Team-BHP - ARAI Car Spotting

Hello everybody.!

As I am now going to make it a regular habit to go walking on ARAI hill every Sunday I thought of starting a thread where I report all the vehicles I spot inside the main gates.

Today 14th. October 2012 I spotted the following:--

1. 2 Audi Q3.
The vehicles were without any model or variant identifications & from far they were looking like Q5s. (Point also observed in our forum's official review.) Went to have a closer look from just outside the gate & later on came & crosschecked the rear tail light design from photos on the review. :D
My reading is that Audi have started CKD assembly & are getting the same type approved. Possibly some price cuts for the vehicles will now come through?

2. 6 Maruti Swifts
Puzzles me a lot as this is a newly launched model & so where is the need for any new type approvals? Or are there some fuel type upgrades (CNG/LPG) planned?

Quote:

Originally Posted by sridhar-v (Post 2932565)

1. 2 Audi Q3.
The vehicles were without any model or variant identifications & from far they were looking like Q5s. (Point also observed in our forum's official review.) Went to have a closer look from just outside the gate & later on came & crosschecked the rear tail light design from photos on the review. :D
My reading is that Audi have started CKD assembly & are getting the same type approved. Possibly some price cuts for the vehicles will now come through?

2 new engines are expected in Audi Q3, it can be those 2 engines undergoing testing.

-2.0 TFSI, Quattro.
-2.0 TDI, 140hp state of tune for Fwd variant.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sridhar-v

2. 6 Maruti Swifts
Puzzles me a lot as this is a newly launched model & so where is the need for any new type approvals? Or are there some fuel type upgrades (CNG/LPG) planned?

Wild guess- An automatic to counter Brio automatic? Afterall, DZire already has an automatic, so it wouldn't take anything extra from them to launch one in Swift too.

But- Maruti has 6 variants in Swift. 6 cars in ARAI. Hmmm... May be a technical modification across the range. I hope its about the weak brakes in that case. CNG is unlikely on Swift since it already has good sales numbers. They may give it to Ritz only.

One wild guess, ARAI visit might not always translate to new model launch. It can also be some technical changes, especially cost saving ones which might require homologation.
But anyway will keep a tab on the thread to see whats coming new good job.

Good initiative :) Besides keeping you fit, this will help our GK updated as well.

I am keen on hearing about Honda Brio based sedan ( ACI scoop reported the sedan is coming very soon and coming with diesel heart)

Quote:

Originally Posted by sridhar-v (Post 2932565)

2. 6 Maruti Swifts
Puzzles me a lot as this is a newly launched model & so where is the need for any new type approvals? Or are there some fuel type upgrades (CNG/LPG) planned?

IMO these could very well be the CNG/LPG + Auto variants of Swift. In cities where CNG/ LPG is available, it can easily mean few more sales, & the auto variant could be a means of not conceding sales to Brio Auto. But, the sheer number of variants (6), is baffling, in fact, because they could have brought 3 (2 for CNG/LPG & 1 for Petrol auto)... or are they paying heed to all enthusiasts by launching the Diesel auto clap:.

Still 2 additional variants are puzzling me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sridhar-v (Post 2932565)

As I am now going to make it a regular habit to go walking on ARAI hill every Sunday I thought of starting a thread where I report all the vehicles I spot inside the main gates.

No wild guesses about Swifts, I'm curious to know whether anybody can have access to the ARAI hill or you have some special privileges? I visited the MIT campus and nearby area but never dared to enter ARAI premises.
Thanks for updating us all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iSpoke (Post 2932878)

No special privileges. The ARAI hill is a very popular place for morning & evening walks. So one can go right upto the Main gate of ARAI without any issues. And sunday is the best because the cars are not out on road testing (being a sarkari institute they don't work on holidays.!).

Quote:

Originally Posted by CARDEEP

Five or six cars coming at a time is also done for COP(conformity of production) testing, other than type approval. They have stickers on the RH fenders indicating what type of test they are there for. I wish there were some new variants like hybrids hopefully!

I spent an year at ARAI(june 2011- 2012) for my M.tech course there, and watching those beauties was an activity I liked the most during my stint.

A noble step, in many ways, Sridhar. Almost like BHP's eyes on the street - or let's say, on the holy ground that matters :)

Health benefits aside, I'm sure your Sunday strolls will present with you a fair store of preemptive/first-hand information about new launches, test cars, variants, engines, fuel economy etc. We will, in turn, have even more intel to debate and deliberate on. Do clock updates as regularly as possible - even if you aren't able to do it weekly. Thumbs up for coming up with this buddy :thumbs up