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  • Volkswagen Taigun Cabin Image Officially Released

    Volkswagen Taigun Cabin Image Officially Released

    The Volkswagen Taigun has been one of the much-anticipated launches for 2021. Expected to go on sale in India ahead of the festive season, the German carmaker has already revealed a fair bit about the SUV, however, so far the cabin of the SUV was kept hidden. But not anymore. Yes, Volkswagen India has officially released an image of the upcoming Taigun’s interior, giving us a good look at the SUV’s dashboard, center console and a section of the front seats.

    Now, visually, the design and styling are different, but the dual-tone black and grey color treatment is very similar to that of the T-Roc. The center stage on the dashboard is taken by the large touchscreen infotainment display, which is expected to be a 10-inch unit, and beside it, we see a large instrument cluster, which is also a fully digital unit. The Taigun also gets a flat-bottom steering wheel with controls for music, telephony, and possible cruise control. Overall the cabin comes with some sharp lines and boxy elements, like the air-con vents and the gaps for the inner door handles. Below the central vents, we have more bottoms for other in-car functions, including the air-con system. We also get to see a pair of USB charging ports, a 12V charging socket and an engine start-stop button. The SUV also gets a bunch of storage pockets, a central armrest and two-tone fabric, and faux leather upholstery.

    As for the exterior, the Taigun comes with a blast of chrome on the front grille and even around the fog lamp housing. Enhancing the SUV feel of the vehicle is the skid plate upfront and the plastic cladding on the profile, while the roof rails too make it look a bit taller and upfront, plus we also get LED headlights and DRLs. Volkswagen will also have a GT variant on offer, which will get some plush features like red brake calipers and a big dose of chrome with the addition of features on the inside, and a GT badge on the grille. At the rear section of the SUV comes attractive LED taillights connected by a large LED light bar that adds to the premium design, with the centrally positioned Taigun lettering.

    Under the hood, the Taigun will come with two turbocharged petrol engines – 1-litre TSI and 1.5-litre TSI. There is no diesel engine on offer. The first one will be the 1-litre engine that also powers the Polo and Vento, and is tuned to make 113 bhp and 175 Nm of torque. It comes mated to a 6-speed manual and an optional 6-speed automatic transmission. VW will also offer a 1.5-litre TSI engine, borrowed from the T-Roc, which makes 148 bhp and 250 Nm of torque and will be available with a 6-speed manual and a 7-Speed DSG.

  • AirAsia awarded Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline &  Low-Cost Airline Cabin Crew at World Travel Awards 2020

    AirAsia awarded Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline & Low-Cost Airline Cabin Crew at World Travel Awards 2020

    AirAsia has been awarded Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline for the eighth consecutive year at the World Travel Awards (WTA) – one of the most prestigious, comprehensive and sought after awards programs commemorating excellence across key sectors of travel, tourism, and hospitality.

    AirAsia emerged top in the category having received the highest votes from travel professionals and industry players from around the region, ahead of regional players such as Scoot, Nok Air, VietJet Air, Jetstar and Firefly to win the top low-cost carrier awards – Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline 2020 and Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline Cabin Crew 2020.

    Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia Group said, “I am deeply humbled and honored to receive Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline 2020 Award for the eighth consecutive year. Winning the award this year is more important than ever and is of profound sentimental value as the industry is going through the most turbulent times. Our gratitude goes to every one of our over 600 million guests for their continued support and faith in us since day one, and their understanding as we weather through the most difficult period in AirAsia’s history. Most importantly, this award is dedicated to AirAsia’s Allstars (staff), including those who have left us recently through no fault of their own. I thank every Allstar for their commitment, perseverance and dedication  as we navigate our way through this incredibly challenging year.”

    AirAsia Group Head of Cabin Crew Suhaila Hassan said, “This pandemic has taken a toll on all of us, and the journey has been far from easy. Despite the crisis, I can say with confidence that our dedicated crew has risen to the challenge to show their service excellence and hospitality, adapting to the constantly changing rules and regulations. Our focus is to safeguard the wellbeing, health, and safety of each guest. And this award is a testament to our hard work and passion.”

    World Travel Awards Founder Graham E Cooke said, “Despite the unprecedented challenges faced by the aviation industry this year, AirAsia continues to lead the way in low-cost aviation in Asia and beyond. Its strive for excellence remains unrivaled and I am delighted that it has been acknowledged by both the travel trade and the public by being voted ‘Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline 2020’ and ‘Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline Cabin Crew 2020’.”

     Established in 1993, the World Travel Awards, one of the most prestigious and noteworthy awards programs in the global and tourism industry, acknowledges and celebrates excellence across key sectors of travel, tourism, and hospitality. The World Travel Awards brand is globally recognized as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.

    Despite the incredible challenges faced by the aviation industry over the course of 2020, this year’s World Travel Awards program saw record month-on-month voting numbers from the all-important tourism consumers, whilst the official website continues to receive more search traffic than in any previous year. Organizers say, this indicates that the hunger for travel and tourism is as strong as ever, providing encouraging signs to all in the aviation and tourism industries.

  • New Generation BMW Z4 Launched In India

    New Generation BMW Z4 Launched In India

    Having teased its new convertible weeks ago, BMW India has finally launched the much awaited new-generation Z4 Roadster in the country. Prices for the 2019 BMW Z4 Roadster start at ₹ 64.90 lakh for the sDrive20i variant, while the M40i is priced at ₹ 78.90 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom India). The all-new offering bring back the Z4 nameplate to India and has been developed in collaboration with Toyota. In fact, the new Z4 shares its engine with the all-new Toyota Supra that was revealed last year. The BMW convertible comes as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) and bookings are open at the automaker’s dealerships pan India.

    Speaking on the launch of the new Z4 Roadster, BMW Group India President (act.), Dr. Hans-Christian Baertels said, “BMW has a rich history of roadsters that have stood out as icons of pure driving pleasure. The all-new BMW Z4 Roadster is our brand-new addition to BMW’s long history of engrossing roadsters. With dynamic proportions, emotional design and thrilling sportiness, this open-top two-seater takes the classic roadster into the world of tomorrow. When the roof opens, there are no limits to driving pleasure in the all-new BMW Z4 Roadster.”

    The all-new BMW Z4 Roadster gets an evolutionary styling over the previous generation model, and is actually similar to the Z4 concept that was showcased a couple of years ago. The model gets the wide kidney grille up front that grabs all the attention, while the headlamps get the smoked finish and the LED treatment.  The bumper gets larger air intakes with the fog lamps neatly integrated in the design. The convertible rides on 18-inch or 19-inch alloys, while the rear gets wraparound LED taillights that look sharp with the gloss black finished bumper and twin exhaust tips. The new Z4 looks aggressive and certainly proper eye candy that will grab a lot of attention on the road. BMW says the new Z4 Roadster can be further spruced up visually with the Sport Line or M Sport Package on the sDrive20i that add a sportier appearance to the convertible.

    The new BMW Z4 Roadster is available in two engine variants. The Z4 sDrive20i uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol motor that churns out 194 bhp and 320 Nm of peak torque. The car accelerates from 0 -100 kmph in just 6.6 seconds. The more powerful and feature loaded Z4 M40i is powered by the 3.0-litre petrol motor tuned for 335 bhp and 500 Nm of peak torque. The M40i can sprint from 0-100 kmph in just 4.5 seconds. Both engines are paired with the 8-speed Steptronic Sport Transmission. Like all BMW models, the Z4 Roadster too gets 50:50 weight distribution for optimum drive with power sent only to the rear wheels.

    The cabin on the new Z4 Roadster is a familiar affair sharing the design with other BMW models. The massive 10.3-inch multimedia display takes prominence in the centre, while a 12.3-inch digital display replaces the conventional instrument console. The two-door also comes with two-zone climate control, electrically adjustable front seats, ambient lighting and more. The M40i also gets a 364 watt Harman Kardon system and a Head Up Display (HUD).

    On the safety front, the Z4 Roadster is loaded with pedestrian detection, emergency braking, rear collision warning, lane departure warning and cross traffic alert. The convertible also gets an auto parking feature and adaptive cruise control.

  • Korean Air’s jets get name of East Sea badly wrong

    Korean Air’s jets get name of East Sea badly wrong

    Korean Air, the country’s flag carrier, displayed maps with the “Sea of Japan” aboard some its flights rather than the East Sea, the name supported by the Korean government. The Japanese name of the sea, which is opposed by Korea, was found on a number of passenger-entertainment monitors. According to news reports Sunday, 3-D maps on the displays aboard 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft were found to make the designation.

    Korean Air confirmed Monday that seven of its nine B787-9 planes had the problem. All other aircraft marked the location as the East Sea.

    A spokesman explained that a software upgrade was undertaken to change the maps into 3-D visuals, and that the company failed to notice the wording supplied by the developer.

    “The developer of the 3-D map is a company in the United States,” he said.

    Adjustments to replace the Sea of Japan by the East Sea in the seven aircraft were to be finalized Monday.

    “I was told that the modified version was sent to us today and delivered to the division in charge by 5 p.m,” added the spokesman, saying that the changes would be made by the end of the day.

    He said the company did not know why the other two B787-9 aircraft did not have the same problem.

    The controversy is the result of an ongoing dispute between Korea and Japan over the name of the sea located between the two countries. Both argue that their respective names had been used historically.

    Since South and North Korea first raised objection to the “Sea of Japan” name in 1992, the research on the subject has yielded conflicting conclusions.

    Korean Air received similar criticism in 2012, when its official homepage used the “Sea of Japan” name instead of the East Sea. The problem resulted from the company’s use of the Google Map service.

  • Garuda Indonesia reigns as world’s best airline cabin crew for fourth consecutive year

    Garuda Indonesia reigns as world’s best airline cabin crew for fourth consecutive year

    Indonesia’s flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has won the world’s best airline staff award for the fourth year in a row according to a survey conducted by international rating organization Skytrax.

    Garuda Indonesia took first spot in the category at this year’s World Airline Awards, dubbed as the Oscars of the aviation industry, beating other prestigious airlines in the region such as Singapore Airlines and Thai Airlines.

    In the same category, Japan’s largest airline All Nippon Airways came second, followed by Taiwan-based international airline Eva Air and Thai Airways and Singapore Airlines.  The awards were announced at the Paris Air Show yesterday.

    According to Skytrax, the award “recognizes the highest all-around performance of an airline’s cabin staff” as well as the quality of staff members’ techniques and efficiency and their enthusiasm, attitude and overall hospitality.

    The survey was conducted from August 2016 to May 2017, involving 19.8 million votes.

    This year, Garuda Indonesia improved its position in the best airline category, climbing one spot to enter the top ten carriers on the world’s best airline list.

    The world’s best airline award for 2017 went to Qatar Airways, which took the title from fellow Middle Eastern carrier Emirates.