Renault Logan launched by Mahindra

Renault Logan launched by Mahindra in petrol and diesel versions.

The much awaited beauty has just rolled out to grace the Indian tarmac. Logan, the sedan from French major Renault has been launched in India by Mahindra and Mahindra.

Good looks, competitive pricing and the Renault - Mahindras combo make Logan worthy of a long drive. According to reports, the base models of the petrol and diesel variants are aggressively priced between Rs 4.28 lakh and Rs 6.44 lakh. Logan comes from the Nashik facility of the Mahindras.

Available in Toreador Red, Fiery Black, Sahara Beige, Mist Silver, Turf Green and Diamond White shades, the car is available in select Mahindra & Mahindra showrooms with Mahindra and Renault branding.

The companies have said that the car was be available for booking in 10 cities from April 14 onwards and the customers have started get their Logans four weeks after the booking date. Equipped with three engine options, namely 1.4 and 1.6 petrol and 1.5 diesel, Logan uses the JH gearbox that has already proved its worth in the Renault range, said a report. While the 1.4 petrol engine delivers 75 hp, the 1.6 litre returns 84 hp, the diesel sibling gives only 65 hp. Both the engines are meshed with a five-speed manual gearbox, it added.

The wide-bodied vehicle calls fro an applause as it is Renault's foray into the Indian passenger car mart. The Mahindras hold 51 per cent stake in the joint venture company named Mahindra Renault. The French auto major keeps the remaining 49 per cent. The joint venture partnership has invested about Rs 7 billion in setting up a facility with a production capacity of 50, 000 cars per year, said the report.

Tipped as a fuel-efficient machine, Logan is capable of returning an average of 16 to 19 km per litre in common rail diesel (CRDi) engine and 10-13 km per litre with the petrol engine.

Chevrolet Optra Magnum TCDi diesel launched!

Chevrolet Optra Magnum, the diesel variant of Chevrolet Optra was launched on Saturday. The Optra Magnum comes in three variants - and is priced in the range of Rs 8.74 lakh to Rs 9.99 lakh. The Optra Magnum has a 2-litre turbocharged common rail direct injection diesel engine (TCDi, GM calls it). Genereal Motors believes the Optra Magnum's price will make it attractive to customers. The car delivers 120 bhp of max power.

Interiors

The Chevrolet Optra Magnum has leather wrapped around its steering wheel, seats and gear knob. The colours are two-tone beige. It has all new 2 DIN CD MP3 and cassette player, and 360- degree air vents for surround cooling effect.

The tilt steering and additional lumbar support add to the car's comfort. Even back seats come with a 60:40 split for optimum use of space. There are well-thought additions like a mobile phone holder. The NVH has also been improved in the Chevrolet Optra Magnum diesel for the best drive.

Exteriors

The car has almond shaped head lamps, borrowed from the Chevrolet-SRV hatch-back, which really makes the Chevrolet Optra Magnum stand out from the rest of the pack. The new chrome alloy wheels and special chrome plated door handles are standard in the Optra Magnum. And then there is that loud grille, all chrome and loud and definitely aggressive. The aggresive forward posture of the Chevrolet Optra Magnum complements its aerodynamic design.

Safety

ABS system with XPRO protection ensures prompt braking. Impact-proof bumper and dual air bags add to the Optra Magnum's safety.

The Chevrolet Optra Magnum comes in three variants: 2.0 MAX TCDi, 2.0 LS TCDi and 2.0 LT TCDi. There is no automatic transmission yet. Power windows, power steering, central locking, rear window defogger and cooled glove box are standard across all Magnums.

According to GM India president and MD Rajeev Chaba, the Chevrolet Optra Magnum diesel has been launched in India after introducing the diesel model in Europe and Korea.

With the Magnum, GM plans to take the more expensive Skoda Octavia in the luxury segment. Till now, GM India has just one diesel model - the Tavera. The company believes there is more demand in the demand in the diesel car market; Skoda Octavia has ruled the high-end diesel car market in India since launch; the Chevrolet Optra Magnum wants to dethrone the Indian diesel leader. The Magnum is its GM's first attempt to tap India's luxury disel car market.

The Chevrolet Optra Magnum is GM's second car launch this year. A couple of months back, it launched the Chevrolet Spark, the reborn Daewoo Matiz. Matiz vanished with the collapse of Daewoo Motor. GM, which took over Daewoo has relaunched the Matiz in India as Chevrolet Spark after a log gap.

According to Anisha Motwani, director (marketing), GM India, the company has been able to achieve robust growth even as the industry is undergoing a slowdown. This year GM is aiming to sell 66,000 units as compared to 38,800 last year. A lot of these sales wil come from the small car Spark.