Hyundai to take on Duster, Ford Ecosport ; to launch compact SUV and MPV

New Delhi: Auto maker Hyundai Motors is planning a compact SUV and an MPV for the Indian market in the near future.

The move is likely to bring the automaker in the SUV/crossover market which will soon witness the inclusion of the Ford Ecosport in June/July. With the entry into the niche market, Hyundai will go up against the dominant player, the Renault Duster.

The announcement comes at the heels of the Korean automaker’s decision to launch a car which will be placed between the successful i10 and i20 series.

Also, the MPV will be unveiled after the launch of the compact SUV. The MPV will likely face competition from Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and Mahindra’s compact SUV, the Quanto.

Some reports also state that Hyundai is investing in a flexible engine plant with a 300,000 capacity, which will allow the car maker to stop importing diesel engines.

Meanwhile, the car that is supposed to be positioned between i20 and i10 is pegged to be the next iteration of the i10.

Audi R8 V10 Plus flagship variant to be launched in India on April 4

We reported in detail when German premium car maker Audi launched the new flagship variant of the R8 supercar. Christened as the Audi R8 V10 Plus, the new top end variant is close to being launched in Indian car market. The new Audi R8 V10 Plus will be launched in India on April 4 2013.

Powering R8 V10 Plus is a Lamborghini sourced 5.2 litre V10 engine that also powers the R8 Spyder and the R8 V10 Coupe. However, the engine has been tuned to offer more power in the Plus variant. In the R8 V10 Plus, the V10 offers a max power output of 550 bhp and a peak torque figure of 540Nm. This is an increase of 25bhp and 10Nm over the Spyder and V10 Coupe. Power is transmitted to all four wheels by a 7-speed S Tronic gearbox.

The Audi R8 V10 Plus can accelerate from 0 to 100 kmph in just  3.5 and the car has a top whack of 317kmph. The V10 Plus is 0.1 second quicker and 3kmph faster than the V10 Coupe. The R8 V10 Plus is also the quickest production Audi ever.

The Audi R8 V10 Coupe used to sell in India for a price of INR 1.57 crore and it is being expected that the post budget price for the R8 V10 would be close to INR 1.81 crore.

Hence, the Audi R8 V10 Plus can safely be expected to cost north of INR 2 Crores when it is launched in India. Stay tuned for more info.