Chevrolet Beat – Comfort made cool

Reflecting on the type of driver who would choose the Beat, design team assistant manager Injo Kim said the inspiration came from every day heroes. “People who wake up every morning and yearn to make a difference. Like them, the Beat is simple, free and casual, with a strong heart.”

GM has launched the Chevrolet Beat in India ahead of the Delhi Motor Show. Production started mid-December 2009 at GM’s Talegaon plant, which will export 20% of its output by the end of this year.

Now add an economical 1.2 litre engine and a premium Alpine 6-speaker sound system with boot-mounted subwoofer, and you’re ready to drive to your own Beat. It is capable of 18.6 km/l fuel consumption. The engine features what GM calls PDA (Port De-Activation) which ensures high exhaust gas recirculation for combustion stability at low speeds, improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.

One of the hottest trends in the mini segment is the ability for drivers to personalise their car. For the Beat, our designers focused on taking this desire a step forward

Volkswagen Beetle For Women like Kate Moss and Paris Hilton

Auto experts say that women prefer chic and fun cars. Stereotyping dictates it would be difficult to figure out a woman like Kate Moss and Paris Hilton driving a Ferrari. According to Kelly Blue Book, Ferrari, like some of the other high-end performance vehicles, is a notoriously “male” car.

Earlier, NBC divulged the top ten flirtiest cars. First on the list is the Volkswagen Beetle. Statistically, the Volkswagen Beetle is the most popular car for women, with 57 percent of all buyers of Beetles since July having been women, according to JD Power and Associates. The starting price $16,400 and its uniqueness seem to be the feminine appeal of the car.

Rachael Yos, the VW brand manager, said that the color on the Beetle helps boost its appeal. There are unique colors on the Beetle that you can’t get on any other vehicle. I think the Beetle is a more feminine car to begin with, it’s a real rounded shape,” she said.

“Females, they have a much better sense of styling than men,” said Tom Lisle, the general manager of Denny Hecker VW Dealership in Inver Grove Heights, Minn. “I think they like being different.”

Women are so into style. As a fact, it is one of the most important factors that a woman considers in purchasing a car. The Beetle has it. Its sibling, the Jetta, has it too. No wonder the latter comes next to the Beetle on NBC’s list. It is not just the VW Jetta grille – it is the entirety of the package.

The Volkswagen Jetta continues to be one of the most popular automobiles for young women, said Kelly Blue Book senior editor Jack Nerad. The reason is the overall price (around $16,500), and its style and performance.
“(The Jetta) is especially popular with college students,” Yos noted. “It’s a fun, very affordable car. It’s safe, sporty, and we have a great college graduate program.”

Third on the list is the Mitsubishi Spyder. While it has fallen in popularity in the last two years, the Spyder was the most popular car for women in 2005, according to JDPA, with 65 percent of all buyers being female.
“It’s a very stylish car, much better for a single person than a person with a family,” said Nerad. “Even with one child it would be kind of difficult. It’s a car that gets attention.

It’s reasonably economical, especially in a four-cylinder form.”Next in line is another VW car – the Eos. According to JDPA, the Eos is one of the most popular brands for females, with 52 percent of all owners being female. Yos, however, views the car as appealing to an almost solely female clientele, mostly in their 30s. “I think I’ve only sold one male an Eos so far. It’s definitely a female-driven car,” he said. “I think it definitely has an elegant feel to it, just a really sleek line.”

BMW enters the list with its captivating Z4. The Z4 is engineered to cater to auto fetishes of successful, young women. Even for those who cannot afford the car, the Z4 still is still their option.

Representing Japanese car magnet is the Toyota RAV4, a sleek SUV. “It has a sporty feel, but you’re still high enough up so you feel like you have the security of an SUV, but with great gas mileage,” Yos said. “It’s very inexpensive. You can get Rav-4’s for as little as $20,000. They’re real great starter cars.”

Completing the top ten are the Honda CR-V, Pontiac Solstice, Mini Cooper, and the Mazda Miata.

Flush Your Car Radiator – Guides to Prevent Engine To Overheat

Most mechanics will tell you that one of the most overlooked maintenance items on a motor car is the coolant system.

It’s just that people don’t even think about it until they are on the side of the road with the hood up and steam pouring out of the radiator. This traffic nightmare can be avoided by some simple routine maintenance. Your coolant system should be flushed every 2 years and the anti freeze replaced as well. The chemicals in anti freeze begin to lose their effectiveness and rust and grime can build up in your engine and radiator.

This will clog up your engine’s cooling system and cause your engine to overheat. The good news is very little mechanical skills are required to flush your radiator system and keep your car running for years to come.

Simply follow these steps:

Step 1. Locate the drain valve on the radiator to drain it. It should be located on the bottom of the radiator. Be sure to drain the fluid into a container and not the ground. Once you have drained it, close the drain valve.

Step 2. you are ready to install a back flush kit. This kit is inexpensive and can easily be purchased at a local auto parts store. Simply follow the instructions on the back on the packet. Basically, you have to cut the heater inlet hose going to the top of the engine. This is where you install the T section provided in the kit into the line. Slip both ends of the hose onto this fitting and tighten the clamps provided in the kit. Go ahead and connect your garden hose to this fitting.

Step 3. Now place the diverter that came in the kit into the opening on the top of the radiator. This is where the water and coolant will pour out from when you start to flush the system. A hose or tube will be helpful to direct the run off into a bucket.

Step 4. Okay, now go ahead and start the engine. Turn the heater on high and also turn on your garden hose. Coolant is now circulating through the engine and coming out through the diverter on the top of the radiator. Continue this process until clean water begins to come out the top.

Step 5. After a few minutes have passed by, go ahead and turn off the engine and your garden hose. Now drain the radiator again into a bucket and close the drain valve when you are done.

Step 6. You should next add the new anti freeze. Pour the entire contents of the anti freeze bottle into the empty radiator, and fill it until coolant pours out of the neck. Screw back on the radiator cap and you are done. Make sure you have also screwed back on the provided cap onto the T fitting you installed.

Step 7. Take your car for a test drive around the block a couple of times, and make sure that everything is working okay.

Now you have a back flush fitting installed for the next time you need to flush your radiator and it will be a lot quicker. You will thank yourself the next time you pass that unlucky person on the side of the road with an ominous amount of steam cloud pouring from under the hood.

2010 BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo Live and latest image update

BMW took to the stage at the Frankfurt Motor Show to officially introduce its 5-Series Grand Turismo. As expected, the production 5-Series GT doesn’t stray far from the show car first shown at the Geneva Motor Show – and it gives us a glimpse of the next-generation 5-Series sedan and wagon.

Showing its love for new acronyms, BMW has dubbed the vehicle a “Progressive Activity Sedan.” We suppose “luxury hatchback” is simply too bland a label for the German automaker. The 5-Series GT will be the first of several variants for the model, which will also see traditional sedan and wagon options.

Combining the attributes of a wagon and crossover, the 5-Series GT offers loads of space for people and cargo. In its standard configuration, the GT offers the same rear-seat legroom as the 7-Series sedan and the same rear-seat headroom as the X5 while still maintaining 15.4 cubic feet of cargo space. If more cargo room is needed the rear seats can be moved forward four inches — leaving the same rear-seat legroom as the 5-Series sedan — creating 20.7 cubic feet of cargo room. For all-out hauling duties, the rear seats can be folded flat, revealing a cavernous 59.5 cubic feet of space.

Depending on the options and packages, the GT will be riding on 18- to 21-inch wheels. The GT will be offered with three engine choices — a twin-turbo six-cylinder generating 306 horsepower, BMW’s 407 horsepower 4.4L twin-turbo V8 and a turbo-diesel making 245 horsepower. Not surprisingly the V8 model will be the hot rod of the bunch, checking in with a 0-60 time of 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.

All models will use an eight-speed automatic transmission sending power to the rear wheels.

In order to ensure the 5-Series GT handles like a true BMW, the new SAV will come equipped with the automaker’s Dynamic Drive Control. Optional Adaptive Drive will further ensure the GT’s sporty nature.

Overall styling is similar to the X6, but the 5-Series GT has a decidedly sportier look, thanks to its lower profile.

Interior touches include an optional panoramic sunroof, fully adjustable rear seats and a dual-function trunk lid — the latter intended to open wide for larger object but keep the cabin isolated when a standard trunk opening will do. In many ways, the 5-Series GT is like a scaled-down X6.

In true premium car fashion, the 5-Series GT will be available with a number of features, including BMW’s ConnectedDrive, a unique feature that includes Cruise Control with Stop & Go, a High-Beam Assistant, Lane Change Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Speed Limit Info, BMW Night Vision with detection of individual persons, Side View, Top View, and a back-up camera.

Earlier reports said BMW’s next MPV would go head-to-head with Mercedes‘ R-class, but BMW instead decided to build a sedan-like crossover. This is probably a good decision for BMW as it better suits the automaker’s values and the R-class has been met with a lukewarm reception at best.