DC Design Reveals Avanti Supercar Concept in Delhi

India’s maiden supercar has finally taken a bow at the Delhi Auto Expo.
India's premier automotive design firm DC Design has finally revealed its new supercar concept and it looks very promising.Unveiled today at the Delhi Auto Expo, India's first ever supercar looks sleekly styled and has been given the name the Avanti. According to Indian Autos Blog, legendary Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan was on hand to unveil the vehicle, which was met with a loud round of applause from the reporters in the packed auditorium.

"We intend to produce 300 units of the Avanti in 2013-2014 and if all goes well we could ramp up the production to go into four figures per annum," said DC Design founder Dilip Chhabria upon unveiling the vehicle.Power is to come from Ford's EcoBoost 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine with direct injection and VVT. With DOHC and four valves per cylinder, it can deliver more horsepower and torque than a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V6. Rated at 240hp and 270lb-ft of torque, the power will be delivered to the tarmac via a MMT 6-speed manual transmission with an optional power shift six-speed dual clutch gearbox.Impressive stopping power will come via 330mm ventilated discs operated by racing calipers at the front and rear. Whether the supercar concept can deliver what it promises on paper remains to be seen.

Not To Be Outdone, Suzuki Reveals XA Alpha SUV Concept

Suzuki's Indian subsidiary has revealed the concept version of their upcoming small SUV. 

In case some aren't aware, small SUVs are extremely popular in Asia. In fact, just about any compact vehicle, such as pickups, is vital to success in markets such as India and Malaysia.And just one day after Ford revealed their new EcoSport compact SUV, Suzuki is following suit by showing off their latest concept at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo. The Maruti Suzuki XA Alpha concept took 10 months to develop and was considered important because the automaker doesn't offer an SUV in the Indian market.
Maruti Suzuki vs. Suzuki? So what's up with the name difference? Simply put, the former is the Indian subsidiary of the Japanese automaker. The production version of the new small SUV concept will be powered by either gasoline or diesel engines.As of now, the gasoline engine will be a 1.3-liter unit while the diesel size is still unknown. According to Shinzo Nakanishi, Managing Director and CEO of Maruti Suzuki, "India is set to become one of the top automobile markets of the world. The Concept XA is designed for a market of customers with a young urban lifestyle."Photos courtesy of MotorBeam

Bajaj RE60 to Topple Tata Nano as World’s Cheapest Car

The Tato Nano has not been the runaway success many believed it would, but the Bajaj RE60 hopes to deliver the goods.

Think of India's cheap vehicle segment and the Tata Nano is the first, and perhaps only, car that will pop into most car-focused minds.However, a new player is set to take the country by storm, as India's largest three-wheel manufacturer Bajaj Auto introduces a new four-wheeled vehicle.Developed in house, the Bajaj RE60 features a 200cc water-cooled DTSi 4-valve engine producing around 20hp and managing a top speed of 43mph.

Although not exactly quick, there's space for four people and with 82mpg it's an ideal cheap city car.MD Rajiv Bajaj says: "We are presenting an optimized solution for intra-city passenger transport. This vehicle has been designed for intra-city use keeping in mind the intra-city duty cycles and safety requirements."While Mr. R. C. Maheshwari, President, Commercial Vehicles, Bajaj Auto Ltd. said "The vehicle presents a small, simple solution to combat pollution and inflation. It does not need investments in infrastructure, does not need subsidies and does not need time.
"It retains a small footprint - nearly the same as our Autorickshaw, is highly maneuverable and can keep pace with the moving traffic. At the same its limited top speed makes it intrinsically safer for pedestrians, cyclists and two wheeler riders."Weighing in at a mere 399kg, the Bajaj will be offered in several fuel variants: gas, liquid propane gas, and compressed natural gas, but there'll be no diesel engine.There's no word on price but it's going to have to undercut the Tata to stand a chance at challenging it.

All-New Ford EcoSport Revealed for Asia with Photos and Video

Ford will debut their all-new EcoSport compact SUV at the 2012 Delhi Auto Expo.

Ford is "expanding its relentless push into the heart of Asia's car market" with the release of their all-new EcoSport compact SUV. This will mark the first time that the American automaker will be bringing their fuel-efficient technology to the Asian market in the form of a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine.

The next generation EcoSport was designed to balance performance on the road and off of it. The versatile vehicle has been equipped to handle the demands of even the most adventurous of urban drivers.

"The all-new Ford EcoSport reflects our commitment to serve our customers with the cars and trucks they truly want and value. Our engineering team used their years of EcoSport experience to make every aspect of the next-generation EcoSport even stronger," said Ford president and CEO Alan Mulally in a press release.