Category: Automotive

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Auto and Car news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Porsche 911 GT2 RS Production To Start All Over

    Porsche 911 GT2 RS Production To Start All Over

    Porsche officially had ended the production of the 911 GT2 RS last month. However, the company will restart its production as the last shipment containing 4 Porsche 911 GT2 RS sank-off the French Atlantic coast. The cars were being shipped in the Italian marine container- Grande America along with other Audi and Porsche models. Other models onboard were the Audi A3, Audi A5, Audi RS5, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayman, Porsche Boxster and Porsche Cayenne.

    According to the reports, Grande America sank due to a fire breakout and within no time submerged into the water. The letter Porsche wrote to the owners explained them the circumstance and informed that the company will resume the production of the Porsche GT2 RS in Germany and the vehicles will be manufactured in April. The delivery of the same has been scheduled for June. Porsche has also confirmed that 37 of its new cars in route from Hamburg to Brazil were on Grande America. The company will manufacture all those models again.

    According to the reports, the aboard shipment was destroyed beyond restorable limits due to the fire and what went below the surface were only salvage. The fire started on the car deck ship and according to the maritime authority of the French coast, it drowned 15,000 ft. below the surface.

  • Porsche Cayenne Coupe Unleached

    Porsche Cayenne Coupe Unleached

    We’ve been anticipating it for a while now from Porsche and it’s finally here. The Porsche Cayenne has taken the Coupe route and the company has revealed the Cayenne Coupe. The highlights of the new Cayenne model include sharper lines with a unique rear section, an adaptive rear spoiler, a rear bench with the characteristics of two individual seats. The new model also offers two different roof concepts, which includes a panoramic fixed glass roof fitted as standard and an optional carbon roof.

    The front windscreen and A-pillar are shallower than in the Cayenne, courtesy of a roof edge that has been lowered by around 20 millimetres. Redesigned rear doors and fenders broaden the shoulders of this vehicle by 18 millimetres, contributing to its overall muscular impression. The rear number plate is integrated into the bumper, making the vehicle seem closer to the ground. With its adaptive roof spoiler, the current Cayenne Turbo was the first SUV to feature this type of active aerodynamics. The new Cayenne Coupé picks up that ball and runs with it. On each Cayenne Coupé model, a roof spoiler is combined with a new adaptive rear spoiler as part of Porsche Active Aerodynamics (PAA). The spoiler – harmonically integrated into this model’s silhouette – extends by 135 mm at speeds of 90 kmph and up, increasing the contact pressure on the rear axle, while PAA simultaneously enhances efficiency.

    The new Cayenne Coupé comes with a 2.16 m2 panoramic fixed glass roof as standard. A contoured carbon roof is optionally available for the Coupe. The centre seam gives the roof the characteristic look of a sports car, similar to the Porsche 911 GT3 ₹ The carbon roof is available in one of the three lightweight sports packages. These packages also include the Sport Design features and new, weight-reduced 22-inch GT Design wheels, seat centres in classic checked fabric, as well as carbon and Alcantara accents in the interior. For the Cayenne Turbo Coupe, the package also includes a sports exhaust system.

    If you thought it’s pretty groovy looking on the outside, well, the inside is no different. At the front, the new eight-way sports seats with integrated headrests offer exceptional comfort and optimum lateral support. In the rear, the Coupé comes fitted as standard with a rear bench that has the characteristics of two individual seats. Alternatively, the comfort rear seats – a familiar feature of the Cayenne – can be ordered at no additional cost. Rear passengers sit 30 millimetres lower than in the Cayenne, meaning there is plenty of headroom despite the vehicle’s sporty lowered silhouette. The boot capacity is 625 litres – ideal for everyday use – and rises to 1,540 litres when the rear seats are folded down (Cayenne Turbo Coupé: 600 to 1,510 litres).

    Under the hood of the Cayenne Coupe will be two high-performance engines. It will come with a 3-litre 6-cylinder turbocharged engine that delivers 335 bhp and maximum torque of 450 Nm. The Sport Chrono Package fitted in the car achieves the standard sprint from 0-100 kmph in 6 seconds, with this figure dropping to 5.9 seconds with the optional lightweight sports packages. The vehicle’s top speed is 243 kmph. The top-of-the-range Cayenne Turbo Coupe goes to the starting line with a 4 litre V8 engine with twin-turbo charging 542 bhp, and a maximum torque of 770 Nm. The Cayenne Turbo Coupe accelerates from a standing start to 100 kmph in 3.9 seconds, and has a top speed of 286 kmph.

    The new Porsche Cayenne Coupe models are available for order now in the European markets. We have to wait to find out when India gets this model. We are sure that it will be very soon though.

  • Ducati Global Sales Slip 2.7 Per Cent Last Year

    Ducati Global Sales Slip 2.7 Per Cent Last Year

    Ducati’s global sales volumes for 2018 remains over the 50,000 level for the fourth consecutive year in 2018, despite a 2.7 per cent decrease in global sales. In all, Ducati delivered 53,004 motorcycles to customers worldwide, compared to 55,871 motorcycles in 2017. Sales in Ducai’s number one market, the US, proved to be particularly challenging, declining by nearly 9 per cent. Overall revenue in 2018 reached a figure of 699 million Euros, compared to 736 million Euros in 2017. Operating profit for 2018 was 49 million Euros, compared to 51 million Euros in 2017.

    “2018 was challenging from many points of view, but we are satisfied with our financial performance throughout a difficult year,” said Claudio Domenicali, CEO Ducati Motor Holding. “The company is generating the resources to continue funding the development of new products which is very positive for the future.”

    The Bologna-based motorcycle company managed to compensate the reduction in the volume of sales, resulting from a decline in the market, with the growing interest and market success of models with higher margins, such as the Panigale, which made it possible to maintain the operating profit at the same level as the previous year. The Panigale series had had quite a successful run in 2018, with one out of every superbike sold worldwide in 2018 being a Ducati Panigale. The home market of Italy continued to be successful for Ducati with sales of over 9,000 bikes in 2018. Ducati Motor Holding currently has 1,591 employees, and the global sales network includes 720 dealerships in over 90 countries.

  • All-New BMW 1 Series Launch on The Agenda for this Year

    All-New BMW 1 Series Launch on The Agenda for this Year

    The 2019 BMW 1 Series has been one of the long-awaited launches not only for the Indian market but also globally. The 1 Series is BMW’s most affordable offering and has been around since 2011 globally. The hatchback also made its way to India in 2012, however, it was soon taken off the production line in India pertaining to its low demand. That said, BMW has heavily updated the next-generation BMW 1-Series and it will make its first public appearance at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The company has also confirmed that the all-new BMW 1 Series will be launched in Europe in 2019 and will make its way to the other global markets in 2020. The all-new BMW 1 Series will have a similar interior design to the latest 3-Series.

    The new BMW 1 Series has been developed on the FAAR platform and will embody BMW groups latest design language with its face picking up cues from the 8-Series Coupe. The cabin of the new BMW 1 Series is also inspired by the bigger models of the family and the dash will be quite similar to what we have seen on the latest 3 Series sedan. However, the size of the infotainment screen and instrument panel is still uncertain. The key highlight, however, is that the new 1 Series will be front-wheel driven like the BMW X1 and, unlike its predecessor which was rear-wheel driven.

    At the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, the next-generation 1 Series will be showcased alongside the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe. While the latter is unlikely to be considered for the Indian market, we still hope the BMW 1 Series could return given the fact that BMW is planning to launch 12 new models in India in the 2019 Fiscal year. The new 1 Series will also be a feature loaded model, unlike the previous one which lost its sheen being bare basic for a luxury car brand. Moreover, being a front-wheel-drive model, it’s likely to be cheaper than its predecessor.

  • Kawasaki India To Increase Prices From April Onwards

    Kawasaki India To Increase Prices From April Onwards

    India Kawasaki Motors (IKM) today announced that it will be increasing the prices of select models in India by up to 7 per cent. The revised prices for the motorcycles will come into effect from April 1, 2019, onwards and the new prices will be disclosed on the Kawasaki India’s official website. Stating the reason for the price hike, Kawasaki India says, “IKM strives hard to keep the price of its models very competitive in the India market. However, due to the increasing costs of raw materials and fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, IKM is compelled to change the price of our models.”

    Kawasaki hasn’t mentioned which all model will be receiving the price hike, however, we expect the India-made Kawasaki Ninja 300 to be a part of it. Mainly considering the fact that the motorcycle was launched at quite a competitive price and the company recently even slashed the prices of its spare parts by a considerable amount. Much recently, Kawasaki India also launched two models, namely Ninja ZX-6R and Versys 1000, at very competitive prices.

    In India, Kawasaki currently offers the Z250, Ninja 300, Versys-X 300, Ninja 400, Ninja 650, Z650, Versys 650, Vulcan S, Versys 1000, Ninja 1000, Ninja ZX-6R, Ninja ZX-10R and Ninja ZX-10RR, all of which are assembled at the Chakan plant. In total, however, Kawasaki offers a total of offers 29 products which include super-sports, naked, sports-tourer, cruiser and off-road variants.

  • Ducati India Announces DIY Discoveries Program

    Ducati India Announces DIY Discoveries Program

    Ducati India has announced its Do-It-Yourself Ducati Discoveries program in India and is partnering with Infinity Resorts for the same. What this means is that a Ducati owner in India will be able to make their own trips and travel plans with Ducati without any barrier on dates and timing, which they can choose to do either solo or with fellow Ducatisti. The first leg of this program takes you to Jim Corbett, one of the most famous national parks and tiger reserves in India.

    Ducati and Infinity will also extend the Ducati Discoveries program to other national parks such as Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Kaziranga and so on. Infinity Resorts suggests an itinerary of 5 Days or 4-nights which includes Jeep safaris, riding trails and bird-watching tours along with stay in fine hotels and resorts according to participants’ choice of dates. The best part is that riders get to choose how many days they wish to travel and what they want to do on their very own adventure.

    Sergi Canovas, Managing Director of Ducati India said, “We have been listening to our customers keenly and are taking their feedback. One of the first insights for us was that even though a lot of people want to go on Ducati Dream Tours, it somehow becomes a challenge with set dates which might not work for everyone. Keeping the same in mind, we created this unique property, exclusively for India, by tying up with luxury resort partners Infinity resorts. Ducati riders can just visit the DIY website, check out the suggested itinerary and download the travel maps.

    Basis their convenient dates and the time available, all they need to do is call the resort on their exclusive Ducati riders booking line and make reservations for this unique experience for themselves and their family. Currently, the first route map is live on the Ducati Discoveries website and we will be adding 4 more trips for our riders to avail within this year.”

    Ducati India has already completed its Dream Tours to Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan and this is the company’s latest initiative to engage riders and also encourage them to take their Ducatis and go out exploring India.

  • Shelby Mustang GT500 Could Be Launched Soon In India

    Shelby Mustang GT500 Could Be Launched Soon In India

    Pune-based AJP Group is likely to launch the much-loved Shelby Mustang GT500 in India this year. The multi-brand enterprise, which recently appointed Manas Dewan as its Chief Operating Officer (COO), said that the company has partnered with performance auto brands like Scomadi Scooters and Shelby. And we have reasons to believe that the first car to come from the latter will be the new 2020 Shelby Mustang GT500. It was just early this year in January that Ford performance-oriented pony car made its official debut at the 2019 Detroit Motor Show, and it’s possible that the car could come to India by the end of this year.

    At the moment neither Dewan nor any other company spokesperson was available to provide us with an official confirmation about the Shelby GT500’s arrival. However, it’s clear that AJP is likely to serve as the technical partner for Shelby in India, handling modifications and upgrades, and as is the case globally sales, services and warranty bits could be handled by Shelby and Ford India.

    Although based on the regular Mustang, this particular GT500 tuned by Shelby is the most powerful Ford car. The Shelby GT500 is powered by a hand-built supercharged 5.2-litre aluminium alloy engine with inverted a 2.65-litre roots-type supercharger and air-to-liquid intercooler tucked neatly in the V8 engine valley and is tuned to churn out around 700 bhp. The Shelby GT500 gets a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, which can shift smoothly in less than 100 milliseconds. This dual-clutch transmission is designed for a number of drive modes, including normal, slippery, sport, drag and track, and features line-lock and rpm-selectable launch control through selectable Track Apps.

    Visually, the car carries the signature Shelby character merged with the Ford Mustang’s design, like the large grille with the Cobra at the centre, sporty front bumper with a lip spoiler, 20-inch carbon fibre wheels. The car also comes with 0.5-inch-wider rear wheels (11.5-inch), custom Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, adjustable exposed carbon fibre GT4 track wing and splitter wickers with integrated dive plane. Then we also have the signature twin racing strips running from front to back.

    The car also gets a race car-inspired cabin with premium materials and unique finishes with fibre instrument panel applique and new door panel inserts in Dark Slate Miko suede with accent stitching. The dashboard features an 8-inch SYNC 3 touch screen featuring SiriusXM and FordPass Connect, along with a 12-inch full-colour LCD instrument cluster as well. The car also gets a high-performance custom-tuned 12-speaker B&O play premium audio system.

  • Pakistan To Start Proton Car Production

    Pakistan To Start Proton Car Production

    A joint venture between Malaysia’s Proton Motors and Pakistan’s Al-Haj group will begin producing cars from June, officials said on Friday at a ceremony in Islamabad unveiling a series of business accords between the two countries.

    The Proton joint venture, first agreed last year, was the centerpiece of a series of agreements signed during a visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Pakistani officials said the deals would total around $800-900 million.

    “These partnerships are just the beginning and I look forward to more and more partnerships,” Board of Investment chairman Haroon Sharif said at the signing ceremony, at which Mahathir presented Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan with a symbolic car key.

    The Proton plant, near the southern port city of Karachi, is the latest in a series of assembly deals set up in Pakistan by international auto makers including Volkswagen AG and Hyundai Motors.

    “We were told that the first Proton which will be assembled here will be on the roads next June in Pakistan,” Sharif said.

    The deals come as Pakistan steps up efforts to attract foreign investment. The country is struggling with a ballooning current account deficit and a balance of payments squeeze that has forced it into bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund.

    In recent months, it has signed multibillion dollar credit and investment deals with countries including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It is also a central part of China’s vast Belt and Road Initiative through the $60 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

    As well as the Proton accord, Malaysia’s Edotco Group signed agreements in the telecoms sector with local units of China Mobile and Telenor, as well as local mobile group Jazz.

    Other deals included a halal meat agreement signed by the foods unit of Pakistan’s Fauji Foundation conglomerate and a $20 million venture capital agreement between Pakistan’s Fatima Ventures and Gobi Partners of Malaysia.

  • Triumph Motorcycles Recalls Over 12,000 Bikes In The US

    Triumph Motorcycles Recalls Over 12,000 Bikes In The US

    Triumph Motorcycles USA is recalling more than 12,000 motorcycles for a potential fault, where the clutch cable may come in contact with the wiring harness, causing loss of electrical power. As many as 12,654 motorcycles are likely to be affected by the recall, and spans across Triumph modern classic models. The affected models are 2016-2019 Triumph Bonneville T120 and Bonneville T120 Black, 2017-2019 Bonneville T100 and T100 Black, 2017-2018 Street Cup and Street Scrambler, and 2016-2018 Street Twin motorcycles. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), clutch cable may contact the main harness cover and cause damage to wiring within the main harness, and lead to a loss of electrical power to various electrical circuits.

    Triumph will notify owners of the affected motorcycles, and dealers will replace the original securing guide for the clutch cable and main harness with an updated one, free of charge. Owners may also get in touch with Triumph dealerships directly, or with Triumph customer service to check if their motorcycles are affected by the latest recall. So far, the recall has been issued only in the US for the affected motorcycles, and there’s no update yet if any bikes in India are likely to be affected by the same issue. If you’re a Triumph owner, the official Triumph website does have a provision for checking your VIN (vehicle identification number) to see if that particular motorcycle is under recall.

    The Triumph modern classic range is the most popular range of motorcycles from the British motorcycle brand globally. As much as 60-70 per cent of Triumph Motorcycles’ sales across the world come from the modern classic range in the Bonneville family. In India too, the Triumph Bonneville range is the most popular range of motorcycles from the British brand.

  • Royal Enfield Classic & Thunderbird Range Get Optional Alloy Wheels

    Royal Enfield Classic & Thunderbird Range Get Optional Alloy Wheels

    Chennai-based motorcycle maker, Royal Enfield has added alloy wheels as an optional accessory for the Classic and Thunderbird range of motorcycles. The alloy wheels are priced at ₹ 10,000 for a pair and can be purchased at any of the brand’s 800+ dealerships across the country. The black with chrome finished nine-spoke alloy wheels are the same ones that are already offered on the Thunderbird X series, and will seamlessly integrate with the original tyres, tubes and brakes, replacing the stock spoked wheels that are offered with all Royal Enfield offerings.

    The alloys are compatible with any of the Royal Enfield Classic and Thunderbird range of motorcycles

    Compatible with the Royal Enfield Classic 350 and 500, as well as the Thunderbird 350 and 500, the front alloy wheel measures at 19-inch while the rear is an 18-inch unit. The alloys come with a warranty period of two years, and the bike maker’s lists the installation time at 105 minutes. The new alloy wheels not only add to the visual appeal of the motorcycle but also bring the convenience of tubeless tyres, which are easier to repair, in case of a puncture.

    Given the fact that Royal Enfield motorcycles tend to be one of the most customisable motorcycles out there, offering factory-backed accessories is a smart move from the manufacturer. This should also help reduce the use of substandard alloys that are available in the market that tend to break easily with a simple bump or thud. It’s a safety risk afterall, putting the rider and pillion’s life in danger.

    In addition, Royal Enfield is expected to roll out alloy wheel options for the Interceptor 650 as well in the coming weeks. The alloy could sport a different design while prices are likely to be in the same vicinity. Both the front and rear wheels are 18-inch spoked-units on the Interceptor 650 and Continental GT 650, and come shod with Pirelli tyres.

  • Suzuki Patents Reveal Radar-Based Anti-Collision System

    Suzuki Patents Reveal Radar-Based Anti-Collision System

    Suzuki may be the next two-wheeler manufacturer which is likely working on advanced rider assist systems (ARAS) which could be based on radar technology. Images filed in a recent patent in Japan indicates that Suzuki is looking to install radar reflectors at strategic points on their motorcycles to make them more visible to other vehicles – vehicles which already have collision sensors installed on them. Collision sensors and advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) are the latest technologies to have been introduced in building safer cars, warning drivers of potential collisions and even triggering evasive measures like braking and deceleration.

    Motorcycles, and indeed, any two-wheeler on the road isn’t always visible to other motorists, and being in the blind spot of a car driver is not always a good sensation, when you realise that the car may suddenly change lanes or brake without noticing a motorcycle in the vicinity. And if sensors can warn other motorists about the presence of a motorcycle, then it’s only good news, because it increases a motorcycle’s visibility on the road to other motorists. That is precisely what the new Suzuki patents seem to be doing. The radar reflectors in the patent images will work in tandem with advanced automobiles, like self-driven cars, who can sense the presence of a motorcycle. Now, these don’t seem to be designed to make the motorcycle brake or take any evasive action sensing a potential collision, but even if it’s just warning other cars of the motorcycle’s presence, it may seem like a good idea to have such technology installed.

    Radar-based safety technology isn’t all-new. Bosch has been known to be working on such ARAS for some time now, and motorcycle brands like KTM and BMW Motorrad have been testing such technology, and possibly radar-based motorcycle technology will debut sometime later this year, possibly at the EICMA show in Milan. While the Suzuki patents may not be hi-tech radar-based systems which trigger the motorcycle’s electronic safety systems, like braking, cruise control and deceleration, these do go a long way in making motorcycles more visible on the road. And that’s a better thing to have than relying entirely on the rider’s reflexes when a car does not sense the presence of a motorcycle in its vicinity.

    The radar reflectors seem to be still in concept stage, but the images seem to imply that these reflectors may be available as a bolt on system; so as more and more cars come equipped with advanced driver assist systems, it may be an easy retrofit, even on older or current motorcycles. And yes, these reflectors can be a good pre-emptive safety measure even for human error on the part of car drivers – who may be distracted by a passenger, or even a cellphone.

  • Toyota To Use Maruti Suzuki’s Platforms To Develop New Models

    Toyota To Use Maruti Suzuki’s Platforms To Develop New Models

    Toyota Motor Corporation and Suzuki Motor Corporation have announced their agreement to begin considering concrete collaboration in new fields. The two Japanese companies have been considering the details of the collaboration since they signed an MOU for business partnership in February 2017. The companies have spelt out the broad areas of collaboration keeping different markets in mind. It was already known that the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and Baleno will be cross-badged and Toyota will retail them through their network after making minor design changes and in return, Maruti Suzuki will do the same with the Suzuki badged Corolla. The company has shared that Maruti Suzuki will also supply two compact vehicles which will be developed on Suzuki’s Global C and Heartec platforms which spawn the Ciaz and Ertiga, respectively.

    Though Toyota will be outsourcing the Ciaz and Ertiga along with the Vitara Brezza and Baleno for the African market, the company will be using Suzuki’s expertise and platforms to develop a similar but new C-segment MPV for the Indian market. This means that Toyota’s version of the Ertiga and Ciaz for our market won’t be limited to cross-badging, but could see some substantial modifications as well. Toyota will also start the production of its version of the Vitara Brezza in 2022 at its Karnataka plant while the Toyota badged Baleno will go on sale in 2019 itself.

    The Toyota-Suzuki pact, however, will go beyond sharing of vehicles and platforms. The company will supply hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) technologies to Maruti Suzuki through local procurement of HEV systems, engines and batteries. Toyota’s hybrid technology will hence be a replacement for the mild hybrid or SHVS technology which Maruti Suzuki has been using so far in the Ciaz and Ertiga along with introducing some plug-in hybrid models. Globally, Toyota will also supply Suzuki hybrid systems which will make way in its models worldwide.

  • Kia Partners With Amazon To Sell Charging Stations For Electric Vehicles

    Kia Partners With Amazon To Sell Charging Stations For Electric Vehicles

    Kia Motors America (KMA) in partnership with Amazon Home Services has announced a new program for its plug-in vehicle customers. The program will see Amazon sell and install electric vehicle charging stations at the customers house or office. The tie-up makes Kia, the second automaker after Tesla in America to offer the service online with the electric charging network. The manufacturer says the process of purchasing and installing a charging station will be as easy as buying other products on Amazon.

    Speaking about the new initiative, KMA – Car Planning and Telematics, Executive Director, Orth Hedrick said, “Home-charging can’t get any easier than this. Being able to order a Level 2 charger and installation through Amazon further demystifies and simplifies the experience for new Kia EV and PHEV owners. It’s just another example of how we’re constantly striving to provide the very best vehicles and customer experience.”

    Kia Motors has been actively working on improving its charging infrastructure in the US as it adds more electric cars to its portfolio. The company currently retails the Soul EV, Niro EV1, Niro PHEV and Optima PHEV, among other models in the country. Customers will find recommended Level 2 or 240-volt charging units selected by Kia on Amazon, along with information about home charging installation and customer reviews. The site also gives customers the cost for the installation and will schedule a licensed electrician for the same, if needed. The charging stations are backed by Amazon’s Happiness Guarantee plan. Kia’s vehicles in the US are offered with a 10 year/160,000 km warranty cover and roadside assistance.

    Kia and Amazon have set up a new ‘Charge my Kia’ portal for the sale of the electric charging stations. While buyers can purchase the Bosch 40-amp station that is available in partnership with the manufacturer, there are other charging stations available as well from companies like Chargepoint and Juicebox.

  • Most Affordable Bugatti Launched

    Most Affordable Bugatti Launched

    If you thought this was a click-bait headline, we wouldn’t blame you for it. Bugatti and cheap or affordable rarely go together in a sentence and only even then, the figures resemble a small country’s GDP. This time, however, we actually mean it. Bugatti, the creator of hypercars like the Veyron and the Chiron, has launched its most affordable offering. This time though, it’s in the toy sector with its new Bugatti Baby II ride-on electric vehicle. Inspired from the Bugatti Baby I, the toy car can be driven by both kids and adults, and is priced at $34,000.

    The Bugatti Baby II is a modernised version of the half-scale Type 35 race car replica that the automaker’s founder Ettore Bugatti had built for his son nearly a century ago. While the original Baby I built between 1927 and 1936, was specifically for children, the Baby II is more accommodating and can be driven by adults too thanks to the larger proportions. The toy car gets an electric motor and with two power modes – child and adult. The child mode restricts the top speed to 20 kmph with power limited to 1.3 bhp, while the adult mode will let you top it out at 45 kmph. Much like the Chiron though, the Baby II also comes with a “speed key” that allows you to remove the limiter altogether unleashing all the 13 horses from the electric motor. The higher speed though, we reckon will come at the cost of battery life.

    The Bugatti standards of manufacturing apply to its most affordable offering as well. The cockpit is fitted with all plush materials including the aluminium dashboard, leather upholstered seat, an old-fashioned Type 35-style four-spoke steering wheel and a Bugatti instrument panel. You can also match the Baby II’s colour scheme with that of your Chiron, plus eight-spoke aluminum alloy wheels and fully functioning headlights can be added as optional extras. Definitely an upgrade over the toy cars sold at Hamleys.

    At $34,000, the Bugatti Baby II is not cheap. In fact, for those in the US, a couple of extra thousand dollars will get you a Tesla Model 3. But then again, this is for the ultra rich that may have a Veyron or a Chiron stacked up in a garage somewhere. The fact that only 500 of these will be made (just like the original), certainly makes them a lot more rare than we’d expect.

  • Suzuki Ertiga Black Edition Just Launched In The Philippines

    Suzuki Ertiga Black Edition Just Launched In The Philippines

    The Maruti Suzuki Ertiga was introduced in India last year and is sold in a number of markets including several South East Asian countries. The new generation model is being offered with several upgrades overseas and latest one is a new special edition model for Philippines. The Suzuki Ertiga Black Edition brings an all-black interior to the MPV without making any changes to the exterior of the vehicle, which can otherwise be seen on the special edition Ertiga GT set for debut later this month in Indonesia.

    Coming to the changes on the Suzuki Ertiga Black edition for Philippines, the model gets the all-black treatment in place of the beige themed cabin on the standard version. The automaker has also used darker wood trims on the dashboard to match the overall theme, while the plastics inside the cabin are black as well. The wood finished multi-function steering wheel continues to be on offer. The car continues to be offered as a seven-seater with the 2+3+3 layout. Internationally, the Ertiga misses out on the SmartPlay Studio infotainment system but does get a 10-inch touchscreen display with with Bluetooth, USB and AUX connectivity.

    Under the hood, the Philippines-spec Suzuki Ertiga draws powered from the 1.5-litre K-Series petrol engine tuned for 103 bhp, and is paired with a 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmission. The engine is also offered in India alongside the 1.3-litre DDiS diesel motor with 89 on tap. That said, reports suggest that the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga for India is all set to get the new Suzuki-developed 1.5-litre diesel engine under the hood. The new motor will meet the stringent BS6 norms and will effectively replace the 1.3 Fiat-sourced mill across the Maruti Suzuki vehicle range. There are also reports of a more premium six-seater version coming later this year and could be sold exclusively via the Nexa outlets.