Weekly Wrap-up: Union Budget is out, Honda Mobilio coming soon

The Union Budget is out and there are some good things for the automotive industry in it. For the first time, subsidy has been announced for electric and hybrid cars. This isn’t sufficient, but it is just the start. The economy should improve with time and we expect the car sales figures to see a hike.
 
The Honda Mobilio is just a week away from launch and the Japanese automaker has begun the bookings. We get you some more exclusive stories. Datsun is planning to introduce a compact sedan, Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail could land on our shores sometime next year. The Punto Evo has been spotted and its launch too is in the coming few days.
 
Honda Mobilio booking open officially
 

 
Honda India has started taking official booking of the company's débutante MPV in the country – the Mobilio. Honda is trying to put chords right with the Mobilio; aggressive marketing campaign and funny trailer films are a hint to that. The current MPV space is dominated by Toyota Innova and Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, lets see what difference Mobilio will create when it enters market later this month. when it comes to sheer size, Mobilio is slightly shorter compared to Innova, while it is bigger than Ertiga; if Honda prices it right the vehicle will hit the sweet-spot! Read more
 
2014 Union Budget: No surprises for auto industry
 

 
As Finance Minister Mr. Arun Jaitley announced the 2014 Union Budget taxpaying individuals breathed a slight relief as the exemption limit on the income tax was increased to Rs.2.50 lakh from Rs.2 lakh. While PCs, laptops, soaps, matchboxes, water purifiers and insecticides are going to be cheaper, cigarettes, aerated drinks, pan masala, imported electronic products and x-ray machines are on their way up the price ladder. But how did our auto pundits react? Nothing, as Modi Sarkar’s first budget outing didn’t actually announce anything for the automobile industry. Read more
 
EXCLUSIVE: Nissan will introduce the Qashqai and the X-Trail
 

 
Nissan India has been testing several new products for the Indian car market and its focus has been the SUV market. The Japanese manufacturer at the moment is testing the Qashqai and the Juke in its Chennai plant. However, we have confirmed news from our sources that the Juke won’t be making it to our market, as it will be an expensive buy and won’t be competitive with size vis-a-vis price. Read more
 
EXCLUSIVE: Datsun's third product will be a compact sedan
 

 
Surprise! Everyone has been talking about a compact sedan from Nissan. The information is true that the Japanese car maker is working on a compact sedan and there have been several reports on it. However, we learnt that Nissan is working on a compact sedan for the Datsun brand than Nissan. Read more
 
New Mini Countryman images revealed
 

 
The four-cylinder spark ignition engine used in the MINI Cooper S Countryman with twin-scroll turbocharger, direct injection and variable valve control also sees an increase in output by 190bhp. A similar improvement can be seen in the acceleration and elasticity figures for the new MINI Cooper Countryman with 122bhp. The new MINI One Countryman 97bhp especially increases performance on the interim sprint. Read more
 
2015 Volvo XC90 engine details revealed
 

 
Swedish car manufacturer Volvo has revealed details about the engine range that will power the upcoming second generation XC90 SUV. The SUV will be making its public debut at the upcoming Paris Motor Show in October, post which it will go on sale by the year end. Read more
 
Union Budget: Why should Electric and Hybrid Cars get more subsidies?

 
 
Our fossil fuel sources are limited and depleting quickly. Petrol and diesel will eventually get all used up. Atop this are concerns regarding burning exhaust gases and particulate matter from vehicles adding to air pollution. Considering all these factors, the recent focus has shifted towards the use of alternative fuel sources for mobility. India still falls short in terms of awareness though. A number of options are at hand, Electric Vehicles, Hybrid technology and Hydrogen fuel cells. Hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles are the most sensible source, but unfortunately it will take years to install the infrastructure in place. Hybrids and electric cars are the only clever option, however due to the complexities of engine construction they cost a fortune. Read more
 
2014 Fiat Punto facelift to be known as 'Punto EVO'; new details emerge
 

 
The 2014 Fiat Punto facelift launch seems to be imminent as the undisguised spy shots are pouring 'cats and dogs'. New details emerging on the upcoming Italian hatch, Punto reveal that the car is likely to be known as 'Punto EVO'. Or, Fiat might replace Punto Sport with Punto EVO and the rest will be christened as Punto only, things are still cloudy until the final launch. Fiat might also retain the current Punto as 'Punto Classic' as they did with the Linea Classic to tackle more customers. Read more
 
Honda Mobilio: 10 things you should know
 

 
After tasting spectacular success in compact and C segment with its Amaze and City, Honda is now making a move to the growing MPV segment. The Japanese manufacturer is all set to launch its seven seater MPV Mobilio in a couple of weeks which will definitely give a run for money to the likes of Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, Chevrolet Enjoy and Nissan Evalia. The booking have already commenced and interested buyers can book their vehicle by making an upfront deposit of Rs 51,000. Read more
 
The first CMFA platform Nissan product to be seen in 2016
 

 
We speak to Andrew Palmer, Chief Planning Officer, Nissan; Chairman, Global Infiniti Division as he had short visit to Mumbai for the Nissan Sunny facelift launch. The new titivated version of the Sunny has been embellished with several new features to be at par with the competition, giving the Japanese manufacturer an advantage with its lower price. Andrew spoke to us about Nissan’s future plans for India and even hinted at some upcoming vehicles too. Read more
 
Renault Duster 4x4 on sale from this September
 

 
Launched in 2012, the Duster has been the game-changing vehicle for Renault. Since then there has been no looking back, as the Duster and even the Terrano are doing good numbers. There has been a reduction in the number of units, but this had to happen as competition increases. Read more
 
Jaguar Land Rover uncovers its new Ingenium engine family
 
 
 
 Jaguar Land Rover has released details of its new family of diesel and petrol engines called Ingenium engine family. These engines have been designed, engineered and will be manufactured by JLR. This all-new family is compact, lightweight and will deliver exceptional levels of torque, power and refinement. These engines boast of improved fuel efficiency with reduced emissions as well. Read more
 
2014 VW Polo facelift engine spec leaked; gets a new 1.5 liter TDI
 

 
The Volkswagen Polo facelift is arriving next week on July 15, but the leaked brochure reveals engine details of the upcoming German hatch. The Polo facelift was unveiled at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show but spy shots reveal that the the Indian version is slightly diluted on detailing but looks refreshing. Although the car receives minor upgrades inside-out but things under the hood have been revised thoroughly! The entire diesel line-up has been upgraded; the Polo diesel is now powered by a new 1.5 liter TDI turbo diesel motor offering two states of tune, while the petrol counterpart is kept untouched. VW will keep all the current variants of the Polo, namely, GT TDI, GT TSI and Cross Polo. Read more
 
Mercedes-Benz to introduce CLS 250 CDI soon

 
 
This year has been an unstoppable ride for Mercedes-Benz India, as the company has slated 10 new car launches and it has already launched the new S-Class with S500 and S350 as the two engines, GL 63 AMG, ML 63 AMG, CLS 350, Edition 1 A-Class and B-Class and the CLS 350. Next week, we witness the launch of the CLA 45 AMG also. This will be their first AMG priced under a crore making it the new entry-level variant for the AMG badge. Read more
 
Bugatti working on Hybrid successor of Veyron
 

 
Bugatti, the maker's of world’s fastest street-legal production car is now working on Veyron’s successor that will feature a hybrid engine. It is expected to be launched as early as next year. The two door hybrid model will carry 16-cylinder engine developing a power of 1,500bhp. As of now, the production of this new car will probably be limited to 450 units. Read more
 
Honda Mobilio Expert Review
 

 
One automotive manufacturer that has been seeing a growth in its sales in the shrinking auto market is Honda. The launch of its revolutionary diesel engine i-DTEC on the compact sedan Amaze has turned around the tables for the Japanese auto-maker. Since then, there has been no looking back. The new-generation City has been a runaway success for Honda and now it is entering a new market segment with the Mobilio. This new MPV will be launched sometime in July. Before that happens, CarDekho Team takes the initiative to drive the new Honda Mobilio and share our extensive review of this new MPV. Read more
 
Fiat Linea Classic Expert Review
 

 
With the world of cars going all compact around you, Fiat still manages to give you more ‘car' at those prices. Fiat recently updated the Fiat Linea and added more style to an already pretty looking package. But as the car gained more finesse, it came at a bigger price tag. Luckily Fiat will also be selling the previous generation car alongside the new one with the moniker ‘Classic' attached to it. We get to spend a few days with this proper sized C-segment saloon to understand the advantage it carries with its size. Read more