Tata Motors, India’s leading automotive brand, today commenced the bookings of the ALTROZ DCA – The Dual Clutch Automatic version of India’s premium and safest hatchback. The Altroz DCA is an advanced Dual Clutch Technology that is designed for the Indian consumer. It comes with a wet clutch transmission, which ensures the best performance for all Indian driving conditions. The new ALTROZ DCA will set the Gold Standard in the world of automatics and offer a seamless drive experience to customers. Starting today, customers can book their ALTROZ DCA at all the authorized Tata Motors dealerships at just INR 21,000 with deliveries starting from mid March’22.
The ALTROZ DCA will be introduced in a brand new colour – the New Opera Blue and will be available in the top three variants - XT, XZ and XZ+ of 1.2L Revotron petrol engine. In addition to the new Opera Blue, the ALTROZ DCA would also be part of the #Dark range other than being available in Downtown Red, Arcade Grey, Avenue White and Harbour Blue colour.
Commenting on this much awaited product, Mr. Rajan Amba, Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Customer Care, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd. said, “India’s safest hatchback, the ALTROZ, has carved a niche for itself in the premium hatch segment with more than 1.25 lakh happy customers. Taking our success story further, we wanted to delight our customers by introducing a world-class automatic transmission to the line-up in the form of the ALTROZ DCA. We are confident that the ALTROZ DCA will set ‘Gold Standard’ in automatics and will match the evolving preference of our customers. Our customers can visit their nearest Tata Motors dealerships to know more about the product and book the all-new ALTROZ DCA. I am confident that the ALTROZ DCA, when launched, will instantaneously witness an overwhelming response and help us expand our customer base.”
Since its launch in January 2020, the ALTROZ has received an overwhelming response and is appreciated by the customers for its laser-cut design, best-in-class safety, and exhilarating performance. Being the first vehicle on the ALFA (Agile Light Flexible Advanced) architecture, the ALTROZ has always set #TheGoldStandard in the premium hatchback segment. Altroz comes with many premium features such as leatherette seats, 7”touchscreen infotainment by Harman, rear ac vents, cruise control, auto headlamps, iRA connected car technology and many more.
Ford India had plans of launching a new Midsize SUV based on the new platform of Mahindra when the JV between both companies had been announced. However, now that both brands have parted their ways, Ford India officially doesn’t have an India focused product in the pipeline. The Ford CSUV project along with the others have been put on hold while the company is going through feasible options.
Ford Territory based SUV:
Ford is now officially considering resuming the development of the CX757 CSUV on the platform which underpins the Ford Territory SUV sold in markets including China and Brazil.
Dimensions:
While the CX757 was initially designed to be based on Mahindra’s new XUV700 platform with a similar length and wheelbase, the Ford Territory too has an identical wheelbase of 2,716mm. Also the Territory is likely to be similar in length to the new XUV700. This means Ford can easily integrate the design of the CX757 to the Ford Territory JMC platform without any significant changes to the Pininfarina design of this SUV.
Design:
The new CX757 is confirmed to have been designed by Pininfarina, the world famous studios that have designed numerous beautiful cars including some of the best Ferraris. Despite being based on the JMC platform, this new C-SUV is likely to be vastly different when compared to the Territory SUV.
Features and Tech:
Just like the exterior, the interior of the CX757 too will be significantly different compared to that of the Ford Territory’s. However most of the tech and features of the Territory are expected to be carried over to this SUV. Just like the Territory, it is expected to feature a dual tone colour theme with faux wood or metal finish along with plenty of soft touch surfaces for a premium feel.
The new C-SUV is likely to offer the latest tech and features in the Ford portfolio.
Expected features include:
10.1 inch touchscreen system
Sync 4 connectivity
Wireless Android auto/Apple carplay
Wireless charging
Dual zone Auto climate control
Panoramic sunroof
Powered driver seat
Digital instrument cluster
Ford Pass connected car tech
LED lighting
Auto headlamps & Wipers
Auto dimming IRVM
Keyless access and go
17 & 18 inch alloy wheels
Powertrain:
Ford currently manufactures the 2.0L EcoBlue Turbo Diesel engine in India for the Ford Endeavour. This engine is also being used in some FWD cars like the Mondeo and Edge abroad. So it will be easy for Ford India to fit this same engine under the bonnet of this new C-SUV as well. This engine is capable of producing 170PS Max Power and 420NM and is likely to be mated to a 6 speed manual and automatic transmissions.
Ford is also likely to introduce a new 1.5L turbo petrol Ecoboost engine producing around 150PS of power through similar transmission options. It is also likely that this engine will offer a 48V mild hybrid system as well.
Launch and Price:
The new Ford CX757 SUV is expected to be ready for launch by the second half of 2022. When launched, it will compete against the new Mahindra XUV700, Tata Harrier/Safari and the MG Hector siblings. Expect the pricing to be in a similar range as well.
Stay tuned for further updates.
Hyundai Motor has unveiled their next contender for the premium hatchback segment in India- the 2020 Hyundai i20. The new avatar is entirely different from what it was earlier and thankfully, we can call this an upgrade because the changes are not just cosmetic outside. The changes take place inside the cabin and to the engines as well. The Indian version of the 2020 Hyundai i20 is expected to have most of the features offerer in the European Spec. India launch of the Hyundai i20 2020 is expected to be around August 2020.
The Hyundai i20 has been one
Ford Motor Company has launched the new Ford Puma ST. This is the third model to join Ford’s ST performance line-up, following the Fiesta and the Focus. The Fiesta ST’s chassis has only received minor tweaks from its transition to the Puma’s crossover body. The rear torsion bar is 40 per cent stiffer to compensate for the extra weight and height.
Exterior:
The Puma is spruced up by the ST-specific styling pack. The front gets a new grille design with ST badging, while a splitter increases front downforce by 80 percent over the standard
Interior:
Inside, the Puma’s cabin also gets the ST treatment; including a flat-bottomed steering wheel, a sporty gear knob and pedals, along with Sporty Recaro front seats. However still, the ST’s boot retains the hose-down 80-litre ‘Mega Box’ from other Pumas, and the 456-litre volume is retained.
All Puma STs get a generous standard equipment list:
Wireless charging
Front and rear parking sensors
Quick clear heated windshield
Rain sensing wipers
Automatic LED headlamps
12.3 inch digital instrument cluster
8 inch Touchscreen system
SYNC 3 connectivity
Android auto, Apple carplay
Bang & Olufsen sound system
Ford pass connectivity
Safety Features:
While the Puma crossover received a 5 star rating at the ANCAP crash tests, the new Puma ST includes the following advanced driver assist tech:
Active braking assist
Pre Collision assist
Active park assist
Cross traffic alert with active braking
Intelligent speed limiter
Local hazard information
Geofencing & tracking
6 airbags
ESC with traction control
Torque vectoring control
Powertrain and Performance:
Mechanically, the Puma ST is very closely related to the Fiesta ST. The 1.5-litre turbocharged Ecoboost engine is the same, though a revised exhaust system has been tuned to be ever so slightly more civilised. This engine produces a power output of 197bhp and 320Nm through a 6 speed manual gearbox to the front wheels. With launch control engaged, the Puma cracks the 0-62mph benchmark in 6.7 seconds – two tenths down on the Fiesta, while the 137mph top speed has dropped by 7mph.
The Puma ST also offers multiple driving modes. ‘Sport’ sharpens the throttle and adds weight to the steering compared to ‘Normal’, and it opens up valves in the exhaust to provide a sportier soundtrack. Switch into ‘Track’, and the traction control switches off and the intervention from the stability program relaxes – though this can still be turned off completely if the driver wishes. At the other end of the scale, ‘Eco’ mode makes the most of a stop/start system and cylinder deactivation to help reduce fuel consumption. Based on the official WLTP testing procedure, the Puma ST achieves 40.9mpg and emits 155g/km of CO2.
The Puma ST’s steering system is claimed to be 25 per cent quicker than the standard Puma’s, and buyers will be offered the option of a Quaife mechanical limited-slip differential to improve traction on corner exit. This also works in conjunction with a torque vectoring system which activates the brakes on the inside wheel to help the Puma hug a tighter line through corners. The Puma ST gets larger brake discs which measure 325mm at the front and 271mm at the back, and are housed within 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in specially developed Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres.
The Puma ST is expected to go on sale in Europe by early 2021 and will cost from £28,500.
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