Feb 2, 2012

New Maruti Suzuki DZire Launched

With a boot just 145mm longer than the current Swift, the new Dzire has been resurrected with a quirky yet queer design. Priced between Rs 4.79 Lakh to 6.54 Lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the petrol version and Rs 5.80 to 7.09 Lakh for the diesel version, this betrunked three box sedan now also features a dual tone dashboard, integrated stereo (higher variants) and a host of safety equipment



Maruti Suzuki unveils its new Swift DZire in Delhi. Seen with the car are Mr. S Nakanishi MD and Mr. Mayank Pareek MEO (Marketing and Sales)



As a competitor in a bare bones entry level sedan market, the Maruti Suzuki Dzire was built for the clear purpose of being a cost effective mass market three box passenger car. And having sold over 3.3 lakh units till date in the domestic market, it’s safe to say the vehicle did what was expected of it.


With the arrival of the new Swift model in 2011, it was only a matter of time before MSIL got busy with carving out the look for its next generation Swift Dzire. With a boot just 145 mm longer than the current generation Swift hatch, the new Dzire has now been launched with a refreshed look and feel. Restricted to 3995mm in length to take advantage of the lower excise duty advantage for cars under the 4,000mm mark, the boot on the new Swift Dzire has been compromisingly reworked (Read : Boot Space Comparo), but still offers a healthy 316 litres of trunk space.



Host of safety features on the new Swift Dzire



Performance and fuel efficiency figures on the new face-lifted or rather boot deflected sedan has certainly gotten better with both the petrol and diesel models. The K12M VVT petrol engine powered model delivers 87PS of power @ 6000rpm and a decent 114Nm of torque @ 4000 rpm. But is now capable of going from 0-100kmh in just 12.6 seconds, and offers a company claimed fuel efficiency of 19.1 kmpl.


The acclaimed 1.3litre DDiS engine will continue to power the diesel version generating 75PS of power @ 4000rpm and a solid 190Nm of torque @ 2000rpm. Going by the reputation of this engine, a forward sprint of 0-100kmh in just 14.8 seconds and a company claimed efficiency figure of 23.4kmpl shouldn’t be too far from the data that our rigorous Road Test (Read : First Drive) of the car will eventually fetch us.

For added convenience to city dwellers, MSIL has also introduced a four speed automatic transmission with the petrol engine model for now. Hopes are however that this mechanism is extended to the diesel version as well in the future.


Dual Tone Dashboard and Integrated Stereo




Cosmetic upgrades on the new car are also quite apparent with the inclusion of an all new dual tone dashboard, an integrated stereo on higher models and climate control air conditioning. Safety on the new Maruti Swift Dzire is one of the most noteworthy improvements with a host of safety features such as front dual SRS airbags, ELR seatbelts, ABS, Brake Assist, EBD and an Engine Drag Control system all now part of the this reworked next gen D’zire package (Read : Special Coverage).

Priced between Rs 4.79 Lakh to 6.54 Lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the petrol version and Rs 5.80 to 7.09 Lakh for the diesel version the new Swift D’zire will go head to head against the likes of the Tata Indigo CS, and continue to compete against the Toyota Etios and Mahindra Logan. If one were to go by the new D’zire’s on paper credentials, it could very well prolong its long standing success in this segment in the years to come.

VARIANT WISE PRICING FOR THE NEW MARUTI SWIFT DZIRE :

PETROL
DIESEL
LXi: Rs 4.79*  Lakh
LDi: Rs 5.80* Lakh
Vxi: 5.32* Lakh
VDi: Rs 6.31* Lakh
Zxi 6.19* Lakh
ZDi: 7.09* Lakh
Auto: Rs 6.54* Lakh


*All prices are ex-showroom Delhi


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Feb 1, 2012

Engine and Transmission on the New 2012 Bajaj Pulsar

The new Bajaj Pulsar 200NS uses a 199.5 cc SOHC - 4V engine that produces 23.52PS on tap at 9500 rpm and makes 18.3Nm of torque at 8000 rpm. The engine is liquid cooled, a first for a homegrown machine and one which is compact, high tech, has all the robustness of design and build to benefit from the new combustion technology perfected with the three-spark plug head

The Pulsar 200 NS comes in with 23.52PS on tap at 9500 rpm and makes 18.3Nm of torque at 8000 rpm


How many times has it been said that the heart of a Ferrari is its engine and just as many times it has been mentioned that if one had to denote the signature Ferrari engine it had to be a V12. Maybe this sort of a geneology could also be applied to the Pulsar because the DNA of this brand is its engine technology – homespun tech that has proved itself in the art of making power and delivering efficiency without being harmful to the environment. The DTSi twin spark digital ignition technology came up through the simple expedient which has remained a Joseph Abraham hallmark to this very day: initiate complete and total combustion as quickly as possible so that no unburnt fuel goes out as harmful tailpipe effluents while power and torque are high without the need to drink more fuel. If that’s not all the obvious benefits to this approach mean not much is needed by way of exhaust after treatment and also the fact that the engine operates at a higher efficiency always.


This is the sort of approach that is carried on in the new motor as well but one that has now been taken to newer heights with the employment of what is indeed the world’s first ever three-spark plug head on a single cylinder motorcycle engine! Again let us not be so simplistic as that in just sticking up three sparklers and hoping it will take care of everything else. There is method in the madness and also another way as to the differentiation of the design and character that Joseph and his team have adopted when configuring the engines for the KTM Duke 200 and the Pulsar 200 NS. While the former is a double overhead cam unit operating four valves, the latter is also a four-valve head but a single overhead cam unit actuates these four valves. The engine is liquid cooled, a first for a homegrown machine and one which is compact, high tech, has all the robustness of design and build to benefit from the new combustion technology perfected with the three-spark plug head.



The engine is liquid cooled, a first for a homegrown machine and one which is compact and high tech




First off let us clearly outline the fact that the bottom end and the reciprocating mass comprising of crankshaft, connecting rod and piston of both the Duke 200 and the Pulsar 200 NS are common. The bore and stroke of both bikes measures 72mm x 49mm making for a 199.5cc swept volume. Apart from that, everything is different and the top end is key to the new Pulsar mill. What Bajaj learnt from the DTSi success was that the people didn’t know much what it stood for but knew it helped deliver power and efficiency so in the new Pulsar 200 NS they decided to skip the techno babble and go straight to the point and term the new top end as the one encompassing the Triple Spark technology.

Again unlike the Duke 200 which runs fuel injection with a large 38mm venture throttle body, Joseph adopted a 33mm venture Ucal carburetor which helps give consistent fuel metering and also with the superbly configured pent roof combustion chamber and slight squish bands designed in, the Triple Spark layout employs a central master plug and two slave plugs on either side. A completely independent mapping system is wrought into the ignition that works on its own using Bajaj Auto’s very own proprietary algorithms to help the flame front propagate completely all over the combustion chamber. Nothing has been left to chance and while earlier Pulsars with the DTSi tech did produce a pronounced engine knock on the top end (happens always when rapid combusting is called for), this time the combustion is even more rapid but the knock is all but eliminated thanks to the water jacket helping to muffle the sound.

Go back to our Special Coverage. Also read the First Ride of the new Bajaj Pulsar 200NS here.

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Design & Style Overview of the new 2012 Bajaj Pulsar

Many a time a successful product is very difficult to replicate and take forward. History has shown more products biting the dust in their second evolved avatars and mind you many rivals would be thinking the same about the second generation Pulsar. Sadly the second avatar is not an evolution but a revolution, probably the nicest of them all, and maybe that�s why the urge to think out of the box yet deliver in time honoured brand strength is what this stunning new Pulsar 200NV is all about, says Adil Jal Darukhanawala who got first crack at this most important new motorcycle of 2012

Design and Style on the 2012 Bajaj Pulsar


A decade of dominance is one way to look at the legacy of the Bajaj Pulsar but an even greater significance of this sporty motorcycle is the fact that it created the sports bike class in Indian motorcycling unlike at any other time in Indian motoring history. The first gen Pulsars were great for their time and truly set the cat amongst whatever one would care to term the competition but today the latter is more evolved, more determined and more eager to break free and try to usurp leadership of the Pulsar class.

Right at the very start I must pour cold water on the above assumption of the competition because the spanking new Pulsar 200NS (the suffix standing for Naked Sports) has redefined what a Pulsar is and stands for while pushing the envelope so further away from the rest that the fact that the Pulsar continues to remain a dynamic target is attested once again. First off there is nothing remotely close about the new Pulsar from its predecessors barring the name! In fact, even the typescript is subtly changed and while the apparent visage is stunning and tightly packaged, the technology across the bike has helped the Indian motorcycle cause leapfrog itself into the next decade! When Joseph Abraham, chief technology officer of Bajaj Auto and head of Stars Ahead, the R&D department of the company does things, he doesn’t do things in half or three-fourths but goes the whole hog and this has been the case with this stunning second generation offering.

ZigWheels.com has not just the complete details about the new bike but we also managed a short riding session aboard this new powerhouse to bring you this exclusive no-holds-barred story of what promises to take Pulsar power to a whole new level and beyond anything the competition has on offer.



Design and Style on the 2012 Bajaj Pulsar




It might be very easy to say Bajaj Auto had the help of its Austrian partner KTM to help it design the new second generation Pulsar when the real story is that Bajaj Auto in fact did the whole shebang with the stunning new small capacity KTM Dukes! Also not very well know is the fact that Rajiv Bajaj is very strong on design and knew that his team had to have a top class design team and while he wasn’t averse to getting many international consultants to help out in the past, he then went and hired some of the best in the world to work and set up a truly modern state-of-the-art design studio within the company. Among the many things incorporated within Bajaj Auto’s Stars Ahead set-up was the coming on board of none other than ex-BMW Motorrad design whiz Edgar Heinrich and he worked closely with Joseph Abraham to perfect the overall stance, makeup and proportions of the new Pulsar (Read : First Ride).

As can be seen from the exclusive images of the Pulsar 200NS, the lineage can be made out to a certain extent but then the bike and its stance and proportions are different, radical, wild and appealing in the way the mass centralization has been taken to a whole new level. The most apparent bit about the new bike is its striking style with the wrap around tank shield, the split seat, the Darth Vader headlamp, the colour coordinated theme and sculpted front mudguard, the delectable rear registration plate carrier, etc. The bike is in the streetfighter mould and makes no apologies about this fact of its makeup. In fact it thrives on its aggressive, in-your-face appeal and the extent to how far the stylists have gone to can be found in the rear view mirrors which have been specially drawn and sculpted to carry a homogenous look all across the vehicle.

Courtesy: zigwheels


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2012 Bajaj Pulsar : Exclusive Photos, Technical Highlights, First Ride Impressions

One of the biggest success stories in the Indian two-wheeler industry, over the years the Bajaj Pulsar has continued to become a bigger brand than its maker itself. But if you thought that Bajaj Auto was content with a 50% market share in the premium class of motorcycles, think again. The next generation of the Pulsar is all set to devastate its competition. Welcome the all-new 2012 Pulsar 200NS. Your one stop source for everything you wanted to know about the brand new Pulsar

The most awaited motorcycle of 2012 and one that will set the course of Indian motorcycling for the next decade to come, the all-new Bajaj Pulsar 200NS has made its grand arrival. Expected to be priced under a lakh of rupees (ex-showroom, Delhi), the Pulsar 200NS is as good as it gets! Head to our special coverage of the new Pulsar!

new_bajajpulsar200NS_unveiled


India’s second largest bike-maker Bajaj Auto took the wraps off the next-generation Pulsar today in Mumbai. Revolutionary, radical and realistic, the new Pulsar 200NS (the NS denoting Naked Sports) will be the successor to the country’s highest sold performance motorcycle, the Pulsar. After completing a successful decade long stint and crossing the esteemed milestone of selling over 4 million Pulsars, Bajaj Auto is geared to make its second innings an even bigger success with the new Pulsar and it has all the right weaponry in its arsenal to take on the premium motorcycle market in the country once again.






Equipped with state-of-the-art technologies and world class level of components, the brand new Bajaj Pulsar 200NS is entirely engineered by Bajaj Auto and it is a marvel how its maker has managed to package the best of everything into one motorcycle without demanding a hefty premium for it. Powered by a 199.5cc 4-valve, liquid-cooled single cylinder engine, the Pulsar 200NS achieves the goal of more from less in an absolute modest fashion yet rewarding the rider with all the jollies he desires.

Fed by a 33mm Mikuni carburetor, the engine pumps out 23.52PS at 9,500rpm and 18.3Nm of torque at 8,000rpm. Developed in-house by Bajaj Auto, the new Pulsar once again comes with ground-breaking of triple spark plug for improved efficiency without having to compromise on overall performance.


new_bajajpulsar200NS_unveiled


It is incredible how Bajaj Auto has managed to get absolutely every single aspect of performance (Read: First Ride)  motorcycling for the street so right. But when you trace the Pulsar’s development over past ten years, the picture becomes a lot clearer with consistent updates every year, an R&D division that is always on its toes yearning for a faster and quicker Pulsar, teams dedicated to get feedback from online biking forums and motorcycle blogs and to top it all, a visionary like Rajiv Bajaj heading the operation.

This is exactly what millions of Indian bikers and countless Pulsarmaniacs have been expecting from the bike-maker that brought power to the people a decade ago (Read : Ten Years of Pulsar) in the form of the Bajaj Pulsar. And in its newest avatar, it pays a fitting homage to the icon that the Pulsar brand has become over the past ten years and one that will continue to reign supreme for the coming ten years as well.

The new Bajaj Pulsar 200NS is expected to hit the roads by April 2012 but the price for the motorcycle is yet to be disclosed. Although it is expected that the price will be on the higher side of the current out-going Pulsar 220F DTSi, the company has clearly stated at the unveil of the bike in Mumbai that the price will be under the one lakh rupee range.


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Jan 31, 2012

New Bajaj Pulsar unveiling today! Exclusive feature follows soon!


thumb_new_pulsar Ten years after the first Pulsar twins made their debut, Bajaj Auto is now ready with an all-new Pulsar that will be unveiled today in Mumbai. Stay logged onto ZigWheels for an exclusive feature on the new Pulsar. It is meaner, badder, quicker and faster than ever before!

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