Auto World pre owned cars

20/10/2012

The Mahindra Quanto was till now known as the Mini Xylo, after the much popular version of the company's recently launched SUV. With the launch of the Quanto...

14/10/2012

video made by ASHISH THAKKAR AND INDIAN DRIVE GROUP AT A TEST DRIVE IN BANGLORE FOR NISSAN EVALIA

15/06/2012

14/06/2012

EXCLUSIVE

With prices of a tank of petrol now fast approaching that of a good bottle of single malt whisky, the timing for KPIT Cummins, makers of India’s first aftermarket plug-in hybrid kit, couldn’t have been better. But who is KPIT Cummins and what does this kit really consist of?

KPIT is a software firm that was set up by a couple of chartered accountants in India to design accounting software for the car industry. Soon they began working on software for cars, got together with Cummins Infotech and then went on an acquisition streak, gobbling up six specialist software firms around the globe. Today this 300-million-dollar company works with 60-plus automobile companies around the globe, has filed more than a dozen patents in the area of hybrids and is about to give Indian customers a chance to significantly chop their fuel bills. The company’s aftermarket plug-in hybrid system, called Revolo, simply uses a set of batteries in the boot, a charger that can be plugged into a wall socket and an electric motor that helps to push the crankshaft of the engine via a belt-driven pulley.

Sounds simple, but it isn’t. A lot of high-tech software is needed to make the system integrate seamlessly with the engine without causing mechanical dissonance or energy wastage, fine-tuning the system for maximum efficiency is fraught with compromise and you have to take care not to affect the mechanical bits of the car and batteries adversely. Being made by an Indian company that understands the needs of local customers well, the Revolo seems to be in tune with the needs of Indian car owners.

The plug used to charge the 92kg batteries placed in the boot, for example, can be pushed into any three-pin wall socket you can find. You get a 95 percent charge in three to four hours and to counter the extra weight of the batteries on the rear wheels, KPIT is in the process of developing a low-cost spring-in-spring solution to help share the load of the rear suspension.

Under the hood, a small 2.2kW (peak power 7kW) electric motor is conneccted to the crankshaft. It is placed where the aircon compressor normally sits, with the compressor moved above it. Connected via a pulley and toothed belt to the crankshaft, this unique drive system functions really effectively as it only uses a low 48-volt system (a Prius in comparison uses 600 volts). KPIT claims a range of between 40-60km with the current batteries, and that’s including the 10-12 percent top-up charge accrued when the motor rewinds and during coasting. Regenerative braking only results in a minor increase in charge,but that contributes too. A piggy-back ECU reads data from the car’s sensors, there’s an advanced battery management system to prolong the life of the battery and a built-in function can also alter the ‘assist vs range’ ratio in accordance with your driving style.

But what’s it like to drive? At first the car feels surprisingly normal as you take off from rest. Soon, however, you notice the extra drag on the system every time you get off the throttle. Instead of the car just coasting forward when you lift off, you can feel the batteries getting topped up. There is also very little difference when the car is driven at full throttle. Not wanting to increase the overall performance of the car, KPIT has tuned its system to provide almost no assist at maximum power. In gear, however, the car feels much quicker and performance is startling at part throttle. There is a huge amount of electrical assist off idle, you can actually drive a gear higher than normal and the Alto now feels much lighter on its feet. We did a quick test of the car and found that it was a full six seconds quicker from 20 to 80 in third, taking only 9 seconds as against the unassisted car’s 15! Simply nuts. KPIT engineers however were quick to point out that this car was tuned for maximum performance as against economy.

Of course, the really big question is, should you go for the system, which in this case would cost approximately Rs 75,000, including installation at a dealership. KPIT claims a 25 to 35 percent increase in fuel economy and that would mean the Alto could give around 17.55kpl . We can only verify KPIT’s claim when we finally test the car over a longer period, and we hope by that time system integration will be a bit slick

09/06/2012

Toyota has launched a limited edition version of the Corolla Altis called the Corolla Altis Aero.

This limited edition version is available only on the petrol J variant and has been launched to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Corolla in India.

Differentiating the Aero from the regular Altis are external add-on trim-bits like revised front and rear-bumpers with new lower grill and skirts and a boot-lid spoiler with an LED brake light. Only two paint-shades are offered, Silver Mica Metallic and Black Mica.

The Altis Aero also gets smoked halogen headlamps and taillamps and a chrome-lined exhaust tip. On the inside, the Aero gets dual-tone seats with the Aero logo.

Only 500 units will be offered, priced at Rs 11.47 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

06/06/2012

06/06/2012

GALAXY GREY..HONDA CITY, V.TEC, 2006, 2ND OWNER, NO INSURANCE, MUMBAI REGISTERED,54,000KMS. PRICE-3,35,000.

06/06/2012

Tips for getting good mileage
With petrol prices through the roof, everyone wants to chuck their petrol car and get a diesel. But more often than not, it his how you drive, rather than what you drive, which determines how much mileage you get from car. Here are a few tips to help you get good mileage.

The quintessential question that most of us here in India ask when enquiring about cars is “How much is the mileage?” While a various cars give varying mileage, there are a few things you can do help improve how much mileage your car gives. First and foremost is to cut down on idle time. Every second that the engine is off, whether you’re waiting outside a shop, or at a traffic light, you’re saving fuel. Modern start-stop systems do the same automatically, so there is no reason that you shouldn’t put in that little extra effort every time your car stops moving. The benefit is only yours to be had...



Straight torque

One important thing to do to get better mileage from your car is to use the engine’s torque properly. Being in the right gear is critical for this. Don’t be in a hurry to up-shift as you get moving. At the same time, staying in a lower gear at higher speed is equally detrimental for getting good mileage. One needs to develop a feel for where the engine’s torque starts kicking in, and once this is done, it is very easy to keep the car moving with very little effort from the engine.



A revvy business

Getting to good grips with precise throttle control goes hand in hand with staying in the correct gear. Think of the throttle like a fan regulator as opposed to an on-off switch. The more precisely you can modulate your throttle inputs while driving, the better the engine will stay in its optimal torque zone, and the more you keep the engine rpm in its optimal torque zone, the better the car will maintain momentum, giving improved mileage overall.



Don't take a brake

While the point here is not to stop using the brakes completely, conservative use of the brakes does yield better mileage. Say you have to slow down or stop at a certain point. Rather than being on the throttle till the last moment and then slamming on the brakes, it is more beneficial to get off the throttle early and coast to a halt. Modern engines consume little to no fuel when they’re coasting. Massive braking means the engine has to work all the harder to build up speed again.


Can't clutch this

Most of us know the pain of driving a car over crowded city roads. While it is understood that there will be a bit of extra clutch use in stop-and-go traffic, try not to rely too much of half-clutching to get the car moving. Here, both the above points of staying in the right gear and giving precise throttle inputs makes a big difference to how much you can avoid unnecessary clutching while driving. It all works together in close cohorts for delivering better mileage.

05/06/2012

05/06/2012

One of the first products to come to the Indian market after the joining of General Motors and SAIC Motor Corp. Ltd will be the Sail hatchback. This premium hatchback was showcased at the 2012 Auto Expo in New Delhi and when launched, will soon be followed by its sedan verison as well. It is also said that the Sail is the perfect replacement for the Aveo U-VA which has not been doing any good to the sales figures for the company. New and modern rivals like the Maruti Swift, Hyundai i20 and Toyota Etios Liva have taken charge of the segment completely.
The Sail however will change all that as it features a more modern looking design and a seems as a much better package as well. It easily overcomes the biggest shortcoming of the U-VA, ie, the looks. It indeed looks stunning in this yellow color option you see here! The Sail has a dual-port grille and looks handsome but it’s not futuristic looking, rather a safe design but something that will appeal to all. The interiors of the Sail look well- built and it offers enough space. Expect features like steering controls, Bluetooth and USB to be offered.Moreover, it is a modern day car, engineered recently and this should reflect in the way it drives and pampers the passengers.

05/06/2012

There are rumors that the Germany auto major giant’s most awaited SUV Audi Q3 will be priced around Rs. 40 lakhs (Ex Showroom Cost Mumbai). The prices h