Maruti Launches Small Car Cervo

India experienced a watershed moment when Ratan Tata fulfilled his promise with the launch of Nano, the most economic vehicle in the Indian market, and arguably, in the world. Ever since the launch of Tata Nano, the whole globe is behind the idea of cheaper wheels. Now, it’s the turn of Maruti, who is seriously planning a car priced closer to Nano, and it could apparently be the Cervo, a compact five door mini that might put the other kids on the block in the shade.

The Cervo looks like a smaller Chevrolet Beat with cues from Honda Jazz’s design. The phenomenal fuel efficiency is one of the USPs of this car. 

Powered by Suzuki’s 660cc engine – as against Nano’s 623cc – the Cervo could be priced between 1.5 to 2 lakhs, a little higher than Nano. But Cervo looks too stylish and futuristic to be priced under 2 lakhs. So it’s obvious that Maruti needs to delete some of the features available in the car, or use a cheaper material to make a potent contender to Nano.

Inside, the dashboard of the Cervo looks almost like the Swift, with the rectangular air vents in the centre and the circular ones on the sides. Power windows and airbags are available in the international markets but chances are that Indians will have to compromise on that. 

Maruti Cervo India: Maruti Cervo is an upcoming hatchback from Maruti Suzuki India Limited. It is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2012 in Indian market. This small car is already running successfully in Japan and the company is planning to repeat the same story in India. The Maruti Cervo will look to rewrite the cheapest car story in India after the debacle of the much famed and hyped, Tata Nano. Only time will tell the fate of Maruti Cervo's success. But looking at the past acclaims of the numero uno car maker in India and its most envied dealership network, things sure look bright for the Maruti Cervo.




Maruti Cervo Engine - Maruti Cervo will come with 660 cc petrol engine with VVT (Variable Valve Timing) technology. This more efficient engine will generate the moderate power of 54 bhp at 6500 rpm and torque of 64 Nm at 3500 rpm. The small car is designed for the small family purpose and to enjoy the city drive comfortably. The Variable Valve Timing (VVT) technology of the engine helps to enhance power, torque and mileage figures considerably. The VVT technology also ensures that the car gets maximum out put of power and also reduces any loss in outage of power. This invariably leads to better efficiency in terms of engine life and also leads to lower carbon emissions and higher mileage. The overall drive experience is also enhanced due to the VVT technology.

Maruti Cervo will have great quality interiors and expecting to be solid build as well. This car will be better replacement of Maruti 800 and will compete against Tata Nano and Chevrolet Spark. The exterior look of Cervo is very compact and little sporty. Small front grill and sharp curves over bonnet reflect the aggressive look.



Maruti Cervo Exteriors- Maruti Cervo comes with amazing exterior features. The front fascia is daunted with sporty lines along with the Maruti Suzuki Logo. Head and fog lamps look very manly. A black thick line which starts from pillar 'A' and ends with pillar 'C' gives sporty look for the car. When we evaluate Maruti Cervo with Company’s earlier hatchbacks, it seems very elegant. It looks more stylish than its competitor which is optimistic for the company. On the whole it is perfectly and smarty designed hatchback to meet up young generation taste in India. The Maruti Cervo will also have minute changes in the dimension and features to keep down the pricing of the car. There has been no official information on the dimensions of the car but looking at the price point and market branding of the car, it would be having more or less the same size as Maruti Alto. The USP of the Maruti Cervo is its funky exterior which has some bold lines for a small car. The lines give it a sexy look with the flowing curves and sporty colours. You will fall in love with the car at first sight. The exterior looks are one of its kinds making it vehicle for the next generation.

Maruti Cervo Interiors- Maruti Cervo will be a 4 seater. You can put only 2 passengers in the backside, if you try to put 3 passengers it would be troublesome. This will be the only where customers needs to compromise. The wide dashboard of Maruti Cervo has eye-catching style and is smartly designed. When it to head and leg room, it gives sufficient space for all the occupants. It will have common interior features like AC, audio system, power steering, seats belts, central lock etc. Apart from the exteriors of the Maruti Cervo the interiors of the car is also attractive and spacy. The drive wheel is a three spoke power steering type for easy and comfy handling in the city streets. The steering wheel is adjustable as well. Maruti Cervo is expected to come with a dashboard that is wider than the usual and comprising of round AC vents at both ends and the instrument panel just behind the steering wheel. Overall the price toll of this car is going to play a major role for the Company.  


Maruti Cervo Price is yet to disclose but expected starting range will be Rs. 1,50,000 and will go up to Rs. 3,50,000. Maruti Cervo will hit the Indian market by the first quarter of 2012. The car will look to compete with the likes of Tata Nano, Hyundai Eon and its own Maruti Alto. The top end variant will have advance safety features like ABS and Air-Bags. The Base model of Maruti Cervo will have only very basic features like 13 inches tyres, power steering and cup holders. Maruti Cervo Price will be placed in the entry level segment and is expected to be huge hit like the company’s other cars. The Maruti Cervo On Road Price will be inclusive of the Vehicle price, Road tax, Insurance and registration fees can further increase the cost up to 10% extra. If you want additional accessories you'll have to pay extra amount for the same. The Maruti Cervo India is looked upon as the successor after the Tata Nano which only raised a lot of smoke with its good engine and that too literally at times. One of the main reasons for the failure of the Tata Nano is believed to be the high hype and low quality range of the car.The top end variant will have advance safety features like ABS and Air-Bags. The Base model of Maruti Cervo will have only very basic features like 13 inches tyres, power steering and cup holders. Maruti Cervo will be placed in entry level segment and expecting to be a bigger hit.

Maruti Cervo Ride and Handling: The Maruti Cervo will be easy to use and extremely light weight in handling and driving. To make matters even more easy the car will be equipped with power steering that will come as standard for all the variants. The Maruti Cervo also has a solid suspension that makes it well suitable for the Indian roads. The manual transmission is smooth and firm with better breaking mechanisms.

Maruti Cervo Specifications: The Maruti Cervo Specifications will come with a 660 cc petrol engine with VVT (Variable Valve Timing) technology. This highly efficient engine will generate a moderate power of 54 bhp at 6500 rpm and torque of 64 Nm at 3500 rpm. Apart from this the Maruti Cervo Specifications is equipped with a Manual Transmission with 5 Speed Gearbox, Petrol Engine, 5 seater Car, Headlamps, Tail-lights, Power Steering, Air Conditioner etc.

Maruti Cervo Safety Features: The Maruti Cervo safety features comes with Central Locking System, Two Airbags for safety, Comfortable Interior, Engine Immobilizer, Front and side Impact Beams, Child safety lock, Seat Belts & Rear View Mirror, Front dist and Rear drum Brakes.

Maruti Cervo Mileage: The Maruti Cervo Specifications for the engines include a 0.7L 60bhp, 660cc, Fuel Efficient Engine, VVT (Variable Valve Timing) Technology for Maximum Power. The Maruti Cervo India delivers a top Speed of 115 km/h with an average Mileage – 20 to 23 kmpl. In city the car gives a mileage – 22 kmpl. On the highway the car gives a mileage of 26 kmpl. 

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG

Let’s get one thing straight: If you are reading this to figure out if you should purchase this $130,000 automobile, the answer is yes. Everyone should have one, if not two, 500-plus-hp interstate burners parked in the garage.

Base CLS63 AMGs come with a direct-injected, twin-turbo, 5.5-liter V-8 producing an ample 518 hp and 516 lb-ft—more than enough for the average Joe. We, and you, are not average. For people like us—well, people like us but with real money instead of imaginary fortunes—Mercedes offers the AMG Performance package. The $7300 option pack costs about as much as the high-mileage, mid-’90s S-classes that are more within our reach. Unlike those cars, however, the AMG group includes red brake calipers, a sport suspension, a lip spoiler and engine trim fashioned from carbon fiber, and most important, a power bump to 550 hp and 590 lb-ft. The governor gets upped from 155 mph to 186, too. If you can afford the CLS63’s $95,775 starting bid, go for the Performance pack over the old S-class.

Managing all that power is the AMG Speedshift MCT seven-speed transmission, also employed by the C63, E63, SL63, CL63, and S63. It’s similar to the seven-speed auto found in non-AMG Benzes, with the wet-clutch pack—instead of a torque converter—that couples the engine and transmission being the main difference. Driving around town, the MCT delivers smooth starts and seamless shifts like a torque converter. Twist the transmission-mode dial from auto to sport or sport plus, and the MCT snaps off shifts with nearly dual-clutch speed and accompanies downshifts with a blip of the throttle and emphatic exhaust bark.

Paddle Harder

In any of these modes, there’s almost no reason to use the CLS’s paddle shifters. Sport plus will hold gears until the last possible moment, but the trans will still upshift and downshift automatically to keep the revs in the fat part of the power band. For complete gear control, turn the knob one more detent to manual mode. In this setting, the engine holds gears unless the driver signals a change, bouncing off the 6400-rpm redline until the gas tank runs dry.

The fifth, and arguably the most important, mode is race start, labeled “RS” on the dial. This is launch control, and it unlocks maximum accelerative capability. Unleashing maximum thrust requires six steps: Set the stability control to sport mode, left foot on the brake, turn the trans dial clockwise to RS, confirm that you want RS with a tug of the upshift paddle, mash the accelerator with your right foot, release your left foot. Like the Corvette ZR1, the CLS63 AMG uses the wheel-speed sensors to determine how much traction the tires have and dials back the engine’s power to match available grip. It works quite well and has the advantage of being suited to any surface versus the dedicated-rpm engagements that many manufacturers use for launch control. Despite the lines of fancy code, however, we managed to beat it.

Pedal Smarter

With stability control turned all the way off and using our right foot to manage wheelspin, the CLS63 ripped to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, 100 in 8.5, and 150 in 19.5. Add 0.1 second to those times if launch control is used. The quarter-mile is 12.0 seconds away, at which point you’ll be going 121 mph. The 4275-pound, four-door CLS63 will dust a Corvette Grand Sport and hang close to a Z06. Pedestrians seeing a CLS63 picking up groceries would never know. They’ll notice the car, though; the styling ensures that. Because the engine is turbocharged, a lot of that V-8 howl is subdued—but not always. It’s quiet when you want serenity, a screamer when you’re feeling a little freaky. Stomp on the gas, and an orchestra composed of 32 valves and eight cylinders sings forth from the quad-tip dual exhaust.

One more straight-line feat while we’re at it: It takes less than one mile for this car to reach 170 mph. Although we didn’t attempt an ABS stop from this speed, a car equipped like ours can scrub felonious speeds down to mere misdemeanors with ease, thanks to the optional carbon-ceramic brakes. These pizza-pie rotors (15.8 inches in front, 14.2 in the rear) completely fill the 19-inch forged wheels. The giant calipers (six pistons up front, four out back) that come with the carbon brake package aren’t red—they’re painted gold. It’s a constant reminder that their $12,625 price might be roughly equivalent to their weight—roughly 40 percent less than the stock stoppers—in precious metal. These brakes, in combination with Continental ContiSportContact 5P rubber, brought the beast to a halt from 70 mph in a sports-car-like 159 feet and never exhibited even a hint of fade. Ceramic brakes can be grabby, but these are smooth and feel reassuringly firm underfoot. They ought to. For the cost of the wheels and brakes, you could get an ’86 560SL convertible. We’ll take the shoes and stoppers.

Despite the CLS’s stop/start system, which shuts the engine down when the car is stopped, we only averaged 16 mpg. That ties the EPA’s city-cycle score and falls 9 mpg short of the highway rating. The stop/start process can be a little slow, with some hesitation on initial step-in, especially if you try to make haste, say, when turning left across three lanes of traffic. Thankfully, tapping the eco button on the dash disables the system.

We happened to rent a racetrack while the CLS was with us and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to lap Mercedes-Benz’s so-called “four-door coupe” alongside a bunch of pure-bred sports cars. The CLS is not a track monster. It pushed more than it had when it was on the skidpad—where it posted a 0.91-g score—and generally felt too heavy. In spite of its determined understeer, this AMG’s steering is natural in hand, although a little heavy at times. The car tracks straight with an on-center sense we wish every car possessed.

Optional Give and Take

Inside, among the greatest improvements over the last-gen CLS are the enlarged rear quarters. The back seat is not as compromised now, both in space and entry and exit, although as in that last CLS, it has only two seatbelts. Avoiding optional interior décor usually is an easy way to keep costs in check, but the CLS63’s $2850 carbon-fiber package qualifies as a must-have. Besides the usual door and console trim, the pricey bundle includes a multicurve instrument surround that is one of the more artistic shapes we’ve seen crafted from the woven fibers. An ’89 190E costs about the same as this option and could easily be converted to a taxi, but the carbon bits look better.

Aside from those options mentioned above, the car tested here came with another $9810 in add-ons. Night vision, adaptive cruise control, a rearview camera, rear side airbags—the list goes on. To keep that $9810 in our hypothetical pockets, we might buy a 100,000-mile S420, in case we need room for a fifth person at some point. Otherwise, the CLS63 AMG is all the Benz we need.

ROLLS ROYCE GHOST

If the grandiose Rolls-Royce Phantom—birthed by BMW in 2003—reestablished the marque’s exceptionalism, the 2011 Ghost brings that notion down to a more human scale. The Ghost is the daily driver; the Phantom, whether in sedan, extended-wheelbase sedan, coupe, or drophead (convertible) form, should be held in reserve for special occasions, such as crashing White House dinners.

Most Definitely Still a Roller

The Ghost truncates one of the great names from Rolls-Royce’s past, the Silver Ghost, a moniker that attached itself to the full line of classically reliable and smooth 40/50s produced from 1906 to 1926. These were the cars that prompted The Autocar and Motor to call Rolls-Royce “The Best Car in the World.” The new Ghost will bring that legacy to bear on the luxury-sedan class, reordering the segment’s hierarchy dominated by the Bentley Continental Flying Spur, Mercedes S-class, and BMW 7-series. This steel-monocoque car might weigh as much as the Bentley (nearly a staggering 5500 pounds) but also produces an intimidating 563 hp and charges from 0 to 60 mph in a claimed 4.8 seconds. Moreover, it will achieve total pricing supremacy when it gets here in early 2010, with a projected MSRP of about $245,000 to start. Some might argue that this makes it more of a competitor to the forthcoming Bentley Mulsanne than to lesser Bentleys. We prefer to think of the Mulsanne as an insufficiently expensive competitor to the Phantom.

You Sure It’s Not a 7-series?

Because Rolls is now under BMW’s stewardship, and because using common parts is essential for a manufacturer’s economies of scale (but mostly because Rolls-Royce admitted that the Ghost shares 20 percent of itself with the BMW 7-series, specifically, the V-12–powered 760Li), it’s tempting to think that the new car is simply an upsized BMW, a 9-series with an available metallic hood. That characterization is a little unfair to this new sedan. The 20-percent commonality hides in the climate-control system, the electrical architecture, parts of the floorpan, and some engine components. Both cars’ twin-turbocharged V-12s come from the same engine family, but the Ghost’s is stroked to 6.6 liters (up from the 760’s 6.0) and gets some revised internals such as a new crank. And whereas the BMW has only air springs at the rear, the Ghost uses adaptive air suspension at all four corners. The Rolls needed a more regal seating position, larger-diameter tires, and coach-style doors, which necessitated more changes. The new overall tire diameter meant new steering and suspension kinematics, and the raised seating position and center-opening doors meant reengineering the donor platform for crash safety.

Exotic Materials Up the Wazoo

Chief designer Ian Cameron has delivered a shape that is immediately recognizable as a Rolls-Royce, even though the car does not have the traditional Parthenon-type grille. Its sleeker expression of the chrome-vaned radiator housing is in keeping with the car’s trimmer proportions relative to the Phantom. Grounded by a terrifically powerful stance, the Ghost has fast-raking pillars and bodywork that tucks in around the wheels. The restrained, almost featureless body sides mask a subtlety of proportion and line that makes the car look much smaller than it actually is. As ever, the long prow dominates, with a perfectly proportioned dash-to-axle ratio.

Inside are the traditional Rolls-Royce touches, such as frosted white dials, chromed eyeball vents, organ-stop vent pulls, and violin-key switches. We love the almost yacht-like helm in the Phantom, but this steering wheel has a smaller diameter and a little thicker section. Still, it’s well-suited to the car. The club chairs are regally positioned, padded, and proportioned, giving a commanding view of the road ahead. Everything is wrapped in leather, either a coarse-grained hide on the door panels or smooth stuff on the armrests and seats. (The leather isn’t as soft as the Phantom’s, due to a different tanning process that emphasizes durability over suppleness.) Speaking of which, the rear seats are much like the Phantom’s in that you can opt for a standard couch or individual lounge seating. Entry and egress are even better than the bigger car’s, with rear doors that open to 83 degrees (there are still umbrellas in the front doors). Incorporated into all this clubbishness is the much-improved iDrive, as well as BMW’s memory-key system on the center console, whose eight presets can store map locations, radio stations, and phone numbers from an integrated iPhone.

Because it’s a Rolls, you will be able to order it in any color you want, with whatever color leather, and you’ll be able to choose any type of wood and inlays you can dream up. Want your family crest rendered in carbon fiber on the dashboard? No problem. Care for a mother-of-pearl inlay depicting Homer Simpson on a motorcycle, the devil hot on his tail? We’ve got you covered, says Rolls’s bespoke department. Only not just yet. It will take six months to a year to get the custom shop up and running on Ghosts. For now, you merely have the choice of 12 hand-rubbed exterior colors, eight hand-stitched leathers, and five hand-crafted woods.

Silent and Swift

BMW is an amazing interpreter of English automobiles. It has done great work with Land Rover and Mini, and the Rolls-Royces done on Munich’s watch revere that brand’s heritage and gestalt. BMW understands that Rolls-Royces need to have an eerie combination of silence and swiftness. The Phantom has it, and so does this Ghost, albeit in a slightly different proportion. Whereas the Phantom glides (R-R calls it “wafting”) over the road, the Ghost bears down on it. The ride is still sensational, just a bit more positive in its transmissions of the road surface. With 575 lb-ft of torque available at 1500 rpm (and some 90 percent of that available before torque-converter lockup), the V-12, in combination with the foie gras–smooth ZF eight-speed automatic, feels almost like an electric motor. The car slinks away in a constantly building crescendo of momentum. Transient responses are disciplined for such a huge, heavy machine, as is path control. The steering is very linear and appropriately slow at 3.1 turns lock-to-lock, but it is more aggressively weighted. And as much as this car’s silent cabin feels a world away from the relative chaos of those econoboxes with which it competes (we’re joking, Bentley), we did hear a bit of unexpected tire noise from the optional 20-inch Goodyear run-flats over concrete surfaces.

It Is As It Should Be

That said, the best story we heard about this car’s development was the one about the interior engineer who spent two weeks in a sound booth in the plant listening to the Ghost’s headrest motors going up and down. He was attempting to correct an “acoustical imbalance” in the motors, all part of Rolls-Royce’s obsessive focus on the reduction of noise, vibration, and harshness in this new car. This kind of thing is what links the new Ghost to its namesake—and to its bigger brother. But whereas the Phantom, by virtue of its scale, seems to have one axle in the ’30s and one in the Aughts, this new car feels more completely contemporary. It is incredibly fast and rewarding to drive—sporty, even—but it does not sacrifice the serenity, the calm, and the effortlessness that are essential to a Rolls-Royce. The Ghost cossets and insulates, but it also flies.

NEW FERRARI CALIFORNIA

The new Ferrari California will satisfy even the most demanding of owners in term of its superb vehicle dynamics and driving pleasure. The new model will be available exclusively as a convertible with a folding hard top. Both chassis and bodywork are aluminium, in line with the rest of the current range. The California will be powered by a new V8 engine mounted for the first time in the marque's history in the mid-front position.

In line with Ferrari tradition, the new model also features several innovations. Apart from its folding hard top, these include the original 2+ concept which guarantees exceptional versatility of use in the rear of the car. The California's 4,300 cc V8 engine features direct fuel injection and a "flat" crankshaft. It generates 460 CV at 7,500 rpm with a torque curve that enhances vehicle dynamics and provides maximum driving pleasure which is typical for Ferrari.

As per the traditional Ferrari transaxle layout, the engine, which allows the Ferrari California to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 4.0 seconds, will be coupled to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission that boosts the car's performance while enhancing the driving pleasure, improves ride comfort and reduces fuel consumption and emissions (c.310 g/km CO2). The comfort is further enhanced by a new multilink rear suspension system. The Ferrari California is also equipped with the exclusive F1-Trac traction control system which made its debut on the 599 GTB Fiorano and has been further honed to suit the typical driving conditions expected for this new GT. Brembo brakes featuring carbon-ceramic material disks as standard guarantee superbly efficient braking.

In addition to sporting the marque's classic styling cues, the cabin has also been beautifully trimmed using quality materials by Ferrari's own skilled artisans. New accessories and equipment, such as the seats, steering wheel, instrument panel and infotainment system, together with optimised aerodynamics ensure that this is a highly ergonomic and enjoyable car to drive regardless of whether the top is up or down.

The Ferrari California is aimed at owners who desire a car which embodies everything the Prancing Horse represents in terms of sporty design and innovation, but also seek a car with greater versatility than ever.

Price :  $192,000