Weekly Auto Bytes – November 23

Bits of news, views and buzz from around the auto industry

Mahindra XUV500 sets KanyaKumari to Leh record

A Mahindra XUV500 has set a record for completing a journey of 3,997 kilometres from Kanyakumari to Kashmir in the shortest time, earning itself a place in the Limca Book of Records. A four-member team from Standard Chartered Bank, comprising of Zuzur Tinwalla (leader), Jyoti P Bhattacharjee, Anshuman Kakar and Neeraj Rastogi, completed the 3,997 km drive from Kanyakumari to Leh in just 62 hours 20 minutes. Having surpassed the previous record by a margin of 10 hr 27 min, the XUV₅₀₀ set a new record under the category of Fastest South-North Four-wheeler Expedition in the Limca Book of Records.

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JK Tyre introduces 10 new tyre brands, including three for cars

JK Tyre & Industries has launched a total of 10 new tyre brands covering different product segments–passenger cars, trucks and light commercial vehicles. The tyres launched include the Ultra High Performance car tyre range called as UX1. These tyres are designed for high end luxury cars such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes. JK Tyre has also launched a new range for hatchbacks called Ultima NEO, which apparently help in fuel efficiency. The third brand is Ultima Sport, which has stronger sidewall construction for performance-oriented use.

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Lamborghini launches range of branded merchandise

Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., manufacturer of Lamborghini super sports cars has launched “Collezione Automobili Lamborghini” – its exclusive range of branded merchandise in India. This range will be sold exclusively through the authorized Lamborghini dealerships in the country which are currently located in Delhi and Mumbai. The brand  plans to retail merchandise such as clothing range for men, women & children, leather goods, accessories, pieces of jewelry, electronic items, travel bags, fountain pens and scale models of Lamborghini cars which have now become synonymous with the brand.

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Fourth successive win of team Mahindra Adventure at INRC 2013

Mahindra’s  XUV500 triumphed for the fourth successive time in the current season of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC). Team Mahindra Adventure’s rally-prepared vehicle – Super XUV500 and its driver Gaurav Gill won the INRC K-1000 round in the SUV class and also finished fastest overall. After winning top positions in the INSUVRC (Indian National SUV Rally Championship) of the South India Rally, the Mahindra Adventure Rally of Maharashtra and the Rally of Coimbatore, the team finished fastest again at the K-1000.

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New MINI makes worldwide debut at Plant Oxford

The new MINI made its worldwide debut on November 18 at MINI’s UK production plant in Oxford and features all-new vehicle architecture, an evolutionary design and a range of new fuel-efficient engines. A £750 million investment across three of BMW Group’s UK manufacturing facilities marks the launch of the new car. The new generation Mini has a one-piece chrome hexagonal grille. The design of the lights has also been revised. Volcanic Orange, Moonwalk Grey, Blazing Red, Deep Blue and Electric Blue colors have been added to the 12-color line up. All driving-related displays, such as the speedometer and fuel gauge, are grouped together in a new instrument cluster positioned ahead of the driver on the steering column, directly in the line of vision, but the centre console remains and has morphed into a digital infotainment system.

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Jaguar F-Type R Coupe debuts in Los Angeles

The Jaguar F-TYPE R Coupé, the performance-focused Jaguar sportscar made its debut in Los Angeles at Raleigh Studios. The F-TYPE Coupé model line-up is headlined by the F-TYPE R Coupé, its 550PS/680Nm 5.0-litre V8 supercharged engine enabling acceleration from 0-60 mph (0-100kmph) in 4.0-seconds, and a top speed of 186 mph (limited). F-TYPE S Coupé and F-TYPE Coupé models complete the range, powered respectively by 380PS and 340PS versions of Jaguar’s 3.0-litre supercharged V6 engine, with 0-60 mph timings of 4.8/5.1-seconds and top speeds of 171/161mph respectively.

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Mercedes Benz opens new dealership in Lucknow

Mercedes Benz has set up a new showroom in Luckow, called  Smart Hoops, at an investment of Rs. 12 crore. The showroom area spans 23,000 square feet and has a service centre spread over 25,000 square feet. The showroom can display 11 cars from the Mercedes range. With the establishment of this new facility at Lucknow, Mercedes-Benz India continues to have the benefit of the densest and most intensive network of sales and after-sales services by any luxury car manufacturer in India spread across 32 cities with over 57 outlets, compared to rivals BMW and Audi.

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Nissan’s Tweet your way to Terrano contest

Nissan India has launched a social media campaign aimed at young buyers on Twitter and Facebook. To take part in the contest one has to answer a simple question – Who is the one person in your life with the most powerful presence and why? The reply can be tweeted or posted on Nissan India’s Facebook page with the #PowerfulPresence hashtag. One lucky winner will get to keep a Nissan Terrano for a week, while an Apple iPhone and Terrano goody bags are other prizes to be won.

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LapCare launches car power inverter for laptop users on the go

Lapcare India, a company that makes laptop peripherals and accessories for laptops has launched a light-weight and compact power inverter that runs off the car battery through a 12-volt power socket for Rs.1,499. This power inverter comes with a cooling fan and universal socket, and has a low voltage shut down. Having an auto overload protection, it also features reverse polarity protection by fuse. It can provide 150W continuous power and weighs only 180 grams.

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Jaguar LandRover opens new premium showroom in Coimbatore

Jaguar LandRover has opened a 50,000 square foot dealership in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, which includes a 10,500 square foot workshop with 14 bays and body paint facility. The company now has 19 outlets in 17 major cities across India. Located at Oddar Palayam, Ondipudur, the showroom will enable customers to access the full range of Jaguar Land Rover products available for sale in Coimbatore including the Jaguar XJ, Jaguar XF, Jaguar XKR and Jaguar F-TYPE. The Land Rover range will include the recently launched all-new Range Rover Sport, Range Rover, Range Rover Evoque, Discovery 4 and Freelander 2.