2010 Suzuki Kizashi Gts Sedan 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Renault appoints Dacia Logan creator to head its Nano-rival program in India

After watching the Tata Nano post sales numbers smaller than its engine displacement, Renault gave up on its much publicized intention to build a truly inexpensive car to rival it. Then, a month ago, reports emerged that Renault was resuming work on a couple of low-priced cars for emerging markets, but this time it would work with its in-house partner, Nissan. That plan envisions an offering for €3,000 ($3,888 US) and another for €5,000 ($6,400 US), both of which would be more spendy than the Nano but might avoid the charge of being cheap - and nasty - and instead be considered affordable.
A report in Reuters talks to the man in charge, Gerard Detourbet, who has been in Chennai, India since at least August working on the program. Detourbet led the Dacia Logan project and is considered "Renault's low-cost car specialist" and "the father of entry-car programs." This one is reportedly codenamed A-Entry and will create a "'sub-entry' architecture" that will provide roominess beyond the vehicle's price and class, and use an engine with a displacement of 800 cubic centimeters.
It isn't aimed at the Nano, though - it means to take on the products that make up 45-50 percent of India's car market, like the Maruti Suzuki Alto and Hyundai Eon. According to Reuters, out of the 2.6-million-strong Indian car market the Maruti Suzuki line-up alone nabs one million registrations annually. The Alto 800 begins at 244,000 rupees ($4,440 US), the Eon at 300,000 rupees ($5,559 US), the Chevrolet Spark at about 316,000 ($5,750 US); if Renault can nail its price targets it will just about bracket those three and be right in the game.

Suzuki, please come back and bring the Alto Works with you

The list of JDM vehicles we'd love to see imported into the United States keeps growing. But if there's one we could wish for in 2016, we dare say it's the one you see here. It's called the Suzuki Alto Works, and it looks like an absolute riot. The Alto, for those unfamiliar, is a tiny little Kei car. It rides on a 97-inch wheelbase and weighs less than 1,350 pounds, which makes it not only smaller than a three-door Mini, but also about half its weight. All it needs is a 660cc inline-three to pull it around the streets of Tokyo. And perhaps best of all, where the previous Alto adopted rounded, cutesy styling, the new model introduced in Japan a year ago takes a more squared-off, industrial design that looks much better to our round eyes. Suzuki made a punchy little Alto Turbo RS version (which you can scope out in the extra gallery below) that increased output to a still-puny 64 horsepower and 70 pound-feet of torque. And it won multiple awards for its compact, fun-to-drive nature. But now the Japanese automaker has made the Alto even more enticing with the new Works model. It's based on the aforementioned Turbo RS, but packs some key upgrades. Where the Alto Turbo RS was only available with an automatic, the new Alto Works can be had with a short-throw five-speed manual – driving either the front wheels alone or all four. Suzuki also boosted output modestly to 74 lb-ft, improved the throttle response, and recalibrated the steering for better accuracy. New 15-inch wheels are fitted to a retuned suspension with KYB shocks. It's all done up in a gunmetal finish with black trim, red-painted front calipers, and an interior with Recaro racing buckets, steel pedals, red stitching, and a boost gauge that changes color from white to red as it spools up. All of that can be had from only 1,509,840 yen, which may look like a lot, but translates to just $12,500 at current exchange rates. If only Suzuki still sold in the US market, because it does some of the best little hatchbacks around. And the new Alto Works looks like it'd be a hoot to drive.

Indian diamond merchant gives 600 new cars to his staff

NEW DELHI — India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi helped a diamond merchant present hundreds of new cars as gifts to his employees on Thursday. Six hundred employees of Hari Krishna Exporters, a diamond trading company run by Savji Dholakia, received cars made by Indian manufacturer Maruti Suzuki, while around 1,000 more staffers were offered gifts of cash deposits and apartments in a huge outdoor ceremony in Surat, Gujarat. Indians often give each other gifts in the run-up to Diwali, a major Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil that this year falls on Nov. 7. Modi addressed the prize-giving in his home state of Gujarat via video link, as well as presenting some of the employees with car keys in the capital New Delhi. Dholakia is famous across India for giving lavish gifts to his employees at Diwali, including hundreds of apartments in 2016's ceremony. The showroom value of the 600 cars would be more than $2 million. Gift-giving in the latter part of the year when several Hindu festivals are celebrated provides a major boost to India's economy. The gifts were part of a program targeting staff who have given loyal service to the diamond trader. "The aim of this program was to reward employees' loyalty and dedication towards the company," Dholakia said in a Facebook post.Reporting by Alasdair Pal Related Video: Image Credit: Reuters Auto News Weird Car News Suzuki