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This is supposed to be the 5-6L range SUV - I think I read somewhere that International Cars and Motors (ICM) and CK Birla HM are to bring this here. Its supposed to have a 2 litre Isuzu diesel engine. Built with Rover of UK. It is gonna be unveiled at the Auto Expo.Anybody with some dope on this?! I couldnt find any pics of this too.

Thanks,
Sushmair.

sushmair thats correct, the RHINO built by ICML in collabration with Rover UK, would be launched at the Auto Expo. Should be in the 6lac range. I do have pics of the car but cant post it until its launched.

Arush

[SIZE=2]I had came across a picture in one of the auto magazines some months back. The vehicle is not an SUV but a people carrier and closely resembles the Toyota Qualis.[/SIZE]

hey guyz, which company is launching it in India?

[SIZE=2]Is this the one from Sonalika group. How is CK. Birla connected with this. [/SIZE]

Mods please change the topic to NOW LAUNCHED

The price is 5.45 lakhs and it will be available by jan end.

Just saw a photo of this MUV in the TOI. Lets just say that the Scorpio/Tavera/Innova are not threatened in any way.

And I fell off my chair when I saw the picture!! Is Sipani involved in this, because Rhino seems to follow the Sipani philosophy of making a car from parts of other outdated cars.

GTO

Is it really that bad ? Can someone post some pictures ?
Sipana....you sure that DC never had an input on this Rhino thing.

Found the article on the epaper but no photo...
Which page is it on ?

I think this was in Car & Bike show on NDTV, yesterday.
Though not at all appealing, however has loads and loads of internal space. The rear has 3 split seats, can be arranged in front too. Has glove box like X-trail, the speedo console is in the middle with slight tilt towards the driver.
Also has the flexibility of removing rear seats, which provides space big enough to play carrom with 4 ppl. The price for the base model is expected around 5.45 lacs.

Tarun.

Extract from TOI epaper page 19 (Business Times)


Sonalika unveils Rs 5.5 lakh MUV

TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: The already overcrowded passenger vehicle market in India witnessed the entry of a new price warrior on Wednesay. Sonalika group—a leading players in the Indian tractor market—drove into the high-growth multiutility vehicle (MUV) segment with a home-grown product Rhino, sporting an entry-level price of Rs 5.45 lakh.
The Rhino, powered by a 2-litre Isuzu engine sourced from Hindustan Motors, will be available for commercial sales from Januaryend, Sonalika group chairman LD Mittal said.
“We will start sales in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and move into the Delhi market by April 2006,’’ he said.
“We will be sourcing the Isuzu engines from HM for Rhino. In addition, we are also developing our own common rail direct injection (CRDi) engines, which will be introduced in the Rhino by the end of the year,’’ Mittal said.
The vehicle is being produced by Sonalika group’s utility vehicle making arm International Cars and Motors (ICM). The Rhino will be available in three versions with the top-end variants being priced at Rs 6.85 lakh.
The company, which has set up a Rs 200 crore plant in Himachal Pradesh for manufacturing the Rhino in technological collaboration with the UK’s MG Rover, said it hoped to sell 5,000-6,000 units in the first year itself.
Mittal also announced that Citi group has bought 20% stake in ICM and another 10% in its tractor-making arm International Tractors, but refused to divulge details about the transactions.
The Rhino-Rover will be the first made-in-India SUV to be priced in the Rs 5-6 lakh range. In comparison, the Mahindra Scorpio and Tata Safari both sport an entry-level tag of around Rs 7-7.5 lakh. While Scorpio’s top-end versions cost around Rs 8.5 lakh, the Safari’s tag runs up to Rs 12 lakh.“We have always been known as the price warriors in the market. With this aggressive price tag, we are trying to replicate our success in the tractor market,’’ Mittal said.



Sonalika Group managing director L D Mittal, (2nd from left) with the soon to be launched Rhino MUV at Auto Expo in New Delhi

You haven't seen it?
Good. Just keep it that way because too much laughter may result in a heart attack! :D
What the hell were they thinking when they made that thing?

I would like to quote from page 81 of March Autocar...

"Apart from looks and feel of the majestic 78 bhP RHINO, its time tested 1999cc turbo-charged with inter-cooler engine makes it a high performance vehicle"

rl:

The guy who wrote that (Shakun Narang from Ozone) was definitely stoned. Come to think of it, he must have also been sitting on his brain!

First of all, in which decade was 78 bhp majestic? Not since the 1920s I think. And that engine must be VERY time-tested if it only makes 78 bhp from a turbo-charged and inter-cooled 2 Litre engine. As for making it a high-performance vehicle...I'm speechless. I bet it won't even get to 100 Km/h in 20 secs. I'm absolutely appalled that Autocar let this nonsense be printed in their magazine! The editor must have been on vacation too!