The India Tata Group unveiled the world’s lowest priced automobile starting at 100,000 rupees or about $2,500 USD.

Competing against Renault and Suzuki, the Tata Group expects their lower-priced auto to make deep penetration into the Indian market.

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Type R model expected in Derby by early spring.

THE hotly-anticipated Honda Civic Type R will go on sale in March and everything points to it being well worth the wait.

Honda promises that it will be just as exhilarating to drive as the outgoing Type R while being a more refined super hatchback, with improved comfort levels.

Integrated styling and handling tuned for enhanced responsiveness and predictability are among its other strengths.

The model will be powered by the naturally-aspirated, high-revving 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine that powers the current Type R, but the unit has been significantly reworked to improve responsiveness using a new balancer shaft and drive-by-wire throttle control.

Maximum power is now 201PS, reached at 8.000rpm (previously 200PS at 7.400rpm) and Honda reports the car is more responsive generally, while improved aerodynamics ensure it cuts through the air more cleanly. Slightly lower gearing compensates for a small increase in kerb weight.

Acceleration figures are expected to be virtually identical to the 6.6 second 0-62mph time of the outgoing car - and the new car should match its top speed too, powering on to 146mph.

There’s little doubt the model will attract much attention in the street thanks in part to seven-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels and a deep front spoiler incorporating a larger air intake.

A body-coloured tailgate rear spoiler follows the kick-up line from the rear quarter windows in providing added down-force. At the front, a black honeycomb mesh grille replaces the glass panel of other Civics.

While more discreet than on the outgoing car, Type R logos feature throughout.

Firstly, the front brake callipers wear the insignia, and stainless steel inserts on the door sills also carry the badge. Inside, it’s all about the driving experience. Front seats are racing-style buckets with large black alcantara bolsters and red stitching, red fabric seat cushions and backs.

The effective dual-zone, two tier dash, which is common to other Civic models, also features in the latest Type R, but with red illuminated dials set off by gun-metal effect switch panels on either side of the central display. The gearshift knob with aluminium-finish has a black boot with red stitching. Expect to see the new model at Lookers Honda in Derby next March. Prices have yet to be announced.

Leadpile says many Luxury Automobile shoppers will buy their cars 100% online in the very near future, and may never even step foot in the dealership.

The Luxury car market, which represents relatively expensive cars and trucks that place more emphasis on comfort, appearance, amenities, and performance, will go through many changes in the future due to the Internet, according to leadpile.com.

Leadpile says the Luxury Automobile buyer will be even more demanding in the future. According to J.D. Power and Associates Power Car Media Report, luxury car buyers, or Epictures prefer to drive fully equipped, comfortable cars that seem stylish or elegant.

This group has the second-highest share of women and the highest share of households with household incomes of $100,000 or more. It is this marketplace that leadpile says will be more demanding of their online buying experience.

Andrew Jacob, CEO of Leadpile, says “The Online luxury Auto Space will become more and more competitive in the future. The luxury buyer of the future will have totally different demands than what dealerships have become accustomed too.”

Jacob says, The luxury buyer in the future will have to be serviced at unprecedented levels. I see a day, very soon, when the luxury auto buyer will not even come into the dealership to buy the car. The dealership will have to come to them.” [PRWEB]

Many of the luxury cars put to auction online come with the most exciting innovations like robust car stereos, digital signal processing and automatic cd changer. Such and many other accessories including cd player, satellite radio, MP3 player and video player with lcd monitor can just blow down the typical notion of car accessories

New Jersey residents can now receive inventory RSS feeds from the Cherry Hill Triplex Group. This automotive group includes automotive makes from Dodge, Jeep, Mitsubishi and Kia.

“By offering RSS feeds we’re giving the Internet car shopper an opportunity to keep an eye on our inventory every day without having to come to our site and actually perform a search for a specific vehicle,” said Dave Damiani, Internet Manager for Cherry Hill Triplex.

“RSS makes it easy for consumers to discover specific new vehicle inventory they may be searching for. For example, should a car shopper be looking for a particular vehicle type in a narrow price range, he or she can come to our site and create a dynamic RSS feed tailored to that criteria.

“From there, using any RSS reader, this person can then subscribe to the feed they created and view all vehicles in inventory that meet their personal requirements – each day the inventory they see in their reader will change as our online inventory changes.” [PRWEB]

A car purchase is the second largest expense for most consumers and is regarded as one of the most challenging sales experience’s you will encounter. Time after time, dealers take charge of the transaction and often create an intimidating atmosphere for the purchaser.

Buying a second hand car is almost always a difficult experience and surprises frequently occur. In order for a sale to go smoothly, the majority of buyers rely solely on dealerships expertise. Unfortunately, not every dealer on the market is honest with their customers. For this reason, having a third-party testimonial and knowing a dealer’s reputation is crucial to purchasing a car.

DealershipRatings.com is a unique consumer advocacy organization that offers the public the opportunity to write testimonials about their automobile purchases. Featuring a database with over 40,000 dealerships, DealershipRatings.com helps customers purchase a car by providing awareness, and avoiding hassle.

“You spend days, weeks and even months researching which car is right for you and your hard earned dollars. Why not spend a few extra minutes to find the right dealer for you and your family?” Chris Contessa says.

Chris is the founder of DealershipRatings.com, the first consumer guide of dealerships on the Internet. He has created a community for consumers to share their positive or negative experiences with different dealerships. This is done with unbiased, real world reviews written by visitors and a unique discussion forum in which people interact and can express their opinion in real time.

“DealershipRatings.com wants to be a community for the average consumer to finally level the dealership playing field and make sure that dealers are doing their jobs and helping customers” he added. [PRWEB]

tagTRAX: consumer advocacy organization | consumers | community

Women are buying newer, bigger and more expensive vehicles, according to a survey conducted by Car-Buy-Her, an automotive resource that provides business and consumer education and training.

A small sampling survey of 36 women from across the nation revealed typical responses and showed that age, profession and family status has little to do with the types of cars women are looking for.

Survey results found four-doors as the most popular with women with vans and sport-utility vehicles dominating. When asked about reasons for purchase, interior room was cited as the most popular reason when making their purchase.

Women not wanting to be the “minivan” mom tended to choose the SUV. Besides interior room, women said they choose their purchased based on perceived value. With no way to actually determine the true value of their deal, the survey does suggest that women are doing some kind of research prior to buying.

Purchases were most likely made before the recent oil crisis, so it is not surprising that fuel economy was the least used determining factor when making a purchase.

The women surveyed were not driving around in brand new vehicles — most of the respondent’s owned 2001 or older vehicles, suggesting that while these women were moving up in the car world, they either bought used or have had their cars for a while. The survey reveals today’s car-buying woman to be very practical. [PRWEB]

tagTRAX: survey results | sport utility vehicles | interior room | interior | cars

The redesigned 2006 Honda Accord Hybrid is debuting at dealerships nationwide with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $30,990.

The Accord Hybrid receives an extensive face lift for 2006 as well as a host of new features and enhancements, highlighted by a better emissions rating (now AT-PZEV/Tier-2 bin2, previously ULEV-2/Tier-2 bin5), new exterior and interior styling, a power moonroof and more.

Now in its second year, the Accord Hybrid gains the same improvements as all 2006 Accords and more exclusive features that help to further differentiate it from other Accord models. Additionally, several new standard features have been added including Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and a temporary-use spare tire.

The Accord Hybrid utilizes Honda’s third-generation of the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system in combination with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) cylinder deactivation technology to deliver high levels of fuel efficiency for a V6 engine - on par with a 4-cylinder mid-size sedan - along with highly responsive and powerful V6 performance. The 3.0-liter V6 engine with IMA is rated at 253 horsepower (SAE net rev. 8/04) and achieves an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 25/34 city/highway miles per gallon.

“We’ve listened to our customers and added the features they told us they wanted,” said John Mendel, senior vice president of American Honda. “The Accord Hybrid is unique in that it delivers performance and environmental responsibility without compromising one for the other.”

In keeping with Honda’s industry-leading “Safety for Everyone” initiative, all Accord Hybrids also come equipped with a comprehensive list of advanced safety features including dual-stage, dual-threshold driver and front passenger airbags, driver and front passenger side airbags, first and second row side curtain airbags and anti-lock brakes (ABS). Like all V6-equipped Accords, the Accord Hybrid receives Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) for the 2006 model year. [PRWEB]

Related Stories:

• Honda Environmental Technology Advances in Accord Hybrid

tagTRAX: honda accord hybrid | curtain airbags | honda | v6 engine

On a hill overlooking Music City, a remarkable pair of Tennessee brothers have quietly devised a solution to one of the Motor City’s oldest and more expensive testing problems.

It’s the Car-Gate Ultrasound Arch System, a technology which could save the automotive industry billions of dollars each year. The Car-Gate Arch is the latest innovation from Gayle Technologies’ founder, Jimmy Gayle, who has been providing the automotive and racing industries with technical solutions for more than 20 years.

The development of the Car-Gate Ultrasound Arch was born from the need for automobile manufacturers to find new ways to test their vehicles for wind and water leaks often found in window, trunk and door seals. The problem is that the current test for finding these leaks causes damage to the car and trucks they test.

Currently, billions of dollars in damages are caused each year to automobile inventories by the use of what automakers call a water booth. During the final phases of manufacturing, a water booth is used to spray a car or truck with high-pressure streams of water to find leaks. Unfortunately, by using this process of finding leaks with water, the interior and electronic components of automobiles often get ruined by the water that leaks into them. Illogical as it might sound, it is how the automobile industry has been doing it for years.

The Car-Gate Ultrasound Arch, however, uses ultrasound in place of the damaging water. However the benefits of Gayle’s Ultrasound Arch are much greater than merely finding the leaks. Jimmy Gayle Says, “Beyond the Car-Gate’s ability to accurately finding leaks in cars without causing damage, the most exciting thing it does for manufacturers is collect data as it finds the leaks.”

With a combination of Gayle Technologies ultrasound leak testing technology and the company’s customized diagnostic software, automakers will be able to produce powerful trend analysis reports. These trend analysis reports will give automakers the ability to improve overall quality in their manufacturing processes, body design, and supplier materials.

Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, Mercedes, and Nissan are some of the manufacturers currently testing the Car-Gate Ultrasound Arch System. One industry insider is already using the expression “Gayle Rating,” to describe the exact measurement of a vehicle’s quietness and air tightness as determined by this remarkable new system.

“The water-saving feature is also an added benefit we didn’t really think about in its initial conception,” Jimmy Gayle said. “The Car-Gate will also help the environment, and we are proud to play a big part in that important task.”

The cost savings the Car-Gate Ultrasound Arch System offers the automotive industry is dramatic. An industry study has shown that replacing the interior and electronic parts damaged by water booths can cost as much as $4 million per manufacturing plant each year. This is not good news for the already financially beleaguered automotive industry.

The Car-Gate Ultrasound Arch System is a state-of-the-art solution to an age-old automotive industry problem. As Gayle Technologies’ president, Tommy Gayle said, “It’s the answer to improving overall quality of cars, and better yet, it will improve the bottom line of the automakers that will use it.” [PRWEB]

tagTRAX: ultrasound | arch | trend analysis | save auto industry billions

The Impact of Traffic on Drivers report – co-authored by health psychologist David Moxon – identifies a new condition named Traffic Stress Syndrome (TSS), a form of psychological anxiety that manifests itself in certain drivers while stuck in traffic.

According to the study, close to one in three drivers – nine million* UK motorists – currently suffer from TSS and show symptoms of the condition after being held up in traffic for as little as three to five minutes. One in five (20 per cent) experience increased heart-rates and headaches (19 per cent) and one in 10 endure sweaty palms (12 per cent). In more severe cases drivers report nausea, dizziness (eight per cent) and stomach cramps (eight per cent) among the symptoms experienced.

The impact of these symptoms along with the Direct Line research reveal a shocking picture of the full extent of TSS on driver behaviour. Loss of concentration and hazardous driving brought about by the condition, have resulted in over two million** accidents for TSS drivers during or following traffic jams.

Direct Line spokeswoman, Emma Holyer, said: “The findings are very worrying – with more vehicles than ever on British roads, driving has inevitably become more stressful, and, as a result motorists are suffering. We would encourage drivers to take deep and slow breaths and try to think about other things than the jams when sitting in heavy traffic to avoid getting Traffic Stress Syndrome.”

Psychologist David Moxon who was part of the research team, described the importance of the findings:

“TSS is a form of stress that manifests itself in frustrated drivers – there is evidence to suggest that chronic TSS can be detrimental to both the physical and mental health of the motorist.”

Direct Line’s top tips for sufferers of TSS compiled by David Moxon:

1. Take deep and slow breaths
2. Listen to calming or relaxing music
3. Use cognitive distraction tasks such as thinking of loved ones
4. If you have a recycle button on your air con use it – this will stop exhaust fumes from the traffic jam coming back into your car
5. Place some aroma-oil on a tissue and keep it in the cabin to fragrance your car

[PRWEB]

tagTRAX: tss | drivers | traffic | stress syndrome | sweaty palms

A carryover from the previous year, 2005, the 2006 Toyota Corolla is a four-door, 5-passenger family sedan, or sports sedan. It is made available in four trims, which ranges from the CE to the XRS.

When this vehicle was introduced, the CE has been equipped with a standard 1.8 liter, I4, 126-horsepower engine that has the capability to achieve 32-mpg when in the city, and 41-mpg if driving on the highway. Standard for the line is a 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive, however, a 4-speed automatic transmission with drive is optional.

For the XRS, this trim has been equipped with a standard 1.8 liter, I4, 164-horsepower engine that is able to attain 26-mpg during city driving and 34-mpg while on the highway. Standard for this trim is the 6-speed manual transmission with overdrive.

The newest Toyota Corolla comes in one body style. This is a four-door sedan. The Toyota Corolla comes with the standard of 15-inch steel wheels, however, it still could make do with larger wheels and tires that would fill out the wheels well more than what it has now. Options for LE models are the aluminum 15-inch wheels. This sedan has a high trunk to be able to keep up with the vehicle’s high belt line.

According to Jim Lentz, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager, “Corolla has become the world’s favorite compact car by exceeding customers’ expectations for value, quality, and performance in this segment. With the XRS model introduced last year, Corolla is expanding its appeal to younger, performance-oriented buyers.”

The Toyota Corolla has taillights that perfectly match the shape of its headlights. Getting in and out of the automobile has been made easier with its door openings made reasonably wide. The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) is available. An additional plus for this model is it has a sunroof.

Within its interior, a passenger would have the feeling that not of a small vehicle. The interior also does not feel cheap unlike many compacts. Large and/or tall people might find the accommodations somewhat cramped up, however shorter people would find the Toyota Corolla’s interior and space fitting them perfectly. For average-sized adults, there is plenty of front legroom and headroom, and a decent amount of space in the back. [PRWEB]

tagTRAX: toyota corolla | wheels and tires | corolla | toyota | horsepower