CarToq Weekly News roundup – Feb 6 to Feb 10

Here is CarToq.com’s news roundup of the week. Again, it was a relatively interesting week for car buyers in India. Mahindra was a company that dominated news, with the launch of the refreshed Xylo and clocking over 25,000 bookings for the XUV500.

In this weekly wrap up, we bring you a walkaround video of the refreshed Mahindra Xylo, a complete road test of the 2012 Fiat Linea and in our handy tips we tell you how you can change your wiper blades at home, besides a quick wrap of all the other useful stories on cars in India.

Mahindra Xylo E9 Walkaround

Mahindra this week launched a refreshed Xylo. Changes are welcome, as it makes the Xylo look more gentlemanly, with a refreshed grille, bonnet and headlamps. There are minor changes to the rear of the vehicle as well. The Xylo is now available in seven variants, priced between Rs. 7.37 lakh and Rs. 10.25 lakh. The top-end Xylo is now an E9 variant, loaded with safety features as well as other electronic wizardry that makes it quite a value for money vehicle. The E9 variant also gets the Scorpio’s M-Hawk engine making it a more powerful variant than the other Xylos.

Here’s a video walkaround of the Mahindra Xylo E9:

Talking cars this week

Maruti sales cross 10 million cars in India

Maruti has been going from strength to strength. This week the company marked another milestone, selling its 10 millionth (1 crore) vehicle in India, since it began operations in 1983, selling the ubiquitous Maruti 800. The 10 millionth vehicle to roll out of Maruti’s factory was a red Maruti Swift VXI that went to a customer in Tamil Nadu.

Chevrolet Tavera Neo launched

General Motors launched a fresher Tavera this week. The Tavera is now BSIV compliant and is offered in four variants priced between Rs. 8.25 lakh and Rs. 10.25 lakh ex-showroom Delhi. The BSIV variants get a more powerful 2-litre, 105 bhp diesel engine, while the BSIII variants with the 2.5-litre, 78 bhp diesel will continue to sell in non-metros. Read more about the Tavera Neo3

Hyundai Sonata to launch by March first week

Hyundai’s sonata will be launched in the first week of March. The car is expected to give Hyundai a leg up into the premium car segment in India, and will replace the current Sonata Embera that’s on sale. It is expected to be priced between Rs. 15 lakh to Rs. 18 lakh. Here’s a video preview of the upcoming Hyundai Sonata.

Ford Fiesta automatic to also drive in early March

Another car that’s also going to be launched in the first week of March is the new Ford Fiesta automatic. The car features a six-speed twin-clutch gearbox and a claimed mileage of 16.97 kmpl. It is a great driver’s car and going by what we heard from Ford, it may just be priced quite reasonably. We have done a first drive impression of the Ford Fiesta automatic in December. Watch the complete video here

General Motors considers compact SUV

There was news this week that General Motors too is going to be jumping on the compact SUV bandwagon. It is planning to launch a compact SUV that will compete with the Ford EcoSport and the Renault Duster. There is also speculation that GM India may launch the upcoming Opel Mokka (and rebadged it) to take on other compact SUVs in India. Read more

Mahindra Mini Xylo coming before Diwali

And more Mahindra news. The elusive Mini Xylo, a compact MPV that will be under 4 metres in length, but based on the present Xylo’s platform will be launched before Diwali, according to Mahindra officials that CarToq spoke to during the launch of the refreshed Xylo. The compact Xylo will be powered by a 1.5-litre diesel engine, but we hear there is still a long way to go in terms of refinement for this powertrain and that’s what has been delaying the vehicle that we’ve managed to get pictures of many times. Read more

ROAD TEST OF THE WEEK

This week we drove the new 2012 Fiat Linea 1.4 Dynamic. This car doesn’t look a lot different externally, but it has got some changes that make it a lot better than the previous car. For one, it has 185 mm of ground clearance, which makes it handle bad roads better, and the Dynamic variant now gets added features, comparable to the previous Emotion. Watch our video review of the 2012 Fiat Linea 1.4 Dynamic petrol:

 

Handy Tip of the Week

Windscreen wipers are oft ignored parts of the car. But they perform a crucial function of providing you with clear visibility. Wipers that are not changed often will not only hamper visibility, but they could cause more expensive damage by permanently scratching your windshield. Changing wipers is a simple two-minute operation, but a service station may charge you heavily for a task that you could easily carry out at home. We show you how, in this handy video: