Chhabria's DC Avanti sports car has also been confiscated by the police.

The Mumbai crime branch have arrested car designer Dilip Chhabria in a cheating and forgery case. Chhabria has been booked under section 420 and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The Mumbai police haven't provided any details about the case, however it has been reported that the offence was filed on December 19. Chhabria was arrested by API Sachin Vaze and his team. A car linked to the case was also confiscated and has been parked at the Mumbai Police headquarters.

Dilip Chhabria is the founder of DC Design - a company that builds custom cars and body kits. In 2015, the company launched the DC Avanti - a 2-seater sports car.

Source

According to a media report, Dilip Chhabria is working on an electric sports car that is said to be the successor the DC Avanti.

The new model is likely to be based on the TCA Concept that was showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo. It could go on sale sometime in 2022 with a price tag of around Rs. 40 lakh.

Dilip Chhabria has revealed that the TCA electric sports car will feature an electric powertrain that is being developed in Switzerland. The chassis and exterior of the car is ready, while the interior and lighting are still in the works.

Being an EV, the TCA will attract 5% GST, as opposed to 53% for the Avanti. DC also plans to export the TCA to international markets.

Source

The Indian market has matured so much that you'd be hard-pressed to find a truly bad car on sale today. Most 2020 cars are either good or acceptable. However, ever so often, a rotten apple does somehow get launched...defying taste, common sense, research & wisdom.

Note: This is NOT a subjective list. It's also based on market performance and ALL of the listed cars have flopped in India. The Top 10 worst Indian cars of the last decade IMHO are as follows:

Mahindra Quanto

You can't simply shorten a failed product (Xylo) and expect it to sell. Yes, the Quanto was spacious and had a practical engine, but boy was it ugly! It also had the ride quality of a pogo stick. Mahindra later applied some lipstick on it, but the NuvoSport bombed too.

DC Avanti

Dilip Chhabria wanted to build a super'ish car for India, although enthusiasts gave it an extremely insulting i-g-n-o-r-e. Yes, I'll be the first to admit it was a fair effort by a tiny home-grown manufacturer and that its acceleration was decent for the price (acceleration mind you, not the top speed). But there was little else to lure any petrol-head toward it. The styling was weird (especially that ugly rear end), it was heavy at 1600 kilos, the build was inconsistent, the interior quality shoddy, there were no airbags and the sales / service support was zero. Of course, you then had "hand-built" car reliability & sloppy handling to live with. On the Lonavla ghats, a 10-lakh rupee Abarth Punto would leave this wannabe supercar for dead. Thanks DC, but for ~35 lakhs, gearheads will gladly pick up the world-class Octavia vRS instead.

Premier Rio

The losers at Premier Auto - who were partially responsible for ruining Peugeot & Fiat in India - thought they'll jump onto the emerging crossover trend with a cheap Chinese import. Luckily for India, its shrewd customers saw behind the facade and realised it's a rebadged Zotye Nomad from China (the cars even arrived with the Zotye badge). Worse still, Premier later did the usual "Padmini jugaad" and plonked the 1.3L MJD into it. The Rio was horribly built, had a depressing interior, was noisy and suffered awful highway manners. Then of course were the suspect promoters backing it!

Datsun Go / Go+

Datsun represents what is a completely disjointed thought process & strategy from none other than fugitive Carlos Ghosn himself! Enthusiastically entering the Indian market thinking that "cheap will sell", Datsun launched the Go without even a glovebox lid. Cost-cutting is more obvious than at your local beedi shop, and there was a mobile docking port offered instead of a head-unit! The Go+ then showed the world how NOT to do a 3rd-row seat (although sister concern Renault did it right with the Triber).

Ashok Leyland Stile

A truck maker tried to enter the car segment with a shortcut and it ended pretty badly. Not only did the car fail, but it led to a messy divorce in the courts (related link). The Stile is a rebadged Nissan Evalia, albeit a poorer + decontented version of what was already a flop car. So stripped was the Stile that its supposed top-end LX version (costing over a million bucks, mind you) didn't even get a rear defogger or remote locking! The hapless dealers were forced to think up schemes, giving away a Stile for free if you placed a big truck order. IMHO, Ashok Leyland should stick to making trucks & buses.

Isuzu MU-7

Isuzu launched the D-Max pickup truck which BHPians loved (review link) & at a fantastic price too. Overnight, it became the best pickup truck on sale in India. Sadly, Isuzu also brought in the outdated MU-7 SUV which was already being replaced by the newer MU-X internationally. The old MU-7 was overpriced for what it offered, had a 1980s interior and no brand value / dealer network to speak of. Not that its replacement - the MU-X - did any better. Isuzu didn't learn from earlier mistakes and launched the 2013 MU-X in 2017 (instead of the latest version). The MU-X's gearbox was terribly slow, the wavy ride quality can make you car-sick and it corners like a ship. Both SUVs deservedly sank like the Titanic.

Mahindra Verito Vibe

I can't decide which one is the uglier hack job - the Quanto or this contraption? It's one of those OEM products that deserves an entry in our weird & wacky mod jobs thread. Can't decide if this weirdo was a joke from Mahindra or an unpardonable error? Any which way, it made the company a laughing stock. An outdated design, basic interior and such a poor chop-job that 50% of people think it's an ugly hatchback, while the other 50% think it's a sedan.

Force One

Force Motors wanted to cash in on the SUV craze, but didn't have the resources to develop a proper one in-house. So, it simply did what me and you do on AliExpress = placed an order in China + shipped it in. Drive the Force One and you'll know how unsorted it was. Not to forget, the unlucky few who did buy one had to contend with reliability issues, scarce part availability and clueless after-sales support. Not even Amitabh Bachchan could save this turkey (he was the brand ambassador). There was simply no reason to pick it up over say, the similarly priced XUV500.

Chevrolet Sail / U-VA

You'll find this hard to believe, but the group that brought the MG Hector here is the same one behind the Sail twins. You could say they learnt their lesson! The Sail & U-VA were so boring that - apparently - the agency making a pitch told Chevy to rebrand the cars as vanilla 1 & vanilla 2. Don't get me wrong, there was nothing fundamentally wrong with the cars, but the problem was that whoever saw one fell asleep instantly. If the dictionary ever needed a graphical representation of "boring", they should use this picture. In a market that was getting snazzier designs from other car makers, no customer even noticed the Sail twins' boring exterior + boring interior + boring drive. I'm yawning, just writing this paragraph.

Renault Koleos

The Koleos was one of the first products Renault launched in India...and among the worst. Launched at an obscene 23 lakhs in 2011, it was more expensive than the Fortuner & Endeavour! The BMW X1 wasn't too far away either. The product itself had a dimwitted automatic gearbox, limited rear seat space, awkward styling and zero badge value. As a result, this dud is rarer than a Ferrari on Indian roads.

DC Design has inaugurated its new store in Mumbai, located at Terminal 2 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). This outlet will now be the sole DC Design store in the city. With this store, the Mumbai airport has become the first airport in the country to accommodate a DC Design store.

The company's first indigenously made car, the DC Avanti will be on display at the DC Design store in Mumbai. DC markets the Avanti as India's most affordable supercar. It is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which is rated at 248 BHP and develops 340 Nm of torque. It comes with a rear wheel drive setup, and is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Visitors at the DC store at CSIA will also be able to know about other remodelled and customized cars from the DC portfolio.

DC hopes to attract significant foot fall of travellers at its store in the airport's premises.

DC is gearing up to launch a more powerful version of the Avanti. This version will be sold in limited numbers and have an automated manual transmission. The car is expected to be priced around Rs. 44 lakh.

The new version is expected to be badged Avanti 310. It is expected to be powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine capable of developing around 310 BHP. The car is likely to come with a choice of two transmissions - a 6-speed manual gearbox and a 6-speed automated manual transmission with paddle shifters.

The Avanti 310 is expected to come with stiffer anti-roll bars and a lowered suspension that makes the car sit 20 mm lower than the standard Avanti.

On the cosmetic front, the Avanti 310 will get a new carbon fibre front splitter, sill extensions, rear diffuser and rear spoiler, dark alloy wheels and LED headlamps and tail lamps. On the inside, the car will get Alcantara leather sport seats, a new wrapped steering wheel and TFT instrument display with sport gauges.

The Avanti 310 will come in three colours schemes - grey & green, white & blue and matte grey & orange. Bookings for the Avanti 310 have commenced and deliveries of the car will begin in April 2016.

Source: Car and Bike / NDTV

The DC Avanti has been launched in India at a price of Rs. 35.93 lakh (ex-showroom, Pune).

The Avanti has 2 doors and 2 seats. It measures 4,550 mm long, 2,120 mm wide and 1,200 mm high. It has a wheelbase of 2,700 mm, a ground clearance of 155 mm and a turning radius of 6 metres. The car weighs 1,580 kg.

Standard features on the Avanti include central locking, electrically adjustable ORVMs, power steering, power windows, air-conditioning, leather seats, LED lighting and projector headlamps.

The Avanti has a space frame chassis and roll cage. It is powered by a Euro-5 complaint 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that develops 250 BHP @ 5,500 rpm and 360 Nm of torque @ 2,750-5,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. The company claims that the Avanti can do the 0-100 kph sprint in 6 seconds and reach an electronically restricted top speed of 200 kph.

The Avanti rides on 20-inch alloy wheels shod with 255x35/R20 and 295x30R20 tyres at the front and rear respectively. Stopping power is provided by disc brakes all-round. Safety features include ABS and EBD and 3-point seatbelts with pre-tensioners among others.

Cricketer Dinesh Karthik, has sued DC Design for failing to refund the booking amount that he had paid for the DC Avanti sports car.

DC Design displayed the DC Avanti at the Auto Expo in 2012 and 2014. While the company started accepting bookings for the Rs. 35 lakh vehicle in December 2012, it was only earlier this year, that it started deliveries of the car.

Cricketer Dinesh Karthik, was one of the people who had booked the Avanti. In May 2013, he paid an amount of Rs. 5 lakh to book the car at a dealership in Chennai. According to Karthik, the dealer promised to arrange a test drive by January 2014. If he was satisfied after the test drive, he would be given delivery of the vehicle the next month and if not, the booking amount would be refunded.  However, the dealer could not arrange the test drive in time and did not respond to Karthik's queries on the delivery time.

The dealer finally responded to the cricketer's email in April 2015 and Karthik managed to get a test drive of the Avanti on May, 18, 2015. He did not find the car to his liking and cancelled his booking. When he sought refund of the booking amount, the dealer refused, saying that it was not possible since he had taken a test drive of the vehicle.

Karthik then had to send a legal notice to the company, which said that he had accepted and signed the terms of purchase of the car. The company also mentioned that the terms and conditions did not allow them to refund the money.

According to Karthik, the dealer could not produce a copy of the document that he had allegedly signed.

Now, Karthik has moved a consumer forum in the city and is seeking compensation from DC Design for failure to refund the booking amount. He has appealed to the forum to direct the dealer to refund the booking amount along with interest and pay a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh for causing mental agony.

The case was heard recently. The next hearing has been scheduled for September 23, 2015 by the district consumer disputes redressal forum, south Chennai.

Source: ET Auto

DC Design has launched a dedicated website for the upcoming Avanti supercar.

The Avanti is powered by a mid-mounted, 2.0-litre, turbocharged petrol engine that develops 250 bhp @ 5500 and 366 Nm of torque @ 2750 to 5000 rpm. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual gearbox. DC claims that the car can do a 0-100 kph sprint in 6 seconds and attain an electronically limited top speed of 200 kph.

The Avanti has a 2-door, 2-seater coupe configuration. It comes with a space frame chassis and roll cage. Its body is made up of carbon composites and the GVW of the car is 1580 kg. The Avanti measures 4565 mm in length, 2120 mm wide with a wheelbase of 2700 mm and a ground clearance of 170 mm. The car rides of 20-inch alloy wheels shod with 255x35/R20 and 295x30R20 tyres at the front and rear respectively. Stopping power is provided by four disc brakes with ABS.

According to the brochure, the standard exterior colours for the Avanti include red, black, white and silver. The upholstery can be had in grey, tan, black or red.

Deliveries of the DC Avanti are expected to begin on April 15, 2015.

Click here to view the DC Avanti website

Thank you to the Harnish Patel who sent these details in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing them with other enthusiasts!

Details of the specifications, features and the pricing of the DC Avanti have been leaked.

The DC Avanti is a 2-door, 2-seater coupe with a space frame chassis and roll cage. Its body is made up of carbon composites and the GVW of the car is 1580 kg. It is 4550 mm long, 1965 mm wide and 1200 mm high with a wheelbase of 2700 mm and a ground clearance of 170 mm. Th turning circle of the car is 6 metres wide. The car has double wishbone front and rear suspensions with 20-inch alloy wheels shod with 255x35/R20 and 295x30R20 tyres at the front and rear respectively. Stopping power is provided by four disc brakes with ABS. Other features on the exterior include LED lights with bi-halogen projector headlamps and a 2K paint system.

The Avanti's engine is a mid-mounted, Euro-5 complaint, 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit that develops 250 bhp @ 5500 and 366 Nm of torque @ 3500 rpm. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual gearbox. DC claims that the car can do a 0-100 kph sprint in 6 seconds and attain an electronically limited top speed of 180 kph.

The list of standard features includes central locking, electrically adjustable ORVMs, power steering, power windows, air-conditioning, single DIN audio system and 4-way adjustable seats.

The list of optional features includes bi-xenon headlamps, matt paint, programmable multi-information display, double DIN audio system with navigation, reverse camera, Alcantara leather interior trim, carbon fibre panels, personilised seats, scuff plates, car cover and soft luggage. The list indicates that some of the features are ridiculously priced.

The DC Avanti is expected to be launched in 2015. It is likely to be priced in the region of Rs. 35 lakh (ex-factory).

The brochure of the DC Avanti has been leaked. It gives us information about the technical specifications, colour options, dimensions and features of the car.

The DC Avanti is a mid-engined, 2-door, 2-seater coupe with a space frame chassis and roll cage. Its body is made up of carbon composites and the car weighs 1580 kg. It is 4550 mm long, 1965 mm wide and 1200 mm high with a wheelbase of 2700 mm and a ground clearance of 170 mm, which will be useful in Indian conditions. The car features a glass louvered engine cover and motorsport-inspired fuel filler. The Avanti will be available in ten body colours - white, silver, red, black, lime yellow, mustard orange, electric blue, orange, green and midnight grey.

The car has double wishbone front and rear suspensions with 20-inch alloy wheels shod with 255x35/R20 and 295x30R20 tyres at the front and rear respectively. It has disc brakes all round with ABS and LED lights with bi-halogen headlamps.

The Avanti is powered by a Euro-5 complaint 2.0-litre petrol engine that develops 250 hp and 360 Nm of torque. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual gearbox.

The brochure does not mention any details of the pricing of the car. However, we expect it to be in the region of Rs. 35 lakh (ex-factory).

Source: IAB