Nissan Evalia MPV discontinued
Nissan has reportedly stopped production of the Evalia MPV. Also called the NV 200 in international markets, the Evalia did not garner a good response in India.
Speaking on the discontinuation of the MPV, a company spokesperson said, “The Evalia’s design and styling is unconventional, and unfortunately it has not met our sales expectations with our Indian customers”.
The Evalia was pitted against the hugely popular Toyota Innova and the Mahindra Xylo. It went on sale in October 2012, and saw only 2,412 units being sold.
Hyundai Creta SUV unveiled; launch on July 21, 2015
Hyundai has unveiled the India-spec Creta SUV. The new Hyundai Creta will launch in India on July 21, 2015. Some of the key rivals for the Creta include the Renault Duster, Mahindra Scorpio and the upcoming Maruti S-Cross. The new Hyundai Creta’s styling is based on Hyundai’s Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 theme, also shared by the Hyundai i20.
The new Creta will come in four variants and three engine options. It gets the same 1.6-litre petrol motor that does duty in the Hyundai Verna sedan. Also on offer are 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre diesel powerplants. The petrol and the 1.4-litre diesel engines come mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. The top-spec 1.6-litre diesel engine is available with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission.
The Creta gets dual-tone interiors for all trims. Features such as Bluetooth, keyless go, touchscreen infotainment system will also be on offer on some variants.
Volvo S60 T6 India launch on July 3, 2015
Volvo has announced the launch of the S60 T6, the petrol variant of Volvo's BMW 3-series rival, the S60.
The S60 T6 will be powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged and supercharged direct injection engine developing 304bhp and 40.78kgm of torque. Power will be sent to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
In terms of features, expect the S60 T6 to come with the standard list offered on the diesel S60 currently offered in the market.
The S60 T6 will be the fourth launch by the company in the Indian market this year, with the other three being the petrol V40 Cross Country T4, the all-new second-generation XC90 SUV and the V40 hatchback. The company has also started working on the replacement for its ageing S80 sedan that is also offered in India. The S60 T6, like all other models from the company, will be imported here as a CBU. Expect the company to new petrol model to be priced aggressively.
Mercedes A-class facelift unveiled
Mercedes has revealed the facelifted version of the A-class. The new car gets styling tweaks on the interior as well as exterior, along with extra features and minor updates to the engines as well.
In terms of styling, the facelifted A-class gets a redesigned front bumper, optional LED head-lamps, restyled tail-lamps, integrated exhausts and the Mercedes diamond grille is now standard across all varaints.
Inside, the new A-class gets a large 8-inch touchscreen on the higher variants with Apple Carplay and Mirrorlink software for smartphone integration. The cabin also features use of new materials and interior colour choices. The top trims also get the option of ambient lighting.
In terms of mechanicals, the A45 AMG gets the most notable tweaks with the engine output bumped up by 21bhp, to 376bhp. The seven-speed double-clutch automatic transmission has also been modified to offer faster shifts.
The A180 diesel’s engine has been tweaked to improve mileage as well as reduce emissions. The larger A220 diesel gets added power with output now rated at 175bhp instead of the earlier 168bhp.
Mercedes is also offering the facelifted A-class with the company’s Drive Select system with three modes – Eco, Sport and Comfort. The Drive Select is optional to all models expect for the Sports trim which gets the feature as standard. The sport trim also gets the choice of a 7G-DCT double clutch automatic transmission.
In terms of features, reverse parking camera is now standard across the range, while the Sport trim get the addition of climate control to its list of standard features.
The facelifted A-class goes on sale internationally in July with deliveries starting in September. Expect the facelifted car to make its way to India soon after its international launch.
