Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge concept 2014

The infiniti Q50 has been designed to take on the BMW 3 Series - but infiniti is trying to attract a more youthful set of customers and efficient diesel and hybrid saloons aren't exactly going to gain any favour with the young crowd.

Enter the 2014 infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge concept debuting at this year's North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. This thing has been designed to take on the mighty BMW M3 and could well have the weaponry to succeed. That level of power and torque eclipses the 431hp, 40lb ft 2014 BMW M3, which will sprint from 0 to 62mph (approx 100kmh) in 4.1 seconds.

Makers reckon the BMW will be lighter than a production version of the Eau Rouge through, so even with that mammoth intended power output, don't expect a hot Q50 to destroy the M3 over the same benchmark test.

As part of the transformation from family saloon to performance car, infiniti has given the regular Q50 a pretty heavy makeover, endowing the Eau Rouge concept with a more sporting look.

Infiniti has not yet announced if the Q50 Eau Rouge concept will get the green light of production, but when it does get confirmed, expect to be able to buy one in late 2015 or early 2016, priced from $90,000 (Rs. 56.5 Lakhs).

When the Q50 Eau Rouge concept was revealed in Detroit, Johan de Nysschen hinted that if a production version ever happened it would have around 500 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of toruque, which is a significant hike over the current Q50. Infiniti hasn't announced any details of the engine that is going to debut in Geneva, but it's expected that it will be a turbocharged six-cylinder.

Tata Motors Reveals the Bolt Hatchback

Tata Motors finally revealed to the public, the hatchback they had condenamed as the Falcon 4. Bolt, as it will now be called, made eyes turn in the sparking blue colour that it sported. It shared the limelight with the Tata compact sedan, codenamed Falcon 5, now christened as the Tata Zest.

This next-generation Global car from Tata Motors showcases the new DNA of the company and boasts of newness in terms of design (DesigNext), drivablity (DriveNext) speed and represents, accroding to the company, a winner's attitude. it comes with several segment first features and employs a new design language for the interiors as well as the exteriors.

The Bolt Hatchback is built on an updated version of the Tata Vista's X1 platform but is completely independent of the car's features. The Bolt features aggressive frontal styling, new grille and sleeker, sharper headlights. The rear has some changes as well.

The tail in the Bolt comes in a more wing-shaped design and the car also does not sport the vertically stacked tail lights of the Indica. The hatchback, however, does not have daytime running lights in front. It will be powered by the company's newly announced 1.2 litre turbochanged petrol Revotron engine that develops 85bhp.

PARTNER and MiTR LCVs by Ashok Leyland

Ashok Leyland, flagship of the Hinduja Group, launched two new Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) - PARTNER truck, India's first airconditioned LCV goods vehicle and MiTR bus, a LCV bus with bes-in-class comfort. After the commercially sucessful Dost and the recently launched STiLE, now PARTNER and MiTR are the latest offerings from the Ashok Leyland - Nissan Joint Venture.

PARTNER, brings to the India customer, the latest LCV from Europe and Japan. This next-generation truck focuses on driver comfort and sports a modern Euro cab with spacious car-like interiors and offers global levels of performance and efficiency. With a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) capacity of 6.6T, the PARTNER will address various applications like parcel goods, durables, perishables and FMCG products among others.

MiTR is a 26+1+1 seater bus, ergonomically designed to offer superior comfort and utility to passengers and drivers. MiTR has a parabolic suspension in the front and the rear - an industry - first and offers class-leading comfort. MiTR also has a school bus variant that adheres to school bus body code guidelines of all state governments.

Both PARTNER and MiTR are powered by an advanced ZD30 Common Rail Diesel Engine, that ensures superior fuel-efficiency and better turnaround time.

Dual Front Airbags : Volkswagen

Volkswagen announces airbags as standard for Polo, will increase prices by 2.7% on Polo and Vento.

Volkswagen, Europe's largest carmaker, announces a significant enhancement in driver safety, with the introduction of dual front airbags as standard fitment on variants of the Polo. In keeping with its ethos of offering best-in-class build quality, technology and safety, Volkswagen is now the first automobile manufacturer in the country to offer dual fron airbags as standard equipment in the premium hatchback segment. Building further on enhancing the safety aspect of its cars. Volkswagen is now also offering anti-lock brakes (ABS) as standard fitment on the Comfortline version of the Polo.

In a move to partially offset increased inputs costs and changes in the exchange rate, Volkswagen has announced a 2.7% price hike on all variants of the Polo and Vento. This price hike will be of up to Rs. 22,700 for the Polo and up to Rs 26,800 for the Vento.

Zest Sedan from Tata Motors

In what can be only described as an aggressive launch strategy, Tata Motors has unveiled not one but two all-new cars; the dynamically desinged Bolt Hatchback and the equally striking looking Zest compact sedan.

Talking about the Bolt Hatchback, the Zest gets a new design language. It is a result of the collaborative design inputs from the three Tata Motors design studios in Pune, Coventry (UK) and Turin (Italy). The car reportedly comes with several segment-first features such as projector headlamps, LED tail lamps and all-new HARMAN infotainment system.

Perfectly designed and developed to please the market and on an enhanced X1 platform, the Zest is an important model for Tata as it marks a strategic shift for Tata towards a global portfolio of cars designed to offer high performance and connectivity.

Leasing a car : 5 hidden costs to consider

Leasing is back as a popular way to drive new wheels. A lower monthly payment may  not represent all the real and potential costs of a lease. Other factors can influence just how good a lease deal is.

1. Disposition Fee/Purchase Option Fee:

Dropping off a car at lease end without leasing a new one may require a disposition fee. on the other hand, deciding to buy the car at lease end may require a purchase option fee that also can run into thousands of extra rupees.

2. Down Payment or Open End Balloon Payment:

Leasing is simply paying for the value of a car the leasing company predicts you will consume druing the term of the lease. But to make an advertised lease payment more attractive, lenders often require a down payment. A larger down payment equals a lower monthly payment. Furthermore, if the car is stolen or tataled two months into the lease, that down payment will just be lost.

Stay away of any lease hased on paying the difference between the lender's projection and the car's actual market value at lease end. This is called an open-end lease, and it can stick you with a final balloon payment of thousands or even lakhs of rupees. A low monthly payment doesn't mean much when you have to stroke out a big check when returning the car.

3. Excess Mileage Fee:

Every lease conract includes a mileage limit, over which the lender will charge by the mile.

4. Insurance:

Leasing a car requires more insurance than conventional financing. Higher coverage amounts and deductibles demanded by leasing companies drive up the insurance costs - sometimes by thousands of rupees.

Before signing a lease, establish the coverage required and check with your insurance agent to determine any extra costs. Divide those extra costs by the number of months in your lease.

5. Termination Fee:

Returning a car before the lease expires almost always prompts a penalty. Ensure any lease you sign allows transferring the car to a qualified party.

Leasing always costs more than the advertised monthly payment. How much more depends on the lease. Always check the small print.