The Bharat Stage III (BS III) norms which were formulated by the Government of India on recommendation of Dr. R. A. Mashelkar committee for the control of pollution in the country will be applicable to all vehicles manufactured on and from the 1st of April, 2010. The norm will be applicable throughout the nation.Bajaj Auto, one of India’s leading two wheeler and three wheeler manufacturers however, has proved to be distinctly ahead in terms of emission norms. The firm has already started manufacturing BS III compliant vehicles. ”We have been working on getting BS III compliant from a long time. Over the years our R&D team has allowed us to stay ahead of the learning curve and even

Delivering on its commitment, Swedish luxury car maker Volvo Auto India brings Volvo XC60 to India as per plans. The car arrived on the Indian shores last week and has been handed over for homologation. Volvo XC60, expected to be launched in India in the first half of the year, is the first vehicle in a new generation of the contemporary cross-over segment. The Volvo XC60 brings together all the safety knowledge which the company has built up over more than 80 years - making it one of the safest car across all categories. According to Mr. Paul de Voijs, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India, "As a concentrated step towards building our brand in India, in the first two years, we

What you can see below is the yet unreleased TV commercial of the Mahindra Maxximo pick up truck. It uses the oh-so-common 'Transformers' theme to shows off the Maxximo's eh, Tata-Ace-overtaking-abilities and for some odd reason the Mahindra pick up activates itself using a large can of packaged drink water! How interesting! We have to give it to Mahindra though, for the animation/special effects are spot on. But can the Maxximo do what the pick up trucks in the second video can? Your guess is as good as ours... Want to be the first to know when we update more news, reviews, previews, features and other exciting features? Then follow us today

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M), the market leader in the utility vehicles segment in India, recently organised for the third consecutive time, the 'XYLO Mileage Marathon' in Chandigargh. The event is a unique customer – centric initiative focused on the XYLO’s fuel efficiency and was intended to highlight the vehicle's superior mileage feature.The drivathon saw participation from 30 XYLO families of Chandigarh. The day started with XYLO customers top up their fuel tanks before driving their cars on a pre-determined 79 km route. The key achievements of this marathon was - 100% of the participants achieved fuel efficiency figures of over 15 kmpl, 90% of the vehicles returned fuel

Yamaha has launched the latest entrant to the FZ family- the FZ8 which is set to replace the entry level FZ6. The new FZ looks the same as the rest of the FZ family and also like its half faired cousin- the Fazer. It has got its essentials from the bigger FZ1 including the chasis and engine (albeit downsized to 779cc).The engine dons a smaller bore size but the same stroke as the FZ1's 998cc unit. The maximum power is claimed to be a little more than 100bhp while the torque is around 82Nm. This means around 10 more horses and 20 more Nm than the FZ6. The bike has optional ABS to do the efficient braking for you which will add another 5kgs to the bike's weight (207kg for FZ8 while 215kg

Mercedes-Benz India today launched the most premium SUV in Indian market- the New GL 350 CDI BlueEfficiency. Powered by a three litre V6 diesel powerplant, the new GL is able to churn out 510 Nm of max torque and achieves the 0 to 100 figure in 9.5 seconds. The top speed claimed by the company is 210km/hr and consumes 10 litres of petrol per kilometer. Dr Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India Pvt. Ltd. along with Mr. Chandravadan Bhandari and Mr. Deven Bhandari, Directors, B. U. Bhandari Motors Pvt. Ltd. at the launch of two new variants of the New GL 350 CDI BlueEfficiency (Luxury & Executive edition) in PuneThe new GL- Class is equipped with an off-

Auto Major Fiat India, launched two more variants of its Grande Punto range-  the Fiat 1.2 Fire Dynamic and Fiat 1.2 Fire Emotion, priced at Rs. 4.57 lakhs and Rs. 4.87 lakhs respectively. (ex- showroom Delhi.) Both these variants are par with the emissions norms of the BS4 and are expected to give a mileage of 15.2 kilometers to a litre. Apart from the standard goodies which comes equipped in the Fiat Grande Punto, the 1.2 Dynamic variant will also offer rear power windows and central locking system. As an introductory offer, the 1.2 Dynamic will also come fitted with an exclusive CD/MP3 player for a period of one month. The 1.2 Emotion variant will have an integrated audio

One of our Motoreps, Satyen Poojari, has caught the Iris mini-van on test! As you can see, its the same as the production prototype that was displayed at the Auto Expo in January. The Iris is based on the Nano platform and is targeted towards the entry level people-carrier segment. Tiny radio cabs anyone? Apart from the Iris, the Tata Nano has also spawned another commercial vehicle - the Penguin (codename). Like the Iris, the Penguin too will be powered by the 624cc engine form Nano. The Penguin is an entry-level pick-up truck as you can see in the video below. Interestingly enough, you can see a Piaggio pick-up pulling a defunct Penguin!  Want to be the first to know when

Come April 2010, as soon as BS4 kicks in, Hyundai will be launching a new variant in the Santro range as well as in the i20 1.2! The new variant will actually be a Santro GLS with a Hyundai Music System (AUX port, USB support and 4 speakers) plunked in. The car will be called 'SANTRO GLS W/H Audio' and will sell at less than Rs. 10,000 over the GLS. Coming to the i20, Hyundai will be launching 3 new variants in the 1.2 range. The order will be: Era (Base) , Magna (Currently available), Sportz, Sportz with alloy wheels, Asta and Asta O. Prices will be updated as and when we get more info! Till then stay tuned to Motoroids and follow us here:Related Links:Ford

British Luxury carmaker, Bentley launched its all new flag-ship grand tourer the Bentley Mulsanne which was unveiled by Sir Richard Stag, the Bristish High Commissioner and Chris Buxtom, Regional Director, Bentley in New Delhi. Powered by a 6.8 litre twin turbo V8 petrol engine, grand tourer generates an impressive 505 bhp of max power and a gargantuan 1020 Nm of max torque at barely 1750 rpm. The luxury car will be accompanied by a whooping price tag of Rs. 2.9 crore. Mulsanne will be available in over 625 colours and trims and can be personalised as per customer choice. Each car takes 660 hours to be built compared with 5-6 hours for a normal car. The super-luxury car maker will produce

Representative picture of a parallel twin engine (not the actual Bajaj engine)For all of us who have been perennially cribbing about the lack of a performance bikes in the country have a reason to smile. If we have to believe our sources in the component industry based around Pune, Bajaj is in the final stages of developing an all-new 250cc bike for India. And before you drop your heads in dejection after knowing the cubic capacity, let us tell you that it’s going to be a parallel twin, so the performance should be comparable to the Ninja 250, at least on the paper.The details are still sketchy, but the information suggests that this engine has been under development for quite some time

The March 2010 issue of the Motoroids2 e-mag pits the Honda CB Twister against the Hero Honda Splendor and brings you some of the most exciting motorcycling ride stories from the Rann of Kutch, Malaysia, Dev Bhoomi, Konkan and Hrishikesh! We give you valuable tips on maintaining your Karizma much cheaper than ever before and bring you a lot of other exciting content...IMPORTANT : CHOOSE 'SINGLE PAGE MODE' FROM 'OPTIONS' IN THE READER BELOW FOR OPTIMUM VIEWING CONVENIENCE We're sorry, your browser doesn't support IFrames. You can still <a href="http://www.yudu.com/item/details/139479/Motoroids2--March-2010?refid=27399"

Mahindra’s new future-ready auto manufacturing plant in Chakan near Pune was inaugurated early today (13th March, 2010). The Honourable Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Ashok Chavan inaugurated the manufacturing facility spread across 700 acres. Also present during the inauguration were Mr. Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra Group and Dr Pawan Goenka, President, Automotive Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. Shri Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Hon’ble Minister for Transport & Ports, Shri  Ajitdada Pawar, Hon’ble Water Resources Minister, Shri Sachin Ahir, Hon’ble Minister of State for Environment, Government of Maharashtra, Shri Shivajirao Adhalrao

The Market leaders in Utility vehicles, Mahindra & Mahindra’s relationship with the Indian Armed forces dates back to the time it began assembling Jeeps in India. As a continuation to this association and their solidarity towards the fighting forces, Mahindra & Mahindra is now a part of the Assam Rifles’ 175th anniversary celebrations.Four Mahindra Scorpios have been provided to be used in the 13-day non-competitive car rally “Blaze of Glory” organized by the Assam Rifles which was flagged off in New Delhi on March 4th by Shri Ajay Makan, Hon’ble Minister State Home Affairs. The rally in its 2nd leg now has reached Lucknow via Agra and will be flagged-in at Imphal on March

Production prototype of the Tata Venture, as shown at the 2010 Auto ExpoWe can't stop churning out scoops, can we? Anyway, self-pompousness aside, what you can see here is the production ready version of the Tata Venture flashing its butt in public on the Mumbai-Pune highway. The 71-bhp diesel engine powered van, as you can see, is in the final stages of testing and should be out on sale within the next couple of months. We are expecting a very competitive pricing for the Venture, especially with the instant success of the Maruti Suzuki Eeco. Please post your views regarding the vehicle in the comments box below. Here's the video:   Fore more details on the specs, interiors etc.

A couple of days back, we brought you the pricing information for the Ford Figo when it was launched throughout India. What we have here today is a quick comparison chart that will give you all the info from power and torque figures to pricing across the variants for the Ford Figo as well as its rivals. Furthermore, we have also compiled a collection of five promo videos of the Figo which highlight the various features of the car. To see the videos, hop on to the next page!Proceed to the next page for videos of the Ford FigoRelated Links:Ford Figo Review and Test DriveFord Figo launched, prices unveiled!Ford Figo to be exported to South AfricaFord kicks off Figo's engine

The country's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki India, today said that Japanese auto giant Nissan has placed orders for 35,000 units of its small car A- Star for 2010-11 to sell in the European market. Nissan will source the A-Star's from MSI's Manesar facility and will sell it in the European market by the name 'Pixo'.Nissan Pixo "As of now, we have a contract for three years and they (Nissan) have agreed to buy 35,000 units from us annually. It will be 35,000 units which could be revised upward depending on the demand and market situation," said Mr. R C Bhargave, Chairman, Maruti Suzuki India.Nissan Pixo uses the same taillights as the Suzuki Alto/A-starA senior Nissan official had

MapmyIndia, India’s leader in maps and GPS navigation solutions, has launched Road Pilot, a sophisticated GPS navigator pre-loaded with maps of 620 Indian cities; 576,000 towns and villages; 30,000 tourist locations; 2 million unique destinations and comes with a price tag of Rs. 7,990. The Road Pilot features a 3.5” wide touch screen and gives turn-by-turn voice assistance to guide you to your destination. It also has a unique snooze feature to help save power. When not in use, the Road Pilot can be put to ‘Sleep Mode’ so that it boots up immediately when it is used next. Also, there are no monthly or recurring charges and there’s no SIM card or GPRS connection required. As

Electronic Arts have announced yet another car and track add-on for the successful Need For Speed: Shift gaming title. Called the 'Exotic Racing Series' add-on, the new pack gives you the ability to dirve some more exotics like the Alfa Romeo 6C Competizione, the Mclaren SLR Stirling Moss, the Gumpert Apollo and many more! The add-on comes close on the heels of the 'Ferrari Racing Series' add-on EA released a few back. But unlike Xbox-only the Ferrari add-on, the 'Exotic Racing Series' will be available as paid downloadable content from both, the 'Xbox Live! Marketplace' as well as the 'Playstation Network'. Check out the video for more details: Want to be the first to know

Honda Siel Cars India has launched its latest version of flagship sedan Accord 3.5L V6 in the Indian market today. The Accord's V6 3.5-liter i-VTEC engine with 275 PS makes it the most powerful Accord ever built by the company. The new Accord engine features an advanced Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system that switches between six-, four-, and three-cylinder combustion depending on the driving conditions and thereby delivering maximum power of 275 PS during six cylinder operation. To achieve the same quietness and smoothness, as when running on all six cylinders, new Active Control Engine Mounts (ACM) and Active Noise Control (ANC) systems have been designed to complement the VCM

In a letter issued to its customers, Ralliart has announced that it is now shutting shop for good. Being the Japanese tuning arm for Mitsubishi, Ralliart is known for its high performance aftermarket products, which find applications in not just Mitsubishi cars but a lot of other Japanese tuner cars as well. The shutting down of this performance marquee comes as blow to many, but Ralliart is blaming the dying demand for aftermarket performance components in JDM as well as other markets.  Mitsubishi however has confirmed has confirmed that shutting down of the Ralliart franchise will not have any effect on the ‘Ralliart’ badged models it has e.g. Lancer Evo X, Sportback, Colt etc.

There might be very few people who seldom dream about owning a sports car. For the rest, who have the Chevrolet Corvette in the hit list may seem to have a reason to be a bit happier now. The US car manufacturer may soon introduce this sports car in India along with a few other models from its stable.Business Standard stated recently that Timothy E Lee, President of international operations of General Motors revealed GM’s plans to sell internationally popular sports cars from its stable, in India. He specifically stated that the Camaro and the Corvette would be made available via special boutiques in small quantities owing to the high import duties levied on these CBUs. “The import duty

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Mahindra Group announced yesterday the 'Mahindra NBA Challenge' which is partnership between the two giants to launch a new multi city community based recreational basketball league. The new league for boys and girls of ages 14 and up will tip off in Bangalore, Ludhiana and Mumbai in collaboration with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI.) Mahindra will title this partnership of the new recreational league, which will run for seven weeks annually in two divisions: youth of ages between 14- 17 and for adults (18+). The BFI will work with the NBA to implement and oversee league operations across all markets. The Mahindra NBA Challenge

The reworked previous generation European Fiesta, in the form of the new Ford Figo which was launched in the country just yesterday, will also be exported to South Africa as announced by Mr. Michael Bonehan, Managing Director, Ford India at the launch. Ford Motors has infused an investment of US $ 500 million to double the annual production capacity to 200,000 units at its Chennai manufacturing facility making it a regional centre of for small car engineering and production. This facility will also produce diesel and petrol engines for local market and also will export to the Asia Pacific and Africa region.Related Links:Ford Figo launched, prices unveiled!Ford Figo Review and Test

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt Ltd. (HMSI), today announced its plans to build a second motorcycle production plant to meet increasing demand in the rapidly growing motorcycle market in India. HMSI is in the process of acquiring approximately 240,000 square meters of land within the Tapukara Industrial Area in Rajasthan, which is approximately 40kms from the existing plant. The new plant is scheduled to become operational in the latter half of 2011 with annual production capacity of 600,000 units. Further, HMSI is expanding annual production capacity of its existing plant from the current 1.25 million units to 1.55 million units by the end of this month, with a further expansion

‘Brembo’ the world leader and acknowledged innovator of the brake disc technology for automotive vehicles today unveiled the new brand “BYBRE” in India. The Italian engineered 'Bybre' range is specifically dedicated to the braking systems of motorcycles and scooters under 600 cc and this range will be manufactured at the company’s manufacturing facility at Pune, which was  inaugurated in 2009.  Speaking on the launch of BYBRE in India, Mr. Nicola Frambrosi, Motorcycle Sales Director, Brembo Group said, “Over the past 50 years, Brembo has played an important role in the automotive braking industry. Introduction of Bybre represents a whole category of innovative products

A couple of months back we got our hands on the Ford Figo and returned impressed with Ford India’s new creation. You can read our first impressions here. Today however, we have a new reason to be impressed – not because the small car has finally been launched today, but because we simply love the competitive price tag that the Figo boasts of. Here’s the reason for our smile:1.2-litre Duratec (Petrol)LXI – Rs. 3,49,900EXI  – Rs. 3,81,900ZXI – Rs. 3,99,900Titanium – Rs. 4,42,9001.4-litre Duratorq (Diesel)LXI – Rs. 4,47,900EXI – Rs. 4,72,900ZXI – Rs. 4,96,900Titanium – Rs. 5,29,900The 1.2-litre petrol engine produces 71.35 PS @ 6250 rpm and 102 Nm @ 4000 rpm which

Why should boys have all the fun? That too on women’s day? This might exactly be what Hero Honda intended to do (No offense boys) on this special day dedicated to all women across the globe. You guessed it right, another special edition vehicle from the stable of Hero Honda, but this time, it’s a scooter. Most of the changes are cosmetic in nature. The special edition Pleasure will feature a pearl white body with a splash of red in the rear two third part of the vehicle. A new red muffler cover adds to the list along with a white body color grab rail. Along with new graphics, the scooter also boasts of a new elliptical meter console.“Right from its launch in 2006, Hero Honda Pleasure

Suzuki Motor Corporation now owns 55% stake in Maruti Suzuki, which has triggered speculation about the Japanese firm’s intentions of taking full control on its Indian subsidiary. As per the Indian rules and regulations relating to stake acquisition, a foreign company is allowed to increase its stake unto 5% each year. As such if the foreign company achieves a stake of 55% and beyond then it can make a direct offer for another 20%.Suzuki's website is yet to reflect the revised stake holding of its company and several emails sent to Suzuki by media persons remained unanswered. However, a person close to the company said that "Any change in the stake holding will only come up before the

General Motors India will expand its research and development (R&D) activities in India for which it will be hiring 400 more engineers by the end of this year. "We have plans to hire around 400 engineers in our dedicated technical centre in Bangalore and we would like the R&D facility here to grow," said General Motors, President and Managing Director Karl Slym. "We have plans to design engineering execution, vehicle integration and all these things we are looking out to continue from India," Slym added.The company is in the process of recruiting more engineers to look after every process including transmission, engines, hybrids and controls. Over 700 engineers are already