GM launches Aveo in India!

General Motors Corp. on Wednesday unveiled three new cars in India, including a hatchback model, in a bid to boost sales in one of the world's fastest growing automobile markets.

The hatchback model, the Chevrolet Aveo U-VA, is powered by a 1.4-liter petrol engine, while the second model, the Chevrolet Aveo sedan, has a 1.6-liter petrol engine.

The third car is a sportier version of the sedan it currently sells in India, the Chevrolet Optra, that has a 1.8-liter petrol engine. The company would announce the prices of the three models later.

World's First Car Celebrates 120th Birthday

The automobile celebrates its 120th birthday on January 29. On this date in 1886, Karl Benz applied for a patent for his "vehicle with gas engine operation." Patent DRP 37435 for the Benz Patent Motor Car granted in November of the same year is regarded as the birth certificate of the automobile. In later years the Benz organization and the company formed by fellow automotive pioneer Gottlieb Daimler would merge to form Daimler-Benz. Karl Benz is, therefore, credited as co-founder not only of Mercedes-Benz but also the automotive industry itself.

Seven months after Benz filed his patent for the automobile, Daimler with his master engineer Wilhelm Maybach attached his Daimler engine to a four-wheeled coach producing the first "horseless" carriage. Following Daimler's death in 1900, his largest distributor, Emil Jellinek, asked Maybach to design a car more advanced than any other; it will be named for Jellinek's daughter, Mercedes. The resulting Mercedes of 1901 defined the car as we essentially know it today.

Unlike other inventors, Benz did not merely install an internal combustion engine into an existing coach chassis. His design extended to the entire vehicle: it was quite clear to him that a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine was subject to engineering principles quite different from those applying to a horse-drawn carriage.

Benz created innovative technology with classic engineering methods: a small horizontal, single-cylinder four-stroke engine running on gasoline, electric ignition, carburetor, water-cooled radiator, steering and tubular frame. With these features, the first motor car came into being in 1886. The vehicle was an absolute original. All automobiles produced since that time stand as heirs of the Patent Motor Car.

The rest of the Patent Motor Car story belongs to history. Three vehicles were completed by 1888. One of them was secretly taken out by Bertha Benz, the inventor's wife, who drove it with her sons 53 miles from Mannheim to Pforzheim. Thus Bertha Benz became the "first woman driver." The journey gained much publicity for the vehicle, and Benz sold a number of cars to customers as a result.

A four-wheeled vehicle, the Benz "Victoria," followed in 1893. This again incorporated numerous innovations, including double-pivot steering, which is still employed in today's automobiles. And so it continues: with each new vehicle, the automobile improves just that much more -- to this very day with the introduction of the 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class which exemplifies the essence of generations of innovative technology from Mercedes-Benz, the world's first car company.

In addition to the original patent for the automobile, further Mercedes-Benz "firsts" include: development of the safety car body with rigid passenger cell and front and rear crumple zones (1951); electronic anti-lock brake system "ABS" (1978); and Electronic Stability Program "ESP" (1995).

Ashok Leyland to enter luxury bus segment

COMMERCIAL vehicles manufacturer Ashok Leyland today said it would enter the luxury bus market with the launch of its top end vehicle `InterCentury Luxura' by the second quarter of the next fiscal.

``The plan is to launch the Luxura from the southern market by the second quarter of next fiscal. While the metro cities would be the preferred markets, we have also identified cities such as Pune,'' the Ashok Leyland Special Director (Vehicle Sales), Mr B. Khaitan, told reporters at a preview of the company's new product offerings ahead of the upcoming Auto-Expo here.

He said the Luxura would be competitively priced at around Rs 50 lakh. Mr Khaitan added the company is eyeing a 50 per cent share of the luxury buses market, which is about 1,200 units a year.

The company is also showcasing its concept heavy commercial vehicle Newgen Aero at the Auto Expo.

Source: The Hindu

Chrysler Unveils Groundbreaking Vehicles @ Detroit Auto Show

Chrysler opened 2006 by introducing its first SUV and a unique new compact car at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.



Chrysler opens 2006 by introducing its first SUV and a unique new compact car at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

With a design inspired by the Chrysler 300 and Crossfire, the Chrysler Aspen features a fuel-saving HEMI V-8 engine, the most powerful engine in the full size SUV class, which uses more or less power depending on driving conditions. The Aspen also includes premium amenities such as a full-screen navigation radio, heated seats and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system – all of which Chrysler hopes will allow the SUV to challenge higher priced luxury competitors. Chrysler says the Aspen is more fuel-efficient and maneuverable than large SUVs, includes an Electronic Stability Program which gives the driver more control over the vehicle, and has more interior space and hauling capability than full-size SUVs.

Chrysler also unveils the compact Dodge Caliber. The Caliber features a crossover design that combines a small car with a sport-tourer. Dodge says the Caliber has the versatility of an SUV with the affordability and fuel-efficiency of an entry-level compact car. It includes a front passenger seat that folds forward, a rear seat that folds flat for versatile interior room, and stain-resistant seat fabric. The Dodge Caliber will enter the U.S. market priced below the outgoing Dodge Neon, while offering more features like standard side-curtain air bags.

The 2007 Chrysler Aspen will be available in U.S. dealerships in the fall of 2006. The 2007 Dodge Caliber will be available in the first quarter of 2006.

Concept To Reality

America’s premier auto show – the North American International Auto Show in Detroit – is taking place this week. And no doubt, the most anticipated cars introduced at the show aren’t for sale – they’re concept cars.