VW Releases Pricing and Opens Order Book for New Beetle in the UK

The brand-new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle will arrive in British showrooms next spring with a starting price of £16,490 OTR. However, the German firm is accepting orders from today.
In the UK, the new Beetle will launch with two available petrol engines, a 1.2-litre TSI unit with 105-horses linked to a seven-speed DSG transmission and a 1.4-litre TSI delivering 160HP with a six-speed manual gearbox.
Buyers can choose from three trim levels Beetle, Design and Sport. The 1.2-litre is offered in Beetle or Design trim from £16,490 (RRP OTR) and the 1.4-litre in Design or Sport trim from £19,470.
The based Beetle comes equipped with standard air conditioning, remote central locking, an RCD 310 CD system with DAB radio and rear Isofix seat preparation.
The mid-level Design grade adds 17-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth with MDI (multi-device interface) and iPod connectivity, front fog lights, an alarm, an RCD 510 DAB CD/radio, multifunction leather-wrapped steering wheel and body-coloured door and dashboard panels.
The Sport trim brings in 18-inch alloys, tinted glass, cruise control, sports seats, parking sensors, gloss black door mirrors, dashboard and door panel and 2-Zone electronic climate control.
Volkswagen will further enhance the Beetle's range in the UK with the introduction of three more powerplants including a 1.6-litre TDI BlueMotion diesel with 105HP, a 2.0-litre TDI diesel with 140HP and a 2.0-litre TSI petrol with 200HP, along with the option of a 6sp manual gearbox for the 1.2-litre TSI model, in the second half of 2012.

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Formula 1: Korean Grand Prix Qualifying Results

Well, it was bound to happen at some point: Sebastian Vettel lost the pole position to another driver at the Korean Grand Prix qualifier. For the first time after five races, Vettel won’t be starting Sunday’s F1 GP from the first place on the grid.
This weekend also marks this season's first pole position for Lewis Hamilton who beat Vettel. Nevertheless, the 24-year old German has already won this year's drivers' world championship, and as he pointed out, he "didn't expect to be so close to the McLarens" in this particular track.
Therefore, it’s little consolation to the British driver who along with his team-mate Jenson Button, will try to give McLaren a chance to at least fight until the end of the season with Red Bull for the constructors’ title.

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Formula 1: Korean Grand Prix Race Results

With the drivers’ title already decided, the only question before the red lights went off to signal the start of the Korean Grand Prix was whether Red Bull would manage to snag the constructors’ championship as well or if McLaren, the only team with a shot at the title, could keep its (admittedly slim) chances alive for yet another race.

As it turned out, McLaren couldn't. Despite Lewis Hamilton securing pole position on Saturday and Jenson Button taking third place on the grid, it took two-times world champion Sebastian Vettel less than half a lap into the race before overtaking Hamilton on the fourth corner.

From this point on, it was business as usual for the young German who built a comfortable lead and crossed the finish line first, with a 12-seconds difference from Hamilton.

The McLaren pilot raced side-by-side with the second Red Bull of Mark Webber, thankfully without the two cars coming into contact. Further back, Button squandered his good starting position by falling behind the Ferraris at the start of the race. He managed to overtake them during the first round of pit stops, and came very close to Webber and Hamilton, but was never fast enough to pass either.

Fernando Alonso didn’t have an easy race as for its most part he couldn’t get past his team mate, Felipe Massa. He did it in his final pit stop and then picked up his pace by 0.5 seconds a lap.

But the Spaniard found overtaking Button’s McLaren impossible, and after the race admitted defeat by saying “I just give up”.

As a reminder of who is the boss this year, despite having already secured his 10th win of the season, Vettel posted the fastest time of the race during the last lap…

Therefore, Red Bull bagged the constructor’s title, too, three races before the end of the season. “It’s phenomenal” was team’s boss Christian Horner comment on his team walking away with all the silverware for the second year in a row. "Phenomenal for the team, phenomenal for every single member of the Red Bull Racing / Red Bull Technology Group and for everyone working for Red Bull."

Still, for the rest of the drivers and teams the championship is far from over, as they will fight for the best results in the three remaining races starting from India on October 30.

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Vettel Wins Back-to-Back Formula 1 Titles, Lauda says “He Can Surpass Schumacher”

If you have two Formula 1 world championships under your belt by the age of 24, then you surely must be special. Sebastian Vettel, who last year became the youngest world champion ever in the history of the sport, didn’t have anything to prove .
Nor did anyone doubt after the first races of the season, that the 2011 driver’s title would be his. Mathematically, at least, only McLaren's Jenson Button had a –very long- shot at stealing the title after Singapore. At last Sunday’s race in Suzuka, he did his best: Button crossed the finish line first.





Vettel, however, was content with third place since he secured the title four races before the end of the season. Niki Lauda, who himself has won three world championships, believes that the young German can even surpass Michael Schumacher’s incredible record of seven titles.
“He has all the circumstances to do it”, Lauda told Reuters. “If you choose the wrong car, then you can’t win because it’s always the combination of the two. But if he sits at the right time in the right car, he himself is certainly capable of winning more than Schumacher.”
The champion was certainly jubilant, but he didn’t forget that this isn’t a one man’s game: “I want to thank all the guys and girls in the factory at Milton Keynes, as it’s not just us here pushing very hard. It’s them as well, from the post office to the design office to the engineering office here at the track, their effort is just incredible.”
Red Bull boss Christian Horner points out that they have accomplished only one-half of their work, since they are also aiming for the constructors’ title.





With 172 points available in the four remaining races and the distance from the second McLarencurrently at 130 points, no one is willing to bet against Red Bull.
Story References: ESPN

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Renault to Increase Output of its Brazilian Factories by 100,000 Units in 2013

Brazil is currently Renault’s third biggest market, behind only France and Germany. This year, the French company sold 133,158 Renault passenger cars and 30,672 Renault and Nissan LCVs and, according to the company’s CEO, Carlos Ghosn, along with Russia and India, it's “one of its three top priority markets”.

Ghosn visited Renault’s Curitiba plant and announced the group’s plan to invest €200 million (US$267 million) and add 1,000 jobs in order to increase its production by 100,000 units until 2013.
“In 2011, Brazil is set to become Renault’s second-largest market. Brazil is one of the cornerstone of our international growth strategy: more than one-quarter of the growth in volume will come from Brazil. If we are to reach this target, then we must increase our manufacturing capacity, and we have chosen our Curitiba plant to achieve this”, said Ghosn.





The Ayrton Senna Curitiba complex, which manufactures passenger cars, LCVs and engines, currently produces more than 280,000 vehicles annually for the local and other South American markets.
The models that are manufactured in Curitiba include the Sandero, which is also its best-seller, the Sandero Stepway, the Logan and the Megane Grand Tour II. From October 7, the Duster SUV will be added to Renault’s Brazilian line-up.
Despite achieving a 20.3% increase from January until the end of August and being the country’s fifth largest car manufacturer behind Fiat, VW, GM and Ford, Renault Brazil wants to grow its share in the local market from today’s 5% to 8% by 2016.

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Color me Matte: New Renault Clio RS 200 “Ange & Démon” Edition to be Produced in…666 Units

Renault is playing the good versus evil card with its new limited run Clio Renaultsport 200 “Ange & Démon”, which is French for Angels and Demons. Deviously, the bespoke version of the Clio RS will be produced in a…fiendish 666 units worldwide - as most of you already know, that's the number of the Beast in the Book of Revelation.

Buyers can choose among three different matte shades, including Toro Red, Givre Nacré and Hologramme Grey, all of which feature a gloss black finish for the roof, upper tailgate, rear spoiler, rear diffuser, F1-style blade in the front bumper, the door handles and exterior door mirrors.
The bespoke Clio RS also gets tinted rear side and tailgate windows, gloss black 18-inch Interlagos wheels from the late Mégane R26.R shod in Bridgestone RE50A tires, and red Brembo brake callipers.



On board, the “Ange & Démon” is distinguished by the leather-upholstered Recaro bucket seats, the zinc grey finish on the center console and fascia inserts, plus the white rev counter, Renaultsport carpet mats and a numbered plate under the hand brake.
There are no mechanical changes with the “Ange & Démon” being powered by the standard Clio RS' 200-horsepower 2.0-liter engine.





Strangely enough, the same model will be sold in the UK under a different name, and without the “Ange & Démon” decal on the left hand side of the rear quarter window pillar. The British version is called the Clio RS Raider of the lost Ark and will be available in a limited run of 50 examples.
Sales in France start today while UK buyers will have to wait until the end of October.

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Renault Fluence petrol

In June 2011, we tested the Renault Fluence petrol, pitting it against the Toyota Corolla Altis and the Skoda Laura. Back then we had reported that the Fluence’s styling is better than the competition and that on the inside it boasts of well-appointed, class-leading interiors, bettering the competition in terms of space and comfort. The petrol engine is a bit of a let-down though, with rivals sporting slightly more powerful powertrains, but the Fluence makes up for it with its frugality. Apart from that, the car boasts of several convenience features and has four airbags and ESP. In short, the petrol Fluence did not fare badly at all. This month, we managed to lay our hands on its diesel sibling. 

From the outside, it is next to impossible to distinguish the diesel from the petrol, except for the dCi badge next to the rear number plate. But step inside, and as Sirish pointed out couple of months ago after driving the petrol and diesel variants back to back at the media drive, Renault has stripped down the interiors heavily for the diesel, which is bizarre. The difference in trim levels is huge, and the diesel has to make-do with interiors dominated by black and grey plastics. It does not even get a leather-wrapped steering wheel, forget climate control, AUX, USB, Bluetooth connectivity, leather seats, rear sun blinds and rear air-conditioning vents that the petrol variant has. This gets further baffling on finding out that this is the sole diesel variant. The engine is the same 1.5-litre, in-line four cylinder dCi motor seen on the Logan previously and on the Micra diesel more recently. The Logan diesel was a runaway success for the Mahindra-Renault joint venture, and the car’s highlight was its engine. The Logan diesel was immensely popular as an entry-level sedan given its highly frugal nature. This is the engine Renault plans to use in its future models in the country such as the Duster though the Koleos will get a 2.0-litre diesel.  

For the Fluence, Renault has given the engine a power boost, given the car’s positioning as a D-segment sedan. The 1.5-litre engine makes 106PS at 4000rpm in this guise, which does not sound like much, despite the hike in power. But this is still better than the Corolla diesel’s 88PS. Maximum torque produced is 240Nm at 2000rpm. This tried and tested mill feels smooth under the Fluence’s hood, and is not noisy either, with diesel rattle staying low. With the Fluence diesel, the French manufacturer is hoping to capture the attention of those looking for a frugal D-segment sedan and the car gets a six-speed manual gearbox with tall ratios. The gearbox feels good as gears slot in well, but shifts have a slight rubbery feel. Given the fact that the engine focuses on returning fuel efficiency rather than performance, it is not exactly a delight to push to its limits. 

There’s massive turbo lag below 2000rpm to begin with, and in order to keep moving you need to keep the yellow tachometer needle above it. In fact, the turbo lag coupled with the tall gear ratios is a major disappointment when it comes to spirited driving. In our performance test, the Fluence diesel managed to hit the ton in 13.5 seconds from standstill, going on to cover the quarter mile in 19.38 seconds at 121.72kmph. Registered top speed is 167.5kmph, but the Fluence takes forever to get there. What the Fluence diesel is good at is returning impressive fuel efficiency numbers. In our city run, the car covered 13.8km on a litre of diesel, the number stretching to 22.4km on the highway. This translates to an overall fuel efficiency figure of 15.7kmpl. 

The Fluence petrol has impressed us with its ride and handling, and the diesel is not any different. Ride quality is plush, and the suspension gobbles up bad roads without any fuss. It makes for impressive handling and has a planted feel even while cornering at high speeds. Straight-line stability is good, but just the like the petrol the missing feedback and weightlessness of the steering wheel is a deterrent to high speed runs. But, the Fluence is highly impressive in terms of providing comfort to its occupants. 

With the diesel variant, Renault is trying to offer a D-segment sedan not too expensive to live with given its frugal nature. And unlike most other manufacturers, Renault has priced the diesel cheaper than the petrol. The Fluence diesel retails at ` 13.47 lakh ex-showroom Mumbai, about a lakh and half below the petrol that retails at ` 14.94 lakh. One of the reasons is the lack of creature comforts in the diesel variant, apart from the cost of manufacturing the diesel engine being lower than the petrol for Renault. Overall, the car makes sense being a comfortable sedan that is easy on the wallet as well. And given its styling, build quality and frugal nature the Fluence diesel should definitely eat into the share of the Toyota Corolla Altis diesel and the Skoda Laura diesel. 

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Renault Koleos

Looking at the previous gen Renault Koleos was like getting punched in the face. The design was brutal and not in a positive way. A true assault on the senses. The present generation Koleos tries hard to follow in its older sibling’s footsteps except that it’s been toned down from a Mike Tyson knock out to more of a tight slap from the Godfather. Still a rather unpleasant experience. The new found gentleness comes from Renault’s new design elements up front. Behind the facelift remains a mechanically identical car but the few changes incorporated by Renault’s India division have made this a far more pleasant beast to stare at in the eye.

Revisions affect the hood, headlamps, fenders, bumpers and the grille. Prior to this the Koleos had an ugly bridge connecting the hood to the bumper with a massive Renault logo glued right in the middle and two narrow and small honeycomb mesh grille flanking that bridge. This has been replaced by a conventional six-sided grille with three chrome slats to brighten up the face. Inside the cabin everything is the same except for the colours. The two-tone black and beige shade rather than the all black on the older SUV makes this cabin look spacious and roomy. The stereo and multi media panel is the same as on the Fluence, including its ungainly and not the most user friendly interface. The rest of the world has yet to learn a lot from the Germans in this regard.

The Koleos will be powered by just one engine, a 2-litre direct injection common rail diesel, whose turbo kicks in at around 1700rpm. Max power output is rated at 150PS at 4000rpm while there’s a hefty 320Nm of maximum torque available at 2000rpm. It’s a strong engine and well suited for both the city and highway driving, and one clear advantage is that it powers a SUV that weighs just 1.7 tonnes which is around 100kgs lighter than its closest competition, the Santa Fe. On the flip side the engine does not feel too refined and there is a small amount of engine noise in the cabin at above 3500rpm.

Renault has provided the Koleos with a primary 2WD drivetrain with the clutch transferring power to the front and not rear wheels. You can manually select between a 2WD or 4WD or automatic mode by flipping a switch on the centre stack. In auto mode, the Koleos senses wheel slip and without human intervention shifts into 4WD to counter it.

But the one area where the Koleos truly excels, setting a new benchmark for the segment is in the ride quality. It quite brilliantly rolls over anything without getting disturbed in the least. Interestingly the suspension isn’t soft and boat like. Don’t get me wrong, there is a fair amount of body roll, 206mm of ground clearance will do that to any SUV, yet the Koleos controls both pitch and roll admirably. On twisty high speed highway stretches she felt composed, safe and assured. She corners with ease, giving no signs of understeer despite the front wheel drivetrain, though there are limits to this SUV that can easily be crossed.

Feature wise you get the best sound system there is in the segment, courtesy an eight-speaker Bose system with rich and clear tones, climate control, Bluetooth cell phone connectivity, parking sensors etc. On the safety front the Koleos comes with a 5-star NCAP rating which is higher than the Santa Fe, is equipped with ABS, Brake Assist and EBD. But strangely enough the Koleos earned its safety rating before 2009 without a stability control package which is still absent in this SUV!

So the Koleos turned out to be quite more promising than the first impressions we had of it months ago. Unlike the Fluence this is not going to grow on you. What you can appreciate is the ride quality and interior comfort and what we expect will be very good fuel efficiency but only a complete test will confirm that.

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New Renault Koleos

Renault has launched the much awaited Koleos SUV in Delhi today before its world debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. This is the second product from the French automaker after parting ways with Mahindra & Mahindra earlier this year. The Renault Koleos is priced at Rs 22.99 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi.

The SUV features a 2-litre common rail turbo diesel Renault DCi engine mated to a six speed automatic transmission. The diesel engine produces a maximum power of 150Ps at 4000rpm and a peak torque of 320Nm at 2000rpm. The Koleos is available only in four wheel drive and is equipped with features such as hill assist and descent control. The vehicle also boasts of a top of the line Bose stereo system. In terms of safety, the SUV features six airbags, ABS and EBD. The vehicle will be manufactured at Renault’s Oragadam plant. The bookings has started across all Renault dealerships in the country .

Here is the press release

New Delhi, September 8, 2011: Renault India, the fully owned subsidiary of Renault s.a.s., today rolled out its premium SUV –the KOLEOS in India. Renault made its debut in the Indian market with the premium sedan Fluence in May, 2011 and the launch of the Koleos is a step forward in Renault India’s plans to introduce five cars in the Indian market by end -2012.

The Renault KOLEOS made its international debut in 2008 and this is the first facelift the vehicle has received since its launch. The popular KOLEOS registered a 51% YOY growth in the first half of 2011. It is currently being sold across five continents and in markets as diverse as Europe, South America and Asia Pacific.

Speaking on the occasion, Marc NASSIF, Managing Director, Renault India said, “It is another proud moment for all of us at Renault India to launch our brand new SUV KOLEOS in the Indian market. The new KOLEOS will make its world debut a few days from now at the Frankfurt Motor Show. We are highly optimistic about the product and we are confident it will cater to the needs of all the customers who are looking for a premium, high-end SUV which combines both style and dynamic abilities.”

The Renault KOLEOS with an elegant and expressive front-end styling, carefully-finished interiors is built on a 4x4 platform with full blooded SUV dynamics which promises to deliver the best in class performance, safety and comfort.

Talking further on Renault’s plans for the Indian market, Len Curran, Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Renault India, said, “Today, Renault has achieved another milestone in its India journey, by launching the KOLEOS soon after launching the  FLUENCE in May. Renault is committed to providing value, globally benchmarked product and service quality, network and after sales service to our Indian customers. We at present have 14 fully operational dealers and will be adding 26 more by end 2011. We expect to have around 100 dealerships in 55 cities by December 2012”. 

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION

The Renault KOLEOS will be available with a 2 litre dci diesel engine with a maximum power output of 150PS@4000rpm and peak torque of 320Nm@2000rpm. The Renault KOLEOS has one of the lowest emission standards in its category. The KOLEOS will be available in a 4x4 transmission mode with a six-speed automatic gear box. The 4x4 variant boasts of real off-road capabilities.

The new Renault KOLEOS (4x4 version) is also equipped with Hill Start Assist, which prevents the vehicle from slipping back on slopes and the Hill Descent Control which automatically holds the vehicle's speed at a maximum of 7kph. Both are activated on gradients of 10 percent or more.

IINTERIORS & SPACE

The power packed Renault KOLEOS comes equipped with the latest gadgets like parking sensors, hands free entry and ignition and a top-of-the-line Bose sound system which is a first for the Indian market in this segment.

Renault’s rich heritage of producing quality and comfortable cars are evident in the KOLEOS’ well laid out, spacious interiors which boasts of an MPV like feel. Well thought out cabin space ensures that five adults can easily travel in comfort with ample head and leg room.

Meanwhile, the driver's environment places the accent on visibility and comfort. The ideal driving position is easy to find thanks to the adjustable seat and the height- and reach adjustable steering column, while the rake of rear seatbacks can also be adjusted.

Traveling comfort is further enhanced by the automatic dual-zone heating and climate control system which incorporates separate vents for the rear seats.

The New Renault KOLEOS boasts of 70 litres of stowage all around the cabin. The dashboard includes a cooled, 15-litre glove box, while the cubby in the centre console comes with a removable bin. Extra space at the front is provided thanks to a drawer beneath the front passenger seat.

The 'clamshell'-type split-opening tailgate facilitates access to the boot. The 60/40-split rear seat features Renault's 'easy estate' system which enables it to be folded from the rear in a single operation. 

SAFETY

The active safety credentials of New Renault KOLEOS are founded on the model's chassis design and big brakes. The 320mm diameter front discs and 292mm rear discs bring the KOLEOS to a standstill from 100kph in just 41 metres. In emergency situations, when taking avoidance action or when grip is lost, Renault KOLEOS drivers can count on ABS with electronic brake force distribution, emergency brake assist and ESC with understeer control. Even before the latter kicks in, the all-wheel drive transmission intervenes to adjust the front/rear torque-split as soon as the first signs of oversteer or understeer are detected.

When it comes to passive safety, Renault KOLEOS benefits from the brand's years of extensive research into real-life accidents. The chassis has been engineered to incorporate programmed front and rear crumple zones, while the cabin's structure serves as a protective cell in the case of an accident.

The new Renault KOLEOS is equipped with an array of occupant protection features, including six airbags, load limiters for the front and outer rear seat belts, front seat belt pre- tensioners. In case of an impact from behind, Renault KOLEOS' seats and head rests guarantee an extremely high level of protection against whiplash.

The Renault KOLEOS is an all new Renault design and is being manufactured at its manufacturing facility in Oragadam, 35 Km outside Chennai and will be available immediately at all Renault dealership’s across the country.

To further lay emphasis on the after sales the company is offering its customer  the “Renault COMPLETE CARE” service package which is a globally benchmarked offering and provides customers with a host of best-in-class facilities which includes a 4 years/80,000Km warranty, labour free service at 2,000, 10,000 and 20,000Km with 24/7 Roadside Assistance through a dedicated call center. The cars would be serviced by COTECH technicians who have been specially trained at the Renault facility in France.

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