Ashok Leyland Optare 'Solo' mini-bus spied testing in Chennai

What you see here in this post are yet another exclusive spy shots of a Commercial Vehicle that could be launched in India in the near future. Though the identity of this air-conditioned mini bus could not be identified for a long time, the Registration Number pasted in the windscreen 'TN 18 TC XXXX' hinted that this is an Ashok Leyland product. After that, Google gave the answers to solve the mystery. If you remember, Ashok Leyland acquired a 26% stake in the UK-based bus and coach manufacturer 'Optare' in early 2010 which is quite popular in Europe and more so in UK. This model, named 'Solo' to denote its floor being 'so low', is one of Optare's most successful models that has been in existence for 12 years and has seen more than 4000 customers.

Seen testing in stop-start Chennai city traffic, this bus was turning heads rather unusually. Though the rear end looked like any other bus in India, the badges and the logo were conspicious by their absence. In the choked traffic, all that could be inferred was that the profile and the front end of this bus are unlike anything that we have seen in India. The front end has a love-it or hate-it curved windshield and arched roof that looks aerodynamic and modern. Agreed, it also looks a little funky and weird. The ground clearance was alarmingly low and the bus was forced to carefully negotiate the crater-like bumps and potholes of the rain-ravaged Chennai roads. The closest that we would have seen something like this in Indian soil are some of the airport shuttle buses.

A striking feature of the Optare Solo was the tiny LED lights that fill up not only the main taillight clusters but also the high-mounted stop lamps at the rear and the roof-mounted pilot lamps at the front. The air-conditioned interiors along with the big and broad seats hinted that this model could be targeted at the premium segment of the market. With the Solo being available in five lengths, two widths, a host of seating configurations and a gamut of fuel saving engine options in the UK, Ashok Leyland can just leverage them to cover a wide spectrum of the Indian market. It has to be mentioned here that the overall build quality of the coach was a step ahead of the other Indian buses.

So, is Ashok Leyland stealthily planning to launch the Optare Solo in India to breach into the luxury bus segment. It could well be, but that plan has now become public. Whatever it is, as days and weeks pass by, Ashok Leyland is one company that just never ceases to amaze me.

Skoda Rapid sedan launched in India

After unveiling the car to the public last month and teasing us all with a whole lot of pictures and videos ever since, Skoda India finally launched the Rapid sedan today. Priced between INR 6.75 Lacs for the base petrol variant and INR 9.19 Lacs for the top-end diesel variant, the Rapid enters a highly competitive segment that includes Honda City, Hyundai Verna, Maruti-Suzuki SX4, Ford Fiesta, Fiat Linea and its elder sibling, the Volkswagen Vento. The recently launched Hyundai Verna is the current leader in this segment followed closely by the City and Vento.

The Rapid is powered by a 1.6 liter petrol and diesel engine producing an identical maximum power output of 105 bhp at 5250 and 4400 rpm respectively. While the petrol engine generates a maximum torque of 153 Nm at 3800 rpm, the diesel engine generates 250 Nm at a much lesser 2500 rpm. Both these engines are already available in the Vento and are known for their reliable performance and frugality. It was these features that made the Vento diesel a highly sought-after model in the market resulting in waiting lists extending to a few months.

There are three variants available in both petrol and diesel – Active, Ambition and Elegance. The Ambition and Elegance trims are also available with a 6-speed automatic transmission in the petrol variants. Skoda has been smart enough to offer safety features like ABS and Airbags in the mid Ambition variant itself. Though the Elegance variant comes loaded with alloy wheels, automatic climate control and Multi Information Display, features such as Bluetooth connectivity and steering-mounted audio controls are conspicuous by their absence.

Though Skoda would want us to think otherwise, the Rapid is nothing but a re-badged Vento with a ‘Fabia’ front-end and a redesigned boot. Additionally, the Volkswagen logo and badges have been replaced with Skoda’s. Except the steering wheel, the interiors are a total lift-off from the Vento too. So, Volkswagen Group is essentially offering a second car in this segment and if the Rapid succeeds without cannibalizing sales of the Vento, the group would end up doubling their market share in this segment. More significantly, India would be the production hub for the Rapid and we are the first in the world to get this new model from Skoda.

Tata Aria Automatic spotted testing in Pune

I really like the way in which the two Indian automotive companies Tata and Mahindra are ruthless against each other when it comes to business and keep each other in their toes. The Tata Aria's sales was just beginning to pick up steam after the launch of cheaper 4X2 version when the all-new XUV500 from Mahindra gate-crashed into Tata's party with its shockingly value-for-money pricing. Tata knows too well that it has to either try and reduce the prices or introduce newer variants of the Aria if it has to stand a chance against the hot-selling XUV500. What you see in this post could be one of the many counter attacks that Tata is planning to unleash to protect the Aria.

Reports started surfacing a couple of months back that Tata was planning to come out with an automatic variant of the Aria. Readers of a popular automotive forum also claimed to have seen the test mule with automatic transmission raising the hopes of a quick launch. Now, we have proof of that, thanks to a reader in Pune who spotted this 'On Test' Aria being driven in the Mumbai-Pune road near Pimpri. Though it could be any other variant, the reader claims that he inferred that this had automatic transmission by peeping through the window. With Jaguar and Land Rover under its ownership, Tata is expected to incorporate some of its learning from the premium British brands into the automatic transmission that is being developed for the Aria.

This could not come at a better time for Tata as more and more customers prefer to go for automatic transmissions in their cars now a days. It is more true for customers in the premium segment in which the Aria is positioned. But, all is not well for the Aria. With the market already branding it as overpriced and the model suffering from not-so-high sales numbers, it remains to be seen how Tata is going to position the Aria automatic, as it will obviously be more expensive than the manual variants. The other flip side is Tata's complete lack of brand image that is hurting the Aria more than anything else as it is otherwise a mighty competent product.

Will the Aria automatic overcome all the hurdles and prove successful for Tata? Let us wait and watch. Not to forget, God bless competition!

Ashok Leyland U 4936 Tractor Trailer seen testing near Chennai / EDIT: Next Gen cab also seen

Ashok Leyland is one company that has its hands full at the moment. It may have been slow in coming out with all-new models in the past and it may have lost a bigger chunk of market share to other competitors by not tapping into newer segments. But, the company is keen on putting its past behind it and is aggressively working to make up for the time and market share lost in the past. The result is an onslaught of models from the company in all segments of commercial vehicles. Not very long ago, Ashok Leyland launched its first Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV), the Dost, in the Indian market.



It’s a known fact that the Chennai-Bangalore Highway (NH4) is a favorite testing spot for almost all Chennai-based automotive manufacturers. And it was in this same road near Sriperumbudur these Ashok Leyland Tractor Trailers (TT) with ‘On Test’ stickers were spotted. There were two of them and one of the tractor was camouflaged with the other one being the regular U Series tractor. There was no clue about what is new in this TT until we saw the front windshield with '4936' sticker pasted on it. The first two digits of Ashok Leyland's naming convention usually denotes the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) in tonnes and the last two digits denote the Horse Power.



Though Ashok Leyland launched the U 4936 Tractor in Jan-2010 itself, as per the company’s website, the current model range still includes only the 4923 TT which comes with a 230 HP H Series engine. So, there you have the mystery decoded. What you see here in this post would, in all probability, be the top-of-the-line U series Tractor Trailer with a Gross Vehicle Weight of 49 tonnes powered by the modern, powerful, fuel-efficient and technologically advanced 'Neptune' 6 Cylinder engine with a power output of 360 HP. Essentially, it’s a combination of two of the biggest development projects that the company has undertaken in the recent years, the U Truck and the Neptune engine.



With this, the message to rivals is loud and clear from Ashok Leyland. Their relentless pursuit from the upper to the lower end of the Commercial Vehicle market is not going to stop anytime now.



EDIT: Thanks to our reader ashok who commented below that the camouflaged tractor could be Ashok Leyland's 'Next Gen' cab being tested for road worthiness.

Chevrolet celebrates 100 years of existence with a host of events

By any standards, a hundred years is a long time. In that sense, Chevrolet has had a really long history, one that dates back to 3rd of November, 1911. That was when Louis Chevrolet and former GM founder William C. Durant founded the bowtie brand in Detroit, USA. Since then, Chevrolet, or 'Chevy' as it is fondly referred to by its fans, has really expanded its base and is now well and truly a global brand with presence in over 140 countries and an annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles. To mark its 100th year, Chevrolet celebrated with a series of events across America and around the world on Thursday (Nov-03), the day in which the brand was founded.



The activities marked the end of a year-long celebration of Chevrolet's Centennial that kicked off in January at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and included events in Chevrolet hometowns across the world. Speaking on the occasion, Chris Perry, VP, Chevrolet Global Marketing and Strategy, said "We understand Chevrolet is more than a brand - it belongs to everyone who owns, designs, builds, sells or loves Chevrolets. The past 100 years wouldn't have been possible without millions of people who have each made Chevrolet a part of their life's journey". A Centennial Edition of Chevrolet's flagship Corvette sports car was also launched this year as part of the celebrations.



Though Chevrolet has now become globally popular, the heartland of GM's mainstay brand is still the USA where 'Chevy' is more than an automobile brand. It would be no exaggeration to state that 'Chevy' and the 'bowtie' logo have formed a sort of emotional connect with thousands of Americans. To thank the customers, Chevrolet dealers across America would sponsor open houses and a number of promotional events until Nov-07. The passion and loyalty that many feel for the brand is going to be the subject of a documentary titled "Chevy 100 - An American Story". Produced by award-winning filmmaker Roger Sherman, this documentary will be aired on Nov-21 on the Velocity Channel.



The celebrations are not just consigned to USA alone. Chevrolet Europe will be erecting a monument at La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland which is the birthplace of Louis Chevrolet, the founder of the iconic brand. That's not all. In Korea, where GM has ditched the Daewoo brand in favor of Chevrolet early in the year, Chevrolet customers set a Guinness World Record by creating the world's largest car logo. 1143 customers owning Chevrolet cars that included the Spark, Aveo, Cruze, Orlando and Captiva gathered in Pyeongchang to form a huge car mosaic. In tune with the celebrations across the globe, it's time for owners of Spark, Aveo, Beat, Optra, Cruze, Captiva and Tavera in India to rejoice as, every 7.4 seconds, someone in the world are entering the Chevy family!

Range Rover Evoque launched in India

It has been just over a year since Land Rover unveiled the Evoque, the smallest model yet to wear the coveted Range Rover badge, to the world. With its stunning looks and proportions that are sure to turn heads wherever you go, there was hardly a doubt that it will succeed and today, just as predicted in my earlier post, the Evoque has met with a tremendous response in all the markets and Land Rover is struggling to produce enough of them. With all the global markets welcoming the Evoque like nothing before, will India be far behind? So, it was not so surprising when Tata Motors announced yesterday during the launch of the Evoque in India that more than 80% of the first batch to be imported has already been booked for.

The Evoque has been positioned as a premium model in India with prices ranging between 44.75 Lacs and 56 Lacs, a tad too expensive for our market. The 5 door model powered by a 2.2 liter SD4 diesel engine, is available in 3 variants - Pure, Prestige and Dynamic, whereas the 3 door 'coupe' model is available only in the top-end Dynamic variant with a 2.0 liter SI4 petrol engine under its hood. Though the Evoque is similar in size to, say a Honda CR-V, befitting its premium positioning, it comes loaded with high-end features such as a pop-out rotary drive selector, an 8-inch touch screen in the central console, a 11 speaker Meridian audio system, paddle shifters in the steering wheel, terrain response, mood lighting and a huge panoramic sunroof.

It's a known fact that Indians love flashy Sports Utility Vehicles that look menacing and huge. Though the Evoque is nowhere close in size to be termed huge, all it has is oodles of oomph and flash that will literally stand out on an Indian road. That, in my opinion, is a perfect recipe for success and I would not rule out the Evoque becoming a common sight in posh hotels and localities across India. In the hindsight, it's good news that both Jaguar and Land Rover are hitting the sweet spot with all their new launches and the factories are struggling to keep up with the demand. They may be high-end British brands, but coming under the ownership of Tata, we Indians have all the more reasons to feel proud of them. Way to go JLR!

Ferrari FF and Lamborghini Aventador launched in India

The same two pieces of automotive machinery that stunned the audience at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the Ferrari FF and the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, has arrived on the Indian shores sooner than expected. A few of you would remember reading about them here.

Ferrari was the first to launch the FF in India. The Indian public's reaction to the FF would be very interesting to watch out for as this is the company's first-ever hatchback with 4 full sized seats. No, it was not a typo, you read that perfectly right - the FF really is a Ferrari hatchback with 4 seats. Launched on the 31st of October at an ex-showroom price of 3.42 crore rupees, the FF is powered by a 6.2 liter V12 churning out 660 horsepower and 682 Nm of torque. Capable of reaching a top speed of 335 kph, the FF is actually the replacement for Ferrari's grand tourer, the 612 Scaglietti.



With the prancing horse reaching our shores earlier, will the raging bull sit and relax? Never. Lamborghini was quick to react and launched its flagship Aventador LP700-4 in India on the 3rd of November. Launched as a replacement for the Murcielago and following the list of V12 super-cars from Lamborghini like the Diablo, Countach and Miura, the Aventador is a stunner in and out that is sure to leave the onlookers spell-bound. This Italian hypercar is powered by a 6.5 liter V12 engine that churns out 700 horsepower and is capable of hauling the car in excess of 340 kph. Aventador is on sale for an ex-showroom price of 3.69 crore rupees.



Even before launch, Lamborghini has already sold 11 Aventadors in India and Ferrari, not withstanding the craze that the Indians have for the brand, is sure to taste success with the FF. Now, where are the roads to enjoy the true power and speed of these beauties?