Renault Kwid small car segment from RENAULT

KWID

Renault India, the subsidiary of the French automobile giant has stunned the world by unveiling its latest hatchback model named as Kwid . The company has been working on this model from a long time under the code name 'XBA'. Now, it has officially pulled off covers over its production model, which looks very attractive. The manufacturer claims that this soon to be launched hatchback will carry a starting price tag of just around Rs. 3.0 lakh (ex-showroom). At the same time, it also stated that this model will feature some of the first-in-class features like driver side airbag (optional), a navigation system and a digital instrument cluster along with chrome accents on AC vents. This will eventually give tough times for the market leaders like Maruti Alto 800, Hyundai Eon and others in the entry level segment. In terms of its exteriors, it does not exactly look like a hatchback, instead, it gets the design cues from Duster. It has black colored protective claddings and wheel arch fenders along with side moldings, which gives it an appeal of an SUV. It also has an intimidating front facade with bold radiator grille and black accents inside headlight cluster.

The masculine front bumper is another aspect that emphasizes its robust looks. Coming to the insides, they look pretty simple and laden with standard features. However, its central console gets a glossy black treatment, which is the main attraction of the cabin. It has roomy insides, which is good enough to host at least five occupants. At the same time, it also seems to have a decent boot volume, which is essential for planning longer trips. The manufacturer has not revealed much about its features or specifications, which is increasing the curiosity among car enthusiasts. According to the sources, this yet to be launched vehicle is going to be introduced with an 800cc petrol engine under the hood. We can expect that this mill may produce a power in the range of 45 to 50bhp. As for the transmission, company's sources have confirmed that they are working on AMT (automated manual transmission), which makes it even competitive in the segment. This vehicle is expected to go on sale by the end of this year or probably by the upcoming festive season.

Mahindra TUV 300 a real compact SUV

TUV 300

Mahindra and Mahindra is the leading firm in the utility vehicle segment of this country. It has a several SUV models in its fleet, which are still dominating the market and has earned the top slot for their manufacturer. Now, this automobile firm has added one more product to its line-up, which will be competing in the relatively new compact SUV segment. It is the most awaited Mahindra TUV300 , which is set out to strengthen the company's foothold in this sector. Introduced in seven trim levels, this sports utility vehicle is powered by a 1.5-litre mHawk80 diesel engine.

    The heavy built sports utility vehicle is Mahindra’s answer to the newly launched and some old players in the SUV markets such as Hyundai Creta, Nissan Terrano, Renault Duster, Ford EcoSport and several others. Indian SUV market is at its very peak in recent years with the small or entry car market is on a low. However, Mahindra’s SUVs are also quite a hit among the consumers already but the intensifying competition now a days will compel the biggest of the companies to work harder to ensure their share in the total sales for SUVs. And to make the matters interesting, Maruti Suzuki S-Cross is also coming in a next few days.Mahindra different from others is its affection towards muscular designs they impose in their vehicles, so this is not quite a very surprising thing that the new SUV from Mahindra looks like a battle tank. However different may they be from the rest, there is no denying on the fact that Mahindra has known the pulse of Indian consumers more than the ‘outsiders’ which makes it hold its special place in the market despite the entry and exit of many companies.

    In a recent news release, the company officials said that the new TUV3OO will be slightly different from its older cousins as it will be having a flat roof, raised shoulders, straight bonnet, high front nose and a very high ground clearance as well making it an idle SUV to go with the harsh off-roading as well.

Pawan Goenka, the executive director of Mahindra and Mahindra said that a need for a muscular, strong built and heavy SUV was felt and they acted according to it like always. He added that he is quite sure that the new UV is going to perform excessively well in the market same as its older generation counterparts which are presently illuminating the Indian big car market and same as them, TUV3OO will turn out to be an iconic vehicle as long as Indian Territory is concerned.

Mahindra TUV3OO will be powered by Mahindra’s widely acclaimed mHawk engine which will churn out a maximum power of 80 ps. The mHawk engine currently serving other Mahindra big shots such as Scorpio and XUV500 seems to be the right choice as there are no second thoughts about the engine performance of above mentioned SUVs.

If analysts reports are to be believed then the Indian SUV market is on a rise, but in past few months it has faced a slight decrease in the total sales. The reason is consumer’s anticipation for new and better models. For example, Maruti Suzuki S-cross is highly awaited car thus many consumers are holding their money to wait until the car gets launch. This has put an immense pressure on the established players to keep upmarketing their models to remain in the competition.

    Price List

Variants	New Delhi	Bangalore	Mumbai	Chennai	Pune	Hyderabad	Kolkata
T4 (Diesel)	6,98,000	7,11,163	6,90,000	7,13,635	6,90,000	7,10,157	7,34,315
T4 Plus (Diesel)	7,33,000	7,46,785	7,25,000	7,49,257	7,25,000	7,45,780	7,70,283
T6 (Diesel)	7,63,000	7,77,319	7,55,000	7,79,791	7,55,000	7,76,313	8,01,054
T6 Plus (Diesel)	7,88,000	8,02,763	7,80,000	8,05,235	7,80,000	8,01,758	8,26,744
T8 (Diesel)	8,48,000	9,37,110	8,40,000	8,66,302	8,40,000	8,62,824	8,88,400
T6 Plus AMT (Diesel)	8,60,000	8,76,043	8,52,000	8,78,515	8,52,000	8,75,037	9,00,730
T8 AMT (Diesel)	9,20,000	9,37,110	9,12,000	9,39,582	9,12,000	9,36,104	9,62,386