New Ford Endeavour

Ford India launched the new design look Ford Endeavour 3.0L with 5-speed automatic transmission and an array of contemporary features that give the new Ford Endeavour fresh appeal to go with its image of dominant toughness. Ford Endeavour is the most capable seven-seat SUV on the road, combining best-in-class torque, active versatility, superior off-road capability and surprising levels of comfort and refinement.

The new Ford Endeavour pioneers a suite of new design elements, led by a new-look front design with a classy multi-bar chrome grille and chrome-accented lower grille combining with sleek, wraparound headlamps to create a distinctive signature style. Under its slick new shape are the unrivalled toughness and proven capability that have made Ford Endeavour a leading choice among premium SUV buyers in India.

At the unveiling of the new Ford Endeavour, Michael Boneham, president & managing director, Ford India said, "The Endeavour has established itself as an undisputable leader in the premium SUV segment. With its contemporary new design look, the dominant toughness of Ford Endeavour has never been more appealing and we believe that it will set new benchmarks in its segment."

The New Ford Endeavour is being launched across the country in a phased manner. The vehicle was unveiled in New Delhi by Bollywood actor and successful entrepreneur Suniel Shetty, a special celebrity guest and a very proud Endeavour customer. The vehicle is launched and bookings are open from today in North and West region and will be launched in the following weeks in Southern and Eastern markets.

Priced aggressively, the new Endeavour is available in Delhi from today at Rs. 17,99,000 for the 3.0L 4X4 automatic transmission and Rs. 15,99,000 for the 2.5L 4X2 manual transmission variant (Ex-Showroom, New Delhi).

The new grille design features three, finely detailed horizontal bars that seem to float in the grille opening, the middle of which supports a proud ford oval badge. Designers sculpted the three-bar grille - a key element of ford design DNA - to convey the kind of sophistication found in luxury goods packaging. The top edge of the grille features a wide header bar with the Endeavour embossed boldly into its surface.

The new Endeavour's side mirrors also include interesting design details and functionality. Their housings -matte black lowers with chrome uppers - incorporate power folding convenience with turn indicator repeater lamps and a puddle lamp feature, which illuminates the ground around the door of the vehicle as the driver approaches the vehicle and unlocks its doors by remote control.

Poised on bold, 16-inch wheels, the New Ford Endeavour has an unmistakably confident stance that communicates this vehicle is ready to go, whether it's around town, on a great journey or to even greater heights. The new 16-inch alloy wheel -in a unique six-spoke design - is standard equipment, fitted with 245/70r16 tyres.

Inside, the new Endeavour surrounds its occupants with car-like comfort and luxury while providing true seven-seater SUV functionality. The vehicle has outstanding seat comfort and spaciousness. It also features ergonomically crafted seats with a leather seating surfaces. Door panels are also finished in premium material close to the seats for visual appeal and design consistency. When the doors open, they reveal a distinctive chrome scuff plate with illuminated Endeavour branding.

"The new design of the new Endeavour is a more premium look that builds on the capability and robust feel that are Ford Endeavour hallmarks. We've added contemporary touches that give it a lot more style, but it's the way the new design complements Endeavour's inherent strengths that was so important for the design team to execute" said Scott Ferrier, design manager, Asia Pacific and Africa, Ford Motor Company.

Endeavour offers two highly responsive, 16-valve TDCi versions, both of which feature outstanding torque output plus impressive levels of smoothness and refinement:
- The 2.5-liter (offered with 4x2) Duratorq TDCi common-rail engine, rated at 105 kW (143PS), which delivers peak torque of 330 Nm at just 1800rpm
- The 3.0-liter (offered with 4x4) Duratorq TDCi common-rail peaks at 380 Nm of torque at 2500 rpm, and is rated at 115 kW (156PS) of power output

The 3.0L Endeavour 4x4 automatic transmission models feature an electronic shift-on-the-fly system for the convenient selection of 2WD or 4WD mode. The 4x4 system features a proven-tough Borg-Warner transfer case.

The all-new 4X4 5-speed automatic transmission is an all-terrain vehicle that can handle city, highway or hill driving with ease and agility. The automatic transmission has an overdrive option (5th gear) feature to allow driving in lower gear for greater responsiveness.

With TDCi common rail turbo-diesel power, Endeavour boasts best-in-class torque output - that's the feeling of instant power on tap to accelerate away from a traffic light or make an overtaking maneuver. That's the confidence, premium refinement and outstanding fuel economy of Ford's advanced DuraTorq TDCi common-rail turbodiesel engine family.

With plenty of low-end 'grunt', the TDCi engine range makes Endeavour ideal for overtaking on a highway or tackling the tough off-road terrain. The DuraTorq TDCi pair make Ford Endeavour a delight to drive in any condition.

"The DuraTorq common-rail engine family is ideally suited to the robustness and premium nature of the Ford Endeavour," said John Lonsdale, vice president, Product Development of Ford India. "These engines provide the superior performance, capability and refinement customers in this premium SUV segment expect. We've engineered DuraTorq TDCi to be at the very heart of the Endeavour ownership experience," added Lonsdale.

Endeavour's tough chassis and confident stance - with standard 16-inch wheels give it the credentials to handle rough roads, difficult terrains or deal with tough conditions, providing ease and comfort to the passengers in the vehicle.

"Endeavour owners spend a lot of time with their vehicles and find them an invigorating part of their lifestyle. They love the versatility, toughness and capability of their vehicles but they also appreciate that its design communicates success and confidence. Our objective for the new 2009 Endeavour was to build on this emotional connection to make that vehicle-owner bond even stronger," added Nigel Wark, executive director, Marketing, Sales & Service, Ford India.

The new Ford Endeavour is the only vehicle in its segment to offer side air bags, part of an array of active and passive safety features. These 18-liter bags are designed to protect the head and thorax in the event of a side impact. The Endeavour is also equipped with dual-stage front air bags for driver and passenger. The air bags work in conjunction with three-point safety belts with pre-tensioners and load limiters, another Ford safety distinction.

Active safety features - designed to help the driver avoid an accident - include the Endeavour braking system, which features Anti-lock Braking (ABS) and Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD). The new Ford Endeavour also has Ford's unique Passive Anti-Theft System (PATS), for improved vehicle security. A uniquely coded computer chip is included on the ignition key to ensure the vehicle will not start without the correct key.

A state-of-the-art in-car entertainment and navigation system redefines luxury with a segment first touch screen (7" Inch) satellite navigation system, built-in DVD player which supports all popular file formats, a rear camera and Bluetooth compatible communication system on the Automatic Variant. This unit also has a USB Input.

The new Endeavour also boasts an RDS-capable audio system with 6 CD changer and MP3 capabilities and Aux-in port on the 4x2 variant. This allows occupants to feed connect popular MP3 players, such as the Apple iPod, into the audio system.

The new Ford Endeavour will be available in five exterior colors, including a new Sea Grey colour and Moondust Silver apart from the colour range of Morello, Panther Black and Diamond White, using the innovative 3-Wet high-solids paint process technology.

Maruti Suzuki Friendly Car

Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) is geared up for the launch of an eco-friendly car. It also aims to refurbish all its cars that are under production so they will be compatible with the stringent environment norms put forth by European Union's End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) recycling norms by 2010.


A senior representative of MSIL said the automobile organization has planned to adopt a new procedure of metal plating in all its future cars. The intra-valent chrome would be replaced with the extra-valent chrome, which would completely change the metal surface treatment processes. In accordance to this, most of its vendors have been asked by the concerned authorities of the MSIL to adopt the new ecological balanced process and use eco-friendly materials in their manufacturing. Besides, it is likely that all its vendors will switch over to these newly adopted technologies by 2010.

Shinzo Nakanishi, MD and CEO of Maruti Suzuki India Limited said "We stand a chance to have the eco-car in the Indian market." He added "It fits well into our product mix and we could utilise the Indo-Thai trade pact to bring in components at low taxes, thus making the car price-competitive for Indian customers."

The ELV directive in the EU covers the disposal of vehicles and their components. Four heavy metals whose use has been severely curtailed on all vehicles sold in the EU since July 1, 2003 have been sorted out. The metals are - lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium. An amendment was done to the directive which stated that the maximum concentration values of 0.1 wt per cent for lead and mercury and 0.01 wt per cent for cadmium. This value was later incorporated and established for each homogeneous material in a vehicle. The norms would be applied to any on-road vehicle equipment capable of speeds greater than 25 kph.

However the ELV norms excluded off-road vehicles, railcars, mining and agricultural equipment and vintage cars. Besides, ELV focuses on producing, dismantling and recycling vehicles in a more eco-friendly manner thereby establishing clear quantified targets for reuse, recycling and recovery of vehicles and their components. What's more, the ELV pushes the manufacturers to build new vehicles with a view to their recyclability.

Mahindra Rodeo & Duro Gearless

Mahindra Two Wheelers, the two wheeler arm of the US $ 6.3 billion Mahindra Group, unveiled two new Power Scooters - the Mahindra Rodeo and the Mahindra Duro. With their contemporary styling and attractive features, these Power Scooters come packed with a host of features which make riding them a sheer pleasure.

Both scooters are competitively priced with the Mahindra Rodeo available for Rs. 41,299 (ex-showroom Pune) and the Mahindra Duro available for Rs. 38,299 (ex-showroom Pune).

"This launch is a validation of the commitment we made last year to establish a robust, end-to-end global two wheeler business with a presence across segments. With their international appeal and powerful performance, the Rodeo and the Duro are world class scooters and will extend the Mahindra DNA of 'tough & rugged' style to a whole new consumer segment," said Mr. Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra Group.

"With the introduction of the Rodeo and the Duro, we have created a new market segment for Power Scooters in India. Both models offer the comfort and convenience of a scooter coupled with the thrill and power of a motorcycle. Mahindra's strong R&D capabilities and stringent quality control measures, coupled with technological inputs from Taiwan's Sanyang Industry Company Limited (SYM) and design expertise from the Italy based Engines Engineering, have resulted in a perfect blend of style and power," said Mr. Anoop Mathur, President, Two Wheeler Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

Conquer the Wild West with the Mahindra Rodeo!:
The perfect choice for the young urban male, the Mahindra Rodeo is a high performance, feature-packed scooter with a distinctly macho demeanour.

A robust 125 cc engine offers 8.0 bhp of power, making it one of the most powerful vehicles in its class. Excellent pick up and smooth acceleration ensures agility even in dense traffic and low maintenance costs.

Telescopic suspension ensures you can ride the Rodeo in comfort on the roughest of roads, while specially designed brakes allow smooth and effective braking for a safe ride. A bigger 7AH battery permits easy starting and implies less maintenance.

A colour changing digital console incorporates various car like features including a trip meter, clock, tachometer, digital speedometer and odometer, allowing the rider to see important data at a mere glance. Horn rimmed headlights add to the vehicle's stylish appearance, while ensuring greater visibility. A USB port cum mobile charger keeps you entertained and connected even on the move. The mirror is adjustable and non-breakable and moves inward in case of impact, resulting in almost no breakage. A unique 'side stand buzzer' reminds the rider that the side stand is still on, avoiding any imbalance or undue damage to the vehicle.

The Mahindra Rodeo offers the ultimate in comfort, convenience and safety. A specially designed petrol tank inlet in front allows the driver to refuel without having to alight from the scooter. This peppy two wheeler also boasts of the largest illuminated storage space in its category, which allows you to even store food and perishable items as the petrol tank is not located inside.

Ergonomically designed seats ensure a comfortable journey for both the driver and the pillion rider. A 4-in-1 key system starts the engine, operates the fuel lock, handle lock and a magnetic shutter which provides additional safety against theft.

This testosterone packed two wheeler sports aerodynamic, sleek contours with attractive body graphics and is available in seven sophisticated shades usually found on high end sedans - Fiery Black, Forest Green, Cappuccino Brown, Blazing Red, Golden Beige, Majestic Maroon and Deep Ocean Blue.

Mahindra Duro - A 'Made for Everyone' Scooter:
With its stylish good looks and powerful 125 cc engine, the Mahindra Duro not only caters to the transportation needs of the entire family but is also the best value for money product in its category as it provides the customer with the highest value per unit of engine cc.

In addition, this nifty two wheeler boasts of the most powerful battery in the segment, ensuring longer working of key electricals. Wide brakes ensure effective braking making the Mahindra Duro a safe scooter.

The Mahindra Duro also has the largest fuel tank in the scooter segment, the widest wheelbase for better stability and a generous storage space to carry your world with you.

The Mahindra Duro is available in a choice of six elegant shades - Fiery Black, Pearl White, Cappuccino Brown, Mystique Grey, Majestic Maroon and Golden Beige. The vehicle's striking contours are complemented by stylish body graphics and a sleek and sporty centre console.

This ergonomically designed scooter incorporates a wider seat and better legroom for maximum comfort and good ground clearance to help the rider tackle rough roads.


Mahindra Flyte - Style icon of the Youth:
In 2009, Mahindra kick-started its two-wheeler foray with the introduction of the Flyte as its first product offering across India. With its innovative features backed with power-packed performance and contemporary styling, Flyte is an ideal product offering for its target audience - the Youth.

Flyte is powered with a 125 cc engine and boasts of cool features like Front fuelling, 4-in-1 key, largest storage space and telescopic suspension to make it a comfortable, convenient and smooth ride. To add to this, body coloured impact resistant mirrors and vibrant colours for its TG add to the products overall appeal.

The response to the product has been extremely encouraging and is expected to multiply manifolds during the upcoming festive season.

The Mahindra Flyte is available in a choice of five elegant colour options - Red Oomph, Black Mystique, Jade Charisma, Lavender Groove and Silver Flash.

A robust, end-to-end two wheeler business:
Mahindra Two Wheelers will design and market a range of scooters, value engineered motorcycles and high-end motorcycles for the Indian and global markets, helping it establish a robust, end-to-end two-wheeler business in every segment of the industry.

Within the overall two-wheeler strategy, scooters form M&M's entry point into the Indian market and will be an important part of the company's overall two-wheeler product portfolio. There are several macro environmental trends which make the scooter market especially attractive to Mahindra. These include a younger, more affluent customer base with a significant number of empowered women and increased scooter demand in tier-2 cities and small towns. M&M is strongly positioned to cater to this demand, given the company's significant presence and brand equity in these markets.

The strong in-house design and development competencies provided by Mahindra Engineering Services (MES), the Italy-based design house, Engines Engineering and Taiwan's Sanyang Industry Company Limited (SYM), coupled with M&M's R&D strengths will help the company assume a significant position in the rapidly growing Indian and global two-wheeler market.

With this launch, Mahindra Two Wheelers now has three products as part of its scooter portfolio - the Mahindra Rodeo, the Mahindra Duro and the Mahindra Flyte that was introduced earlier.

New Honda City

Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI) Ltd., leading manufacturer of premium cars in India, launched a new feature packed Honda City 1.5V and the new Honda City 1.5S with brand new beige interiors.

The top grade sparkling new variant of the Honda City has been launched as part of the Great Honda Fest promotion and will add to the festivities this season for all the Honda City lovers.

The new Honda City 1.5V (MT & AT) comes with the introduction of attractive 5 spoke Alloy Wheels and elegant Front Fog Lamps for enhanced style and better visibility. The exterior looks of the new City 1.5V gets further stylized by addition of Chrome door handles, new Sporty Exhaust Finisher and Front & Rear mud guards.

The new Honda City variant has a complete new interior look with the newly introduced Beige high quality fabric seats, Silver Colored Fan Knob, silver color inner door handles, door lining garnish and power windows panel. The car also gets the Dual front tweeters which will enable the customers to enjoy their best quality music and a driver seat back pocket for added convenience.

The new Honda City will now be available as SMT, VMT and VAT. Additionally, all the variants will be available in 2 attractive types – Elegance and Inspire.

Honda City which clearly dominates the premium sedan segment in India will have an additional colour option Deep Sapphire Blue for a limited period during festive season along with existing colors available in the range.

The Honda City comes equipped with a 1.5L, 4 cylinder new generation i-VTEC engine that delivers class leading power of 118PS. In line with the Honda's policy of reducing impact on the environment the engine is E10 compliant and has Euro IV emission levels.

The Safety of passengers and pedestrians is a first priority for Honda. Honda City is fully loaded with various active and passive safety features as standard including ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) with Brake Assist (BA), Dual SRS airbags, pre-tensioner seat belts and G-CON (G-Force Control Technology) body with a high integrity survival zone. The front body structure of the Honda City ensures advanced pedestrian safety features.

The All New Honda City is a winner of 12 Auto Awards including the most prestigious 'Indian Car of the Year 2009' (ICOTY) Award. The new Honda City's instant success is testified by the fact that it has sold nearly 38,000 units since its launch in September last year.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Masahiro Takedagawa, President and CEO, Honda Siel Cars India Ltd said, "We are happy to introduce this new V-Grade in response to our discerning customers' feedback. With the recently launched Honda Jazz, the refreshed new Honda Civic and now this V-Grade Honda City, we have a whole new line-up for all our customers to choose from."

BMW X6 - First Sports Activity Coupe

The BMW X6, which is cited as the world's first sports activity coupe is now launched in Jaipur. This event took place as BMW simultaneously launched its 16th dealership - Sanghi Motors in the country.

A press release issued by the company states that the newly launched coupe was largely inspired by the elegance possessed by a large BMW coupe and the powerful stature and flexibility of a sporting vehicle. According to Peter Kronshab, president BMW India, the BMW X6 displays a very high degree of incomparability in all situations despite the varied road and surface conditions it encounters.

The vehicle is all geared up for top performance having been equipped with BMW performance dynamics control. This model surpasses all previous limits especially driving dynamics with the amalgamation of the best features of two superior BMW models.

The BMW X6 will most likely be available in two variants - the first will be the petrol version X6 xDrive 50i and the diesel version xDrive 30d (diesel). These will be available as completely built units (CBUs).

The ex-showroom prices of BMW X6 variants will be Rs 82,90,000 for the BMW X6 xDrive50i and Rs. 65,90,000 for the BMW X6 xDrive 30d. These prices do not include charges like RTO Registration, taxes, insurance, handling charges, octroi, entry tax and others. However, these prices are inclusive of 12.5 percent VAT.