New Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster Revealed

The Italian luxury sports car manufacturer, Lamborghini has finally revealed the all new Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster: the most exciting series production Lamborghini ever built and the new benchmark in the world of open-top luxury super sports cars.On the heels of the successful coupe introduced in Summer 2011, and with over 1,300 units already delivered to customers, Lamborghini is now offering the convertible version of the Aventador, a vehicle that balances the ultimate driving experience with the ultimate in sports car sophistication.

The new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster can immediately be recognized by the unique profile of its upper area, which extends along newly designed geometric lines from the removable roof to the engine hood. The Roadster's design is the result of a careful study into the best way of combining performance, elegant style, ease of use and a driving experience that excites all five senses.

The two-piece roof is made entirely from carbon fibre using various technologies such as RTM and Forged Composite®. These technologies guarantee maximum aesthetic performance and stiffness although each component is extremely light, weighing less than 6 kg. These two parts are removable, easy to handle, and being lightweight and simple to attach, can be stored in the front luggage compartment. In just a few seconds the Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster can be admired in all its luxurious beauty.

The rear pillar has been redesigned to offer total support for the removable roof, accommodate an automatic protection system for passengers, and provide the engine compartment with pretty good ventilation. Right at first glance, it’s noticeable that the engine hood on the Roadster differs from the hood on the coupé because of its central “spinal column” with two pairs of hexagonal windows connected at the sides as if they were hyper-tech armor plates. Their purpose is to cool the engine, drain off rain water properly and, of course, allow the beauty of the V12 power unit to be admired.

The driver of the Aventador Roadster and his passenger can decide for themselves how intensely they would like to enjoy the driving experience. The powered rear windshield not only influences the flow of air in the vehicle, but also controls the experience of the sound from the twelve-cylinder engine. The wind deflector, on the other hand, delivers almost complete calm inside the car, even at high speed. It rests on the front wind-shield frame and can likewise be stored in the luggage compartment when not in use.

The Aventador Roadster is also equipped with door windows with chamfered edges, which always ensure a perfect fit into the hard-top seal, and underline the sharp side profile of the car.The body of the new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster sports a two-tone finish, as the wind-shield pillar, the two roof sections and the rear window area up to the “fins” are painted in gloss black. The visual effect is that of a completely open vehicle with sleek lines combining perfectly balanced sportiness and elegance.

The range of colors available for the Roadster has been supplemented with a very light, metallic blue color, Azzuro Thetis, whose tone varies with the angle of the light. Even the interior has a new look. The use of leather called Sabbia Nefertem highlights the great hand-made craftsmanship of the upholstery from Sant' Agata Bolognese and is a perfect match for the exterior in Azzuro Thetis. Finally, the new Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster also features new Dione 20”/21” rims with a daring, aggressive look. Crafted in light forged aluminum, they lower the weight of the vehicle by 10 Kg as compared with the standard set of rims.

The new Aventador LP700-4 Roadster boasts record performance. It accelerates from 0 to 100kmph in only 3 seconds flat and has a maximum speed of some 350 kmph. These numbers, combined with a drive train featuring a centrally located, 6.5 liter aspirated V12 generating 700 hp, an ISR 7-speed gearbox and push-rod suspension make the new Aventador Roadster a unique super sports car with no direct competition.

The Roadster's V12 also includes a cylinder deactivation system when the engine is working at partial capacity, while the innovative, instant Stop & Start system includes high-performance capacitors known as supercaps to awaken the engine. This is an absolute first in the super sports car segment.The new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster can be ordered at any Lamborghini dealer in the world for the price of 300,000 euro, excluding taxes. 

Lamborghini Announces Gallardo Retirement

Lamborghini has decided to retire its iconic best-selling model, the Lamborghini Gallardo at the end of the year 2013. The latest in the Gallardo line-up, the LP-560-4 will be the final Gallardo to be sold with the tag after which it will be retired and a replacement will take its place. The year 2013 will mark a decade of the Gllarado's rein, at the end of which Lamborghini will debut its replacement. The company will however continue selling the old Gallardo's.

The LP-560-4 model Gallardo has been built off the Audi's old 4.2-litre V8 engine, with two extra cylinders thrown in. From what we can make out, the V10 will not be discontinued along with the Gallardo. It will probably be refined for greater performance and find its way under the hood of the Gallardo replacement. And with that, the Gallardo era will end, which is certainly a sad thing considering the popularity of the car. However, Lamborghini is sure to bring in a replacement that will be just as impressive. Stay tuned to CarDekho as we bring you updates on what the replacement of the Gallardo will be. Cheers!

Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster Launched in India

The Italian luxury sports car manufacturer, Lamborghini that launched the all new Aventador LP700-4 Roadster in the global markets, has today launched it in India at Rs 4.77 Crore (ex-showroom, Delhi), which makes it one of the most expensive supercars sold in India today. The all new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster is the most exciting series production Lamborghini ever built and the new benchmark in the world of open-top luxury super sports cars.

Lamborghini that already sells the Aventador coupe in India, has now positioned the roadster right above that. The new Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster can immediately be recognized by the unique profile of its upper area, which extends along newly designed geometric lines from the removable roof to the engine hood.

The new Aventador LP700-4 Roadster boasts record performance. It accelerates from 0 to 100kmph in only 3 seconds flat and has a maximum speed of some 350kmph. These numbers, combined with a drive train featuring a centrally located, 6.5 litre aspirated V12 generating 700bhp, an ISR 7-speed gearbox and push-rod suspension make the new Aventador Roadster a unique super sports car with no direct competition.

The Roadster's V12 also includes a cylinder deactivation system when the engine is working at partial capacity, while the innovative, instant Stop & Start system includes high-performance capacitors known as supercaps to awaken the engine. This is an absolute first in the super sports car segment.

Hyundai to Launch a Compact SUV, MPV and a new Hatchback: Official

In an earlier report published on CarDekho, we talked about Hyundai's plans of launching a new hatchback to rival Maruti Suzuki Swift. The said hatchback will sit between the company's flagship hatches i10 and the i20, taking the total no. of hatchbacks to five. Now a report published today on ET confirms the same, it also reveals that there will be "a slew of products for the Indian market , including a compact SUV, an MPV as well". This has been confirmed by none another than Hyundai's CEO and MD, BO Shin Seo.

 
Image used for represenation purpose only

Seo also said that the company's focus will be on diesel engines, the company has recently made investments in diesel engine capacity. Speaking to TOI, Seo said that "the HMI will launch a small SUV soon The SUV will COME earlier, followed by an MPV ".

Hyundai's arch rival Maruti Suzuki India has already launched the Ertiga MPV, while it still doesn't have anything in the growing compact SUV/MPV segment. On the other hand, the newly launched Renault Duster has already been doing superb in terms of sales, Ford is ready with its compact Crossover, the EcoSport and Chevrolet Enjoy MPV will be here anytime soon. So, it has become more a necessity now for Hyundai India to launch a good product to earn the market share in this space.

Hyundai India is keeping its focus on diesel run cars, diesel vehicles accounted for 28% of the company's total sales. "We have invested $ 300 million in a new diesel gasoline flexible plant which has a 3,00,000-unit capacity. The flexi assembly line future-proofs us from any changes in the government's fuel POLICY, the while at the same time it Protects us from currency fluctuation since we no longer import diesel engines, "he said.

The company is also working on the next-generation i10, which will house the company's newly developed 1.1-litre diesel engine, while the petrol version will continue to derive its power from the existing 1.2-litre Kappa2 motor. The aforementioned 1.1-litre diesel engine is the company's smallest engine right now, which might also power the new compact car we mentioned above.

Speaking about the new compact car, Seo says "between the i10 and i20. It will create a completely new segment and will have better pick -up and performance than the i10 segment ". Denying that Hyundai will get into sub-Eon segment, he said, "Our Brand POSITIONING is On all about modern premium, so we will not go below the Eon, "said Seo.

Stay tuned to CarDekho for all the latest updates on upcoming Hyundai cars, Cheers!

Source: TOI

Mercedes-Benz India Records 5.3% growth in First Quarter

German luxury car maker, Mercedes-Benz's Indian subsidiary has announced their first quarter (Jan-March 2013) sales results, in which they sold 2009 units. Mercedes has recorded a growth of 5.3% over the corresponding period of 2012 in which a total 1908 units were sold by the company.

Eberhard Kern, Managing Director and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India commented: “We are very satisfied with the company performance in this quarter. Given the overall strain in the Indian economy and the fact that the Passenger Vehicles market has de-grown by double digits in Jan-Feb 2013, an incremental 5.3% performance enhancement is encouraging. There are several exciting product launches slated in the next months and riding the wave of these fascinating products, we envisage a double-digit growth in the next quarter.” 

The E Class has been the single largest contributor to the sales volumes in January – March 2013 period with more than 800 units sold (increase of about 25% over the corresponding period in 2012) while the Mercedes-Benz Dream Cars (comprising Completely Built imported cars like the AMG range, the SLK-Class and the CLS-Class) have registered highest growth (48% increase over the corresponding period in 2012). 

Honda CR-V to come in four variants, launch on 12th February

The Honda’s new CR-V will be available in four variants, two of which will be with the 2.0-litre and other with the 2.4-litre. It is disappointing for those who were expecting a diesel in the CR-V, as the Indian diesel doesn’t suit the CR-V’s oil burner.

The 2.0-litre with come with two transmission options, one being the six-speed simple shift stick and the other being the five-speed autobox. The autobox on the 2.0-litre doesn’t get paddle shifters. The 2.4-litre comes only with a five-speed self-shifting box with flappy paddles that transmit power to all the four wheels. This engine gets two cosmetic trim, one with the Audio Video Navigation (AVN) and the other without it. The AVN comes with a 5-inch touchscreen system that has audio, video, navigation and reverse parking camera. The bigger engine also gets HIDs with washer, while the 2.0-litre comes with halogen lamps.

Features like leather upholstery, multi information display with ECO assist, Econ mode, 17-inch alloys, electric driver’s seat, keyless entry are all standard across the entire CR-V range. Honda calls its fourth-generation CR-V as the Super CR-V. We drive both the engine options of the CR-V and share our review , of the first driving impressions that we got while driving on the roads of Udaipur.

New Honda CR-V vs competition

The new generation of the Honda CR-V is just launched and the Japanese automotive manufacturer has priced it well as the entry-level car comes for under the 20 lakh mark— even though the costing is without taxes.

The new generation CR-V is available with a 2.0-litre (6-speed manual and 5-sspeed auto) and 2.4-litre (5-speed auto) petrol engine variants. It competes with the BMW X1 and the Mercedes-Benz B-Class when it comes to shear pricing. So, we help you decide the better option.

Honda CR-V vs BMW X1

 

The X1 has been around for quite sometime and has been the entry-level vehicle for the BMW badge. It is based on the 3-Series platform and gets the same petrol and diesel engines like the previous generation 3-Series. The X1 is a SUV that feels like a sedan to drive, just like the CR-V. The difference however is that at the moment the CR-V comes with all-wheel drive in the 2.4-litre with touchscreen navigation, reverse parking camera etc. With the X1 launch just 2 days away, we are sure that BMW will add some extra goodies to make it competitive with the Honda, and at the same time you also get the BMW badge, but the Honda CR-V is a great value for money product and has done good in the past. So, the choice is yours value for money for badge value.

Honda CR-V vs Mercedes-Benz B-Class

The B-Class is the new entrant to the Mercedes-Benz stable and also new entry-level vehicle to the three-pointed star badge. The B-Class isn’t an SUV, but it does fall under similar price bracket. The Mercedes-Benz B-Class produces 122bhp of power that is less than the CR-V but the seven-speed dual clutch spreads the torque evenly, enhancing its performance. The B-Class is more expensive then the CR-V, but it does get seven-airbags, seven-speed dual clutch transmission, and more renowned badge than most of the brands that are ever sold. But the CR-V is an SUV, which differentiates it from the B-Class and is also an all-wheel drive.