Mahindra launches XUV 500

Mahindra has launched its new global sport utility vehicle XUV 500 at a staggering price of Rs 10.80 lakhs. The company will begin bookings from Saturday.Two versions of the vehicle will be available, the W6 and W8 in both two-wheel and four-wheel drive.The W8 has been priced at Rs 11.95 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi while the W6 has been priced at Rs 10.8 lakh for the two-wheel drive versions. The price of the XUV500 W8 AWD version is Rs 12.88 lakh ex Delhi.The XUV500 is powered by a 2.2-litre M-Hawk engine that develops 140bhp and a whopping 330Nm of torque.The XUV 500's interior gets sporty intrument panel, elegant leather wrapped dashboard, cool...

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2011 Dodge Charger Review

The 2011 Dodge Charger.I'll admit it. I was among those who thought naming a four-door sedan "Charger" was an act of sacrilege and doomed to failure. After all, the real Dodge Charger was a two-door. Well, as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, "foolish consistency sucks" (or something like that). Fact is, Dodge has built a very good sedan and calling it "Coronet" (the four-door the original Charger was based on) would have been a far worse idea.And, Dodge has dialed up the menace factor for the 2011 Charger. Look at the picture above. That's a six-cylinder family sedan. Pretty cool.It helps enormously that under the new sheetmetal is a new six...the...

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2011 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review

The 2011 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring PRHT. A sure-fire smile inducer at TireKicker is to toss us the keys to a Mazda MX-5 Miata. Tight, quick, fun...everything the MGs, Triumphs and Healys of the 60s were aiming for, but could never quite get that quality thing down. It's been about a year and a half since Mazda put one in the press fleet, and it's a scientific fact that your body never outgrows its need for a week in a primal roots sporting machine, so we borrowed one from Chapman Mazda in Phoenix. And the one we got was the least primal of the bunch...the Grand Touring PRHT.What's that? Well, it's an MX-5 Miata loaded with just about...

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2012 Infiniti M Hybrid Review

The 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid rear view.In a break with (sometime) TireKicker tradition, we're showing you the rear view of the Infiniti M Hybrid first, because it is how you will most likely see one. You see, just yesterday (9/21/11), no less than an adjucator from the Guiness Book of World's Records and the UK's CAR Magazine certified the M Hybrid as the world's fastest full hybrid. Now, its 0-60 time of 5.0 seconds is plenty impressive, but CAR decided real speed is best measured in quarter-miles, and there, the M Hybrid did it in an average of 13.9 seconds...tying the 1/4 mile performance of a 1982 Lamborghini Countach, coming within...

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2011 Jeep Patriot Review

The 2011 Jeep PatriotIt was easy to dismiss the Jeep Patriot when it first hit the streets (and trails) a couple of years back. Part of it was guilt by association, having been introduced to the public at the same time as the first-ever non-Trail Rated Jeep, the almost identically-sized Jeep Compass.But while the Compass was (and is, despite some upgrades) a Jeeped-up Dodge, the Patriot was (and is) a real Jeep. In many ways, it's the spiritual successor to the 1984 Jeep Cherokee.1984 Jeep CherokeeYes, if you dial the wayback machine 28 model years in reverse, you'll find people wondering what was up with this very small Jeep, which replaced...

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Every Breath You Take: OnStar's Watching You (Even If You Cancel)

New privacy policy at OnStar: Starting in December, they're tracking your car and your speed even if you cancel your subscription. And they reserve the right to sell the data. Story from Wired Magazin...

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The 10 fastest cars of 2011

Every year, car manufacturers roll out new makes and models that push technology to the breaking point. Edmunds.com, an automotive-information Web site, evaluates these cars and explains what consumers are getting for their money. This includes engine design, cosmetic details, and, naturally, speed.The evaluations are based on the opinions of Dan Edmunds, the site’s director of vehicle testing. He’s the one who actually test drives the cars, so CNBC.com spoke with him to get his thoughts on 2011’s 10 fastest models. ” I don’t think there’s a stinker in the bunch,” he said.Some of the cars on this list are new models out this year, or rolling...

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2012 Mazda 3 Review

The 2012 Mazda 3.A truly great small car is a wonderful thing. For a long, long time, my vote for best ever went to the 1984 Honda Civic I bought brand new and kept for 14 years and 144,000 trouble-free miles.But some time back, the old Civic got passed by a small car with all of its virtues (compact size, good interior space, fuel economy and a bigger dose of fun-to-drive than anything else in the class) and all the improvements more than a quarter-century can bring: The Mazda 3. We've driven and raved about Mazda 3s before. In fact, the 2008 Mazda 3 was one of the first TireKicker reviews, on our third day of existence.  And a little over...

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2011 Lincoln Navigator Review

The 2011 Lincoln Navigator.Want a big, full-lux SUV and insist on buying American? Your ride is ready.It helps to be a bit of a traditionalist, as well, since the 2011 Lincoln Navigator is year five of the Gen 3 Navigator (and 2012's changes are minimal, so it's going into year six).  But familiarity can breed contentment...and the Navigator is like an old friend.The downturn of the economy and upturn in gas prices has driven the amateurs out of the fullsize and luxury SUV market. It's back to the people who really want, need and appreciate them. And as a former pre-soccer mom era Suburban owner, I can tell you, the 2011 Navigator is...

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BMW Z4|BMW Z4 Price|BMW Z4 Pictures|BMW Z4 Interior|BMW Z4 Exterior|BMW Z4 Photo|BMW Z4 Prices in India|BMW Z4 Reviews|BMW Z4 Speci|BMW Z4 Price in In

BMW Z4|BMW Z4 Price|BMW Z4 Pictures|BMW Z4 Interior|BMW Z4 Exterior|BMW Z4 Photo|BMW Z4 Prices in India|BMW Z4 Reviews|BMW Z4 Speci|BMW Z4 Price in India|BMW Z4 Wallpaper......

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2011 Kia Optima Review

The 2011 Kia Optima. Yes, Kia Optima.The progress made by Korean automakers Kia and Hyundai the past few years has been nothing less than remarkable. It's the same basic story as how Toyota, Nissan (then Datsun) and Honda went from footnotes to mainstream best-sellers, but with a much steeper curve, negotiated much more quickly.But even the rapid rise to respectability couldn't prepare us for the giant leap that is the 2011 Kia Optima. Until now a generic-looking sedan that fit right in as a rental car, the Optima now is gorgeous (if not absolutely, then certainly by family sedan standards), stylish and has bypassed contemporary for futuristic.Rear...

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2011 Ford Explorer Review

The 2011 Ford Explorer.Once upon a time, there was a vehicle that seemingly everyone bought. You saw it everywhere. The time was the 1990s and the vehicle was the Ford Explorer. Then bad things started to happen...blowouts and rollovers...the tires were to blame (along with people who didn't know how to respond to a blowout...I was in three such instances in Explorer TV news units, and thanks to calm, cool photographer/drivers, there was little drama involved), but the Explorer's halo took a hit, and so did sales.Well, that might be a good thing in the long run, because those declining sales prompted Ford to completely re-think the Explorer and...

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2011 Lincoln MKS Review

The 2011 Lincoln MKS.Stock shots from car manufacturers are usually well lit, nicely shot and extremely flattering. At a minimum, they're in focus. Rarely do they tell a story. But the one above does. This year, after two seasons running behind the big dog Lincoln Town Car, the Lincoln MKS has a new role. It's the company's flagship. The road ahead is wide open. It's up to the MKS to conquer the drivers along the way. And having recently done a farewell review for the Town Car, I thought it was time to re-visit the MKS, so we borrowed one from Fiesta Lincoln in Mesa, Arizona.As I wrote three years ago, I initally underestimated the MKS when...

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