastic soon.

Update 1:
In the don't buy list I am adding the Skoda octavia,for reasons please refer to this post,Next generation Skoda Octavia due in 2009 .Also the more modern VW jetta is expected soon.I would avoid the Laura too for the moment since a price correction could be possible but I am not 100% sure and hence am not placing it in the don't buy list.Alternatives I suggest the Optra Magnum.


Update 2:
NDTV confirms launch of the next generation honda city by the end of the year[2008].

Update 3:
The hyundai getz is a car in the don't buy list since the all new I20 is expected by the year end.Search the post for more details.Alternative ford fusion diesel.

Update 4:
With competition expected to catch up with Toyota in the form of the mahindra ingenio and the tata Xover expect something drastic from Toyota,from talks of launching a cheaper UV to even discontinuing the present innova doing the rounds I suggest you go slow and postpone your buy.No alternative buys suggested for the moment.

Update5:
Mahindra Renault Logan is a new addition to the list,a Facelifted model is expected soon.

Update6:
Maruti to replace the alto with the A-star.

The don't buy cars list for 2008:
1>.Honda City
2>.Toyota Corolla
3>.Hyundai Getz
4>.Skoda Octavia
5>.Skoda Fabia
6>.Toyota Innova
7>.Mahindra Renaul Logan
8>.Maruti Suzuki Alto


Also read:
Honda confirms all new Honda city launch by end of this year

Also read:
Team-bhpian Spots possible new Honda City.

Toyota's customer unfriendly initiatives

Toyota have always looked at their profitability even at the cost of the Customers convienience and even compromising security of the vehicle.

As far as the inconvenience bit ,you have the option of power steering on the base model E but no air conditioning option even after paying close to Rs9 lakhs but the worst bit is the G1 model does not come with an intermittent wiper,something which cars much cheaper come with.

And this is not the case with Toyota India itself,I was going through this review about the american corolla and the first thing the reviewer was very critical was Toyota's attempt at cutting corners which was emphasized most in the fact that Toyota is only giving power windows as a standard feature on the top end corolla model compare this to Honda who have long made power windows standard across their entire civic range.

But these are things one can live with, what is not acceptable is the security bit.Toyota knew that its earlier MUV the Toyota qualis was one of the favorite amongst car thieves and this is precisely why they came up with immobilisers for the innova range but they kept this out from the base model innova[E].And what do we have now apart from the Tavera and the Indica,the Toyota innova is the favourite amongst car thieves according to a newspaper report.

Toyota have only to look at Maruti as an example,Maruti has given the immobiliser feature[icats] across its range even to the cheapest Maruti 800.This just costs the customer an added Rs.3000 surely somebody buying an innova could easily afford.

Hopefully these stolen cars were the ones which did not have immobilisers because believe me just yesterday came across a stolen Toyota innova top end model[v].Why I am so sure the number reads as MH-03 XXX .Now when was it when that series existed.

Coming soon-The Toyota Corolla Altis

So far Skoda has had a dream run in India but here's something which could seriously put and end to all that.There has been no real rival as such when it came to the D-segment cars[diesel].Yes the Optra magnum but brand Skoda seems to be too much stronger than GM as far as customers are concerned.

However all this could change because the Toyota Corolla Altis could be here very soon[remember a top official at Toyota had hinted an April Launch even] .The new corolla has been launched in most of the south east asian countries as the Corolla Altis and it looks like it could be the same for the Indian Markets too.What they have not got so far is the D4D engines which could very well come to India since Toyota knows more than you and me that there is huge potential for the diesel engine in India.It is precisely this engine which could give sleepless nights to Skoda since this car has the potential to even win over Skoda laura rivals forget the Octavia.
The Corolla Altis will get HID headlights,Rain sensing wipers,A multi information Display,Cruise control.Its how long the diesel engine would take to come here which may very well decide if the Altis is launched here by april or august[which I think is the worst case scenario].The only disappointment as such is that Toyota is most likely to leave out the Dual VVT-i engines for markets like ours.The existing engine could be tweaked a bit more as far as the petrol engine is concerned for the Altis.

So should Honda be worried,if the Diesel engine is launched in India then most definitely prospective Civic customers would move over to the Toyota camp and we will have a new leader in the segment ,else really speaking the Corolla[petrol] does not have that extra special ingredient which would help it overshadow the Civic.Without the diesel engine even Skoda would not be too worried.

So please Toyota do answer our prayers and get the D4D engines as well for the corolla.

Update:
Please read:
Toyota to launch Diesel Corolla after all.

Also read:
Toyota claim the next generation corolla is the hottest ever-Here's some of the reasons why

Budget 2008 impact -Hybrids,buses and small cars to become cheaper

Honda India must be having a smile on their faces,the lobbying by Japanese manufacturers has worked.Hybrid cars are all set to get cheaper.Excise duty has been cut from the present 24% will come down to 14% and the first real beneficiary is none other than Honda with concrete plans to launch the Civic hybrid in a year or two.

Although not much is been said about development of infrastructure,atleast some cheer in the form of reduction in excise duty on Buses.

Small cars,two wheelers and three wheelers would be marginally cheaper with an excise duty cut to 12% from the present 16%.Good news for the Tata Nano.

A Small car is defined as petrol car with an engine capacity not exceeding 1,200 cc and not exceeding 4,000 mm in length, or diesel car of engine capacity not exceeding 1,500 cc and not exceeding 4,000 mm in length.

Its really puzzling that when it comes to the Maruti Swift[petrol],the largest manufacturer in India is not taking advantage of this facility and providing a lower engine variant for the Swift petrol,the diesel already qualifies as a small car.

Update:Hyundai motors india,are the first to announce a price cut,they say small cars prices could come down by as much as Rs.10,000-15,000.What interests me is by how much the prices of the Skoda fabia will come down by simply because its present price tag means the cut would have the most significant impact if implemented.Gm too has decided to cut prices of the spark and the U-VA.

I salute Hyundai India for being so proactive and ensuring the benefit of the customers being the first manufacturer to announce a price cut.

Also Visit:
Price cuts announced by Car manufacturers

Honda Civic sales take a hit

While December sales have not really been good for most automobile manufacturers[hyundai have reported double digit growth thanks largely to the exports] what catches the eye is that honda civic sales in India seem to have taken a drastic hit.

Honda were only able to sell 995 units of the civic as compared to the 1274 units they sold last year for the same month.What is interesting is that skoda sales have increased so does that mean all the curiosity the fabia is creating is helping the skoda brand very unlikely,in all probability its that 1.9tdi engine.Then there is also the recently launched optra magnum[diesel].Diesel seems to be the way forward for most cutomers in India too.Would the D-segment customers force Honda to have a relook at their petrol only strategy in India,well hopefully yes atleast.Don't have the sales figures for the Toyota corolla which again is available only with a petrol engine but it would be suprising if toyota is able to win back customers from honda with their older generation corolla.

Come on Honda,bring your i-ctdi range of diesel engines to India too.

More pics of the 2009 Corolla

In this Post I am just going to let the pics do the talking,I think have covered details about the car in the related posts below,heres the Honda civic competitor which would be available in India by march 2008 at the earliest.A more sportier version than the earlier pics.




[Image source: autoblog]

Related Post:
Toyota claim the next generation corolla is the hottest ever-Here's some of the reasons why

Toyota claim the next generation corolla is the hottest ever-Here's some of the reasons why

The new corolla is going to hit the indian shores and we have talked about its camry like exteriors,now a bit more with regards to the interiors and features.

AB-i is standard on all new Corolla models, and delivers uncompromising stopping power in virtually any conditions.AB-i braking system combines Anti-skid Braking System (ABS), Brake Assist (BA) and Electronic Brake-Force Distribution (EBD).



Now heres something the new corolla owners would like to show around a bit,


The Smart Entry and Start System -No need to physically use your key to unlock and start the car. Simply have it on you, and the car unlocks when you use the door handle, and starts at the push of a button.



The top end corolla will come with HID Auto-levelling headlamps, headlamp cleaners, rain-sensing wipers,16” alloy wheels and a flat rear floor, multi-function trip computer and anti-glare electro-chromatic interior mirrors,lexus like optitron combimeter, 6 speaker MP3 compatible CD player,Aux-in, steering wheel audio controls, Bluetooth compatibility.7 Airbags wonder how many that will become to when it comes to India.

It would have a six speed manual but auto -gearbox enthusiasts may be in for a disappointment with a 4 speed auto-gearbox.



Probable engines[for India]:
Diesel
2.0L D4D
Power-126bhp
Torque-300Nm

Petrol
1.8L Dual VVT-i
Power-130bhp@6,000rpm
Torque-173Nm@4400rpm

Dual VVT-i meaning valve timing is adjusted on both intake and exhaust valves,toyota claim this improves fuel efficiency and this car could even give the honda city[a C segment car] a run for its money in this area at the same time it is very powerful as D segmenter's should be.

For india however expect a lot more beige in the interiors:


Now thats a lot of toys ,have to see how toyota manages the pricing for India without compromising too much on the features cause toyota really need the corolla to click this time round.There's a car very much in this mold the skoda laura now again and again I ask would toyota do a skoda[sell both older generation and newer generation cars side by side].

Update 1:The dual VVT-i engines will not make it to markets like India.

Update 2:
Expect toyota to be miserly with the toys it gives in the Indian corolla.

Exterior pics here:
New toyota corolla to head to India

New toyota corolla to head to India,Thailand

After the drubbing toyota have received at the hands of honda in the form of the latest generation Honda civic,toyota finally has decided to move forward and introduce the latest genereation corolla.

Sticking in line with toyota tradition the car will not be anything radical to look at and is more or less a baby camry created to please youngters as well as the older generation.


For India the best part would be the 2.0L d4d diesel engine which will help toyota maintain an edge over honda and also help it compete better with rivals like skoda,chevrolet.




The car is expected to hit Thai shores by the end of this year and Indian one by approx mid of next year[read as around diwali time]


The interesting bit is it that there are plans to shelve the corolla brand and instead use the auris but I have a feeling the corolla legacy will continue

Probable engines[for India]:
Diesel
2.0L D4D
Power-126bhp
Torque-300Nm

Petrol
1.8L Dual VVT-i
Power-130bhp@6,000rpm
Torque-173Nm@4400rpm

Dual VVT-i meaning valve timing is adjusted on both intake and exhaust valves

Update:
Please read:
Toyota to launch Diesel Corolla after all.

Also read:
Coming soon-The Toyota Corolla Altis