New Hyundai I20 IGen Launched at Rs 4.73 Lakh

Hyundai Motors India Limited (HMIL), the Indian unit of the South Korea based leading car maker, has rolled-out All New Hyundai iGen i20 model in the Indian market. The country's largest car exporter launched the iGen i20 in both petrol and diesel variants, carrying a total of 12 variants. As per the company the new iGen i20 model is blessed with a range of innovative and high-tech features, which have been incorporated in the car after extensive surveys to offer high value proposition to the customers of this segment.

While the petrol version of the car is available in the price range of Rs 473,400 to Rs 665,894, the diesel version is shelved in the price segment of Rs 596,334 to Rs 744,013. On the other hand the automatic transmission version of the car carries a price tag of Rs 767,405.

All variants of the Hyundai i20 iGen car model are blessed with improved engine units with higher power and fuel economy. The petrol version of the car is powered by a 1.2 Kappa engine (with Dual VTVT technology) which is capable of delivering a peak power of 84 PS. On the other hand, the diesel variant of the car is loaded with a hi-tech 1.4 U2 CRDi diesel engine that generate a maximum power of 90 PS with massive torque of 22.4 kg-m. The diesel version of new iGen i20 will come incorporated with a 6 speed manual transmission. There is also a higher powered 1.4L Gamma automatic petrol version which delivers a massive power of 100 PS in combination with a peak torque of 13.9 kg-m.

The new Hyundai iGen i20 is a highly fuel efficient model which delivers a fuel economy of 18.5 km per liter, 21.9 km per liter and 15 km per liter, in 1.2L petrol, 1.4L diesel and 1.4L petrol version.

The car carries a number of road presence enhancing features at the exterior front including High Gloss Front Grille, Rear Spoiler in combination with integrated Stop Lamp, 8-Spoke stylish alloy wheels, Turn Indicators mounted on outside mirrors, etc.

The new version of this premium hatchback, Hyundai i20, comes loaded with a range of class-apart premium comfort and convenience features including Rear Parking Camera with cabin mirror display, Clean Air-Cluster ionizer that maintains the quality of air inside the cabin, Electro Chromic Mirror with anti-glare vision technology, Multiple Airbags, Auto Headlight Control Function, Rain Sensing Wipers, Push Button Start with Smart Key, steering wheel and gear knob wrapped in leather, armrest for driver seat, Tilt & Telescopic Steering, Heated Outside Mirrors which are Electrically Adjustable & Foldable, and 60:40 Split seat at rear.

Moreover, the entertainment package of the car is fully loaded with features like 2-DIN CD / MP3 Music System with 2 tweeters and 4 speakers (compatible with aux-in, Bluetooth connectivity and USB); Steering mounted Controls Audio as well as Bluetooth.

Safety package of the car looks quite capable of saving passengers both active and passive fronts with advanced features like Multiple airbags, clutch lock, smart pedal system, impact sensing auto door unlocking, speed sensing auto door locking, Reverse Parking Sensors and ABS.

Long Mileage Tires: Brief Overview

If you really care about your car, you really have no option when it comes to taking good care of it. There are various ways through which you can do this and one of the most important one is by ensuring that your car has tires that are of good quality. When shopping for tires, always make sure that you go for long mileage tires since they are durable. One sure way which you can use to save on costs of your tires is by shopping for cheap long mileage tires. This article aims to look at the different ways that you can use to lower costs of getting new tires.

One major way that you can get to do this is through online shopping. There is no doubt that online shopping is becoming a popular shopping method for most products and so is it for tires too. There is a wide range of products that you can choose from and it's all just an issue of clicking one and you explore through many online shops' products. With online shopping, apart from low prices, offer coupons that can get you to enjoy great discounts. When you fill these coupons, you are in to some good savings and hence you are in a position to save and use the discount in improving other parts of your vehicle system.

When shopping for your tires, you should consider quality above anything else such as price or maybe discounts. Quality is sure to last you and you will not meet other costs that may arise due to regular purchasing of tires. One popular type of tires that are sure to last you for a long time is long mileage tires. This is because they have been manufactured in a way that they can withstand different conditions that can be detrimental to the tires.

If you are shopping for new long mileage tires to replace your old ones, you should opt to replace all the four tires altogether. This is because it is cheaper in the essence that you receive discounts in terms of the sale. You also get other services for free or maybe for a very low amount of cash such as their installation and simple additional services that may including fitting your brake systems properly; but this is only if you need it to be done.

It is also advised that as you get to change your car tires, that you change all four of them. This is because it is cheaper when you get to buy them in sets. Such ensures uniform wearing out and this will be easy to handle rather than when only a pair or a single tire is worn out and causes an imbalance in your car.

When you are sure to have best long mileage tires on your car, you can be assured of things such as:

- Increased fuel utilization 

- Enhanced steering due to properly maintained wheels and this makes your car have a good balance and this can make you save your life as well as those of other occupants.

Detail Cars for Fun and Profit

Car maintenance is a lucrative business, something that can be done full time or as a side gig. The market is a big one with some people specializing in oil changes and tune ups and others in body repair, modifications or some other aspect of the business. Car detailing is an important subcategory of automotive maintenance, one that can be both fun and profitable. Read on for some tips on car detailing and how you can make a go of this business option.

Who your customers are. Anyone from your neighbor to a fleet business can use your services. One-off customers can pay the most, given that they may want your service only on occasion. With a fleet, you'll need to discount your rates, but you'll also get access to many more cars and have a steady source of income. Mix up your customer base to ensure steady profits.

What you can provide. We're not talking a simple wash and wax service here. With car detailing, you'll get down to the nitty gritty by working on car bodies, windows and tires. But, that is only the outside. Inside, you can vacuum and shampoo carpets, remove stains, apply carpet protector, clean windows and condition seats. Essentially, you'll bring a car to "showroom new" condition or as close to it as possible. Offer details of your services for customer inspection.

When your services are offered. This is where you need to decide how much time you'll invest in your business. Don't quit your full-time job unless you have a steady and deep supply of customers. Consider doing this business on the side first or, if there is a business you can take over, then do so. Run a cost analysis to determine the value of any business you plan on buying. Know who your competitors are, where they are located and what they charge. Then, work toward offering the best value for the lowest prices.

Where your business takes place. There are several places you can "do business" as you launch your car detailing enterprise. If your business is a sideline hobby, you may be able to detail cars from your yard without running afoul of local zoning requirements. You can also set up shop and run your business from a commercial location. That can involve buying a car wash or simply setting up a location where cars come in, be hand-washed and detailed. Finally, a mobile service means you can take your business where people park their cars. This may mean taking someone's car at work to the car wash, detailing it and returning it clean before the end of the work day.

Why customers want your business. Quite simply, people who want to hire car detailers are either too busy to do the work themselves or just prefer to have someone handle the work for them. Typically, you'll attract people who know that their cars need special attention. This might be once per year after a hard winter or just before they market their car for sale. A detailed car looks better and commands a higher price. You'll need to clearly demonstrate to customers why car detailing is the way to go and market accordingly.

How to have fun and make money. The fun part of this job is knowing that you have completed a "job well done." You can make money by setting your prices competitively, maintaining a low overhead and only hiring people when the workload mandates it. Consider hiring contractors first -- people you can pay per gig with no promise of permanent employment. When you're ready to grow your business, hire employees. Your best workers may qualify for management, overseeing your staff and letting you take on other responsibilities.

Like any business, car detailing is hard work. The profitable part comes by working hard and managing your money wisely. Fail in either department and your business won't be successful. What you put into your business will ultimately determine whether the work is profitable and if it is fun or a drag.

What's An ECU?

The Engine Control Unit (ECU) controls the mixture of fuel and air within modern engines. The ratio or 'mix' determines the power as well as the efficiency of an engine. The configurable nature of ECU's has spawned the art of performance chip tuning whereby engine tuning can be manually modified to suit various driving applications.

The ECU utilises performance maps to provide the most optimal tune for regular engine performance. Modifying the performance map is what yields changes in efficiency and power.

For road applications the ECU engine tuning would normally favour a performance map that utilised less fuel and air. The effect is a saving in fuel consumption.

For competition purposes the chip tuning would favour an increase in fuel and air. However the ratio would be variable depending upon the ambient conditions as well as the effectiveness of the ignition spark.

The algorithm that determines the mix as well as the delivery of the spark is primarily what differentiates one Engine Control Unit from another.

Vehicle manufacturers prohibit access to the engine control unit as variations to the program could cause the engine to fail. During the servicing process the authority appointed by the manufacturer will routinely verify if the performance map has been modified. The consequences of a modification can either be that the service is refused or that the warranty is invalidated.

ECU's are not limited to road vehicles. Most modern modes of transport including motorcycles, prime movers (trucks, semi's), earth moving equipment, scooters, buses, trams and even golf carts utilise engine control units.

Typically they're a metallic box similar in size to an average paperback novel. They have the ability to not only control the performance map but more recently they've been designed to log the events. This provides various authorities the ability to recall and analyse these events thus making the ECU a type of black-box recorder.

In the racing world this is particularly useful as it allows engine tuners and drivers to analyse the performance of an engine during the course of a lap or stage.

As an example, if the analyses shows that fuel pressure at a particular point within the rev range (number of engine revolutions per minute) is in decline then the engineers would be able to deduce that the power would be adversely effected at that time. The theoretical solution via performance chip tuning would be to encourage the additional delivery of fuel during that phase of the lap or stage.

Next week we'll cover the control of ignition timing and idle speed within the ECU.