Ferrari World Abu Dhabi opening in October

A few months ago, we had brought to you the news about the world’s first Ferrari Theme Park which was under the progress of its development at Abu Dhabi. This theme park is all set to be inaugurated on the 28th of October, 2010 which is three weeks ahead of the city’s Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The shape of the entire building is inspired by shape of a Ferrari car and it also bears the largest prancing horse Ferrari logo ever built. The theme park is situated next to the Yas Marina Circuit and covers a total area of about 200 square kilometers. Along with a wide range of indoor games and rides, the theme park will also boast of the world’s fastest roller coaster called Formula Rosso.

The Formula Rosso is designed to replicate the thrill of driving a F1 car with an acceleration of standstill to 100 kmph in just 2 seconds. The rollercoaster will boast of a top speed of 240 kmph and will be 2.07km long pulling up to 1.7G. Passengers of the roller coaster will have to mandatorily wear protective gear including eyewear to shield the eyes from the heavy winds created at the high speeds propelled by the 20,800bhp propulsion system.

The theme park will also have other rides including a flume ride through a Ferrari 599 engine, a G-force experience that takes passengers up to a height of about 62 meters and an aerial voyage through Italy following a Ferrari. The theme park will also feature two restaurants offering a range of Italian delicacies.

Toyota may launch Diesel Corolla Altis!

Toyota Kirloskar Motors have managed to sell more than 40,000 units of its Corolla since the last five years. Looking at this success, the firm has considered launching a diesel powered Corolla Altis in the near future. Owing to the improved power, performance and efficiency, the Japanese Marquee has observed that diesel powered luxury sedans are gaining popularity in the Indian market.

The diesel Corolla Altis may bear a 1.4-litre turbo diesel engine that currently powers the Yaris hatchback in other countries. Various sources claim that according to Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), the car will deliver a mileage of 21.42 km per litre. However, the company has not yet confirmed these facts.

“As India is an emerging market for Toyota, it will keep on rolling out new models as well as variants. The company is exploring various options and diesel-powered Corolla Altis is definitely on the cards. As a company policy, details like fuel efficiency and other specifications cannot be shared right now. But yes, we are launching it by either July-end or during early August. All the details would be shared at that point of time,” said a senior company official.

Fiesta reaches 1 Lakh Milestone

Ford has been doing quite good since the recent times in the Indian market. The Ford Figo which has been launched lately has been selling in good numbers. We also reported to you that, looking at the good sales of the Figo, Ford might just roll out another small car in India. It has been 4 years since India has got the Ford Fiesta. In these four years, the Fiesta has finally reached the level of 1,00,000th unit to be produced. The Fiesta is manufactured from Ford India’s Chennai manufacturing plant.

The 1,00,000th Fiesta was driven out by Ford India's president and managing director Michael Boneham in the presence of executive director, Marketing, Sales and Service, Nigel Wark; Sandip Sanyal, executive director of Operations. Hundreds of Ford India employees were also present at the final assembly to relish the moment of pride.

Michael Boneham, president and managing director of Ford India said, ''After a terrific sales record in March and April, the rolling out of the 100,000th Ford Fiesta is a truly special moment for Ford India. The event marks a new milestone for us.'' ''Ford Fiesta continues to make us feel proud and is a significant product in our portfolio. The popularity of the Fiesta testifies that more and more customers have been reassured by its quality, features and performance. The sale of the 100,000th Fiesta is testimony to our strong customer appreciation for the Fiesta,'' he added.

The Ford Fiesta is well known for its mind boggling fuel efficiency. The car is powered by a 1.6-litre TDCi common rail engine.

Hyundai scraps plans for i10 diesel

The i10 from the Hyundai stable is a car that is in the good books of a majority. The firm had plans to introduce a diesel variant for the same which would probably give one more reason for the car to be a favorite. The firm had plans of introducing a 1.1-litre CRDI engine powered variant. However, our friends at Autocar have revealed that Hyundai has scrapped this plan as the diesel engine will have to be manufactured across the national borders, thus making the price of the car soar high.

With the diesel engine being manufactured out of India, the car would cost about Rs 6 lakh which would be utterly meaningless when the i20 diesel variant is available at the same price. However, according to various sources, there might be a diesel engine powered variant in the next generation i10 which is scheduled to be rolled out by 2013. Most probably, the engine should be manufactured in India itself to keep the prices down.

VW Vento sketches revealed (polo sedan)

We earlier brought to you the world exclusive scoop of the Polo Sedan, which Volkswagen believed would have fooled us to think of the car as a Ford. Later our friends at Autocar revealed that VW will launch the Polo Sedan by the name 'Vento'. However, here are a few sketches of the VW Vento that have been leaked:

The Vento will sport a longer wheel base by about 50mm as compared to the Polo hatchback. the extra length will help provide for better leg room as well as head room for the rear.

The Vento is expected to hit the streets by July, 2010.

New Ford Fiesta in 2010-11

 The all new Ford Fiesta was recently displayed at the Bangkok International Auto Show. Amongst this was a four-door version of the car too. There are speculations that these cars will make their way to the Indian market later by 2010-11. The sedan is also expected to run on the Chinese streets by the same time. The car will compete with the Honda City, Maruti Suzuki SX4 and many more of its platform and will very well be available in the Petrol/Diesel variants. After the success of the Figo, Ford reported the development of another small car and also revealed its intentions to revamp its fleet of cars in India. 

The firm is also working on a small car based on the Fiesta hatchback. The new Fiesta will sport a 1.6-liter vvt (variable valve timing) engine. The car will be technology pack and will also include the Ford Sync which is a factory specific in-car communication/entertainment system developed by Ford and Microsoft. The new Fiesta will feature a more aero-dynamic shape and design. The Ford Fiesta already boasts of its best in class fuel efficiency and it is time we get ready for more with the all new Fiesta. The new Fiesta will feature not only better efficiency but also high refinement and safety.

Mitsubishi small car in India?

Mitsubishi has been in the Indian market since more than a decade now. However, its operations in India seem to have been fading away with time. However, there were recent speculations about Mitsubishi bringing the Lancer Evo X sedan to India which suggested that Mitsubishi might just spring back into action. The small car segment in India is a fire filled segment which is running at a marvelous pace. Most manufacturers are trying their best to venture into this segment and establish their strong foothold so that they can benefit the most out of it. Has Mitsubishi decided to be one of these firms too? According to various sources, Mitsubishi is planning to roll out a small car in India soon.

Japans fourth largest car manufacturer, Mitsubishi has already ventured into the premium Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) and mid-sized sedan segment. However, according to the recent speculations, it is evident that the firm may be trying to play its role in the small car segment too. The firm may introduce the eco car project which it is presently developing for the Thai market, in India too. The firm would most probably roll out the small car in Thailand by the year 2012. The small car marks an entirely new platform and is powered by a 1.3-litre petrol engine. However, if this car has to make its way to the Indian streets, the engine might have to be tuned and tweaked to suit the Indian conditions. In India, cars which are not longer than 4 meters and with the capacity of not more than 1.2-litre petrol or 1.5-litre diesel are subject to the least tax treatments. However, Mitsubishi refrained from revealing any further details.

According to various sources, the firm had plans similar to the speculated ones in the past. However, due to financial tensions, the firm was compelled to withdraw from its plans. The plans also included the development Mitsubishi’s Chennai manufacturing plant to produce 1,00,000 units yearly as compared to its present 12,000 annual units.