SUV

The fourth generation variant of Honda's much-loved compact crossover SUV, i.e. Honda CR-V, came out way back in 2011. Though it first went on-sale in the US in December 2011, the car didn't arrive in Europe, UK to be precise, until October 2012. And now that the fourth generation Honda CR-V's model for the year 2013 is finally going places, India is the next destination on its list. Reliable sources from the industry claim that the Japanese automobile manufacturer is now readying the soft-roader for India with the possibility of the car being launched here in the first quarter of 2013, most probably in January or February. Honda had earlier mentioned that the new generation 2013 Honda CR-V is an assortment of cutting-edge technology and one-of-a-kind comfort-enhancing features. We couldn't have agreed more. The company's efforts to offer its audience a better and improved package rather well with the car making visible improvements in pretty much every department. Be it the quality, practicality or refinement, it certainly scores better than its predecessors. Although Honda has made no official statement about the 2013 Honda CR-V's price, the speculated prices are expected to come out around the time of the car's rumoured launch.

Though the 2013 Honda CR-V is available in both, petrol and diesel, options in the UK, the company has no immediate plans of bringing its diesel cars version to India, i.e. the car will land in India in only its petrol avatar. Talking about the car's dimensions, a closer car at the car's pictures available on the internet leaves no doubt about the fact that this upgraded model has certainly evolved. The new generation Honda CR-V is shorter and smaller in length than the outgoing model. Also, the car will be available with a choice of both, two and four-wheel drive option, a first for the Honda CR-V. Furthermore, the new model takes on a more assertive and aerodynamic stance with a bolder nose section as compared to the previous generation CR-V. The front bumper is joined by a horizontal three-bar grille and deep-set headlights. The lower front bumper has been fashioned in a manner that very sternly conveys its SUV capabilities with a generous approach angle. The original CR-V's trademark vertical rear brake lights are still to be found on the new model, but in a rather three-dimensional style. Its large wheels and bold wheel arches further enhance its dynamic presence and capabilities. Manabu Konaka, Designer, Honda, delves further on the exterior design, “The CR-V has always been a car for every occasion. It can be both casual and formal, but the appearance must always convey solidity and reliability.”

Ranked amongst the top 20 motor vehicle manufacturers in the world, Tata Motors is one of the pioneers and the largest brand in the Indian automotive industry. There's practically no segment of the auto-world where Tata Motors have not left their lasting mark, not just in India but across the world. Tata cars have always been known to be ahead of their times ever since the year 1991 when Tata Motors made their auto-debut with the famous Tata Sierra, the first automobile to be produced in India. Following the success of Sierra, Tata Motors soon ventured into the other arenas as well with their station wagon Tata Estate and the MUV Tata Sumo only to pen down one success story after the next. Not to mention the fact that it was our very own Tata Motors that presented the Indian roads with their very first SUV - Tata Safari.

Each product of Tata Motors comes with some special features which separates it from the crowd quite easily. We do agree that they have been the rulers of the market for quite sometime now, especially in the SUV segment. The high point of a TATA Motor launch is the level of expectation it caters to. As the Indian market has shifted from demanding Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) to Multi Utility Vehicles (MUV), the competition has become rustic. TATA has to compete with other SUVs like Force Motors -Force One, Mahindra Scorpio, Bolero, XUV 500 and the Tata Safari, the newly launched Duster and the Audi Q3 of-course.
 

It seems like the Indian Car market has decided not to create a hue and cry about their new launches and quietly bring in their latest models and surprise the audience. Recently this strategy was displayed by Audi India which launched Audi A4, Audi S4 and even Audi Q3 in the same manner, Mercedes Benz C-Class 250 CDI AMG also came in quietly. And now we see the next gen 2012 Chevrolet Captiva 2.2 AT premium sports utility vehicle drive in, in the same manner, at a starting price of Rs. 18.74 Lakhs (Ex-Showroom New Delhi). On the occasion of the launch the President and MD of GM India, Mr. Paddock addressed the audience and talked about the popularity of Chevrolet Captiva around the word. He said that the popularity of Captiva is due to the unique combination of styling, refinement, and best in class safety, comfort, versatility and powerful diesel powertrain.

Currently, the Indian SUV market is doing very well and apparently SUVs are selling more in numbers than the other most popular cars in the market. The buyers have a number of questions before buying any SUV and first time users are quite apprehensive as to whether it would be a good idea to change over to a SUV from a sedan or a hatchback car. Here is a list of frequently asked or thought about questions in the mind of a buyer. We have taken one the most popular SUV, Mahindra XUV500 and a couple of yet to be launched SUVs; namely, Tata Safari Storme and Renault Duster. These yet to be launched SUVs have been taken into consideration as they are acclaimed to be the most anticipated vehicles to be launched very soon. An attempt to help you choose…

Since the time Tata Safari Storme has been showcased in one of the country’s biggest and most popular automobile expo, it has generated an overwhelming response from the audience as well as the media. Tata Cars In India have always been acclaimed to be some of the most dependable and trustworthy vehicles. Their Diesel Cars are said to be some of the best vehicles prevalent on the Indian roads. Tata Motor Group is a globally commended company now and has an admirable fleet of cars on display. They are now going to launch a superior version of their steadfast Tata Safari, which has been one of the most admired and popular SUV in the Indian car market since many years. This new version has been christened as Tata Safari Storme and is expected to be rolled out anytime soon. The price tag is expected to be in the range of Rs. 10 lakh, but the final price will be revealed at the official launch.

The entire Indian population got up to a bolt from the blue in the morning today with the Indian government hiking the petrol prices further. This time it’s not just a couple of rupees but a substantial amount of Rs. 7 or more in other cities. Everyone is stunned at the kind of steep increase in the fuel as it will send the common man’s monthly budget in a tizzy. There are a lot of revolts and objections on this hike from each and every stratum of the society. The automobile fraternity is further shocked as they were already undergoing a slump due to the increase in the excise duty and other taxes. With this hike in the fuel, the car sales will further crash and will hit an all-time low, but at the same time there is no hike in diesel price as yet. This will further fuel the demand for diesel cars, but at the same time will imbalance the equation among the cars. Tata Cars might be one of the biggest sellers of vehicles as they are majorly into diesel engine cars manufacturing. They are expected to launch their brand new SUV, Tata Safari Storme anytime now and now with this hike, this diesel engine based SUV will do tremendous business for the company.

One of the world’s most acclaimed and reputed luxury car maker, Mercedes Benz launched the face lifted  version of their majestic SUV, 2012 Mercedes ML 350 CDI today. The event was hosted at the luxurious Grand Hyatt in New Delhi, graced by all the top people in the country. Mercedes Cars in India have always been known as a status symbol for many rich and affluent people in the society. The company is expanding their portfolio of SUVs with this launch and is expecting it to generate good business for them. To start with, the 2012 Mercedes M Class price is Rs. 56.90 lakh for the CKD model and Rs. 66 lakh for the CBU model (both prices mentioned are ex-showroom Delhi). The SUV was first showcased in the 2012 Automobile Expo, which had taken place earlier this year in India. This New Mercedes M Class is better than the prevailing version of the SUV in quite a few aspects. At the outset, the size of this new version has been increased and now offers enhanced comfort and space to the occupants. There have been some prominent changes in the design of the nose of this New Mercedes M Class. The front fascia of this new version is looking bolder and aggressive with a huge radiator grille that also houses the company’s insignia and a lot of chrome has been used as well, which is clearly visible in the 2012 Mercedes M Class pictures.

Often there are words used interchangeably in our day to day lives, while they convey different meanings. When we talk about the Car world, the terms SUV and MUV are used synonymously and the difference between the two is rarely well-understood. It is a common observation that the cars considered tough in looks are tagged as SUV's. There is however a fine line of difference between the two. Lets have a look at what these two mean specifically and what are the different cars in India categorized in these two segments.