Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2017 i Car India

A THREE-SEAT AERODYNAMIC ROAD-GOING McLaren sounds all too familiar. But when ‘hybrid’ and ‘2019’ are mentioned in the same sentence, all familiarity is eclipsed by the potential future. A design sketch released by McLaren gives insight into forthcoming ‘Hyper-GT’ car that has been codenamed BP23. It will be a luxury three-seater, yes, and it will have a cutting-edge hybrid powertrain (from McLaren and not Honda) together with new-age aero. Only 106 examples will be built by the folk at McLaren Special Operations (MSO), the same who built the cars for the ‘Ultimate Series’. A notable addition would be that all cars have been spoken for, with deliveries set for 2019.…

FRESH OFF THE BIG RACEMO ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE GENEVA MOTOR SHOW, Tata have dropped another big piece of news. They have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work on joint development projects with Volkswagen and Škoda. This long-term partnership will give Tata access to new technologies from the two members of the Volkswagen Group, and they plan to use the fruits of this alliance to service both Indian and overseas markets. While none of the brands have spelled out what all this entails, sources say that the new advanced modular platform that TaMo cars are being based on will be derived from a small-car specific version of the VW Group’s MQB platform. Guenter Butschek, CEO & MD of Tata Motors, Matthias Mueller, CEO of Volkswagen AG, and Bernhard Maier,…

THE NEW HONDA WR-V MIGHT TAKE many car-buyers in India by surprise as there weren’t many spy pics or pre-launch buzz about the car. Those still wondering about what it is, here is a quick look at the latest crossover from Honda Cars India. We were invited to get a taste of the sun, sea and sandy beaches of Goa and, of course, the new WR-V. Based on the premium hatchback, Jazz, this muscular, sporty and spacious crossover comes in to fill the void for a compact SUV/crossover in Honda’s car line-up in India. So what the i20 Active is to Hyundai and Etios Cross to Toyota, the WR-V hopes to achieve the same for Honda. A unique looking car that caters to the growing needs and aspirations of urban…

AFTER BEING QUIET FOR A while Tata Motors are now launching a slew of new cars and SUVs. It began last year with the launch of the Tiago. Then came the Hexa and now the Tigor. Both the Tiago and the Tigor follow the new impact design philosophy of Tata Motors. At the front is the dual coloured bumper with the Tata signature grille, accentuated with a chrome strip that extends to the crystal-like smoked projector headlamps. The tornado line runs from the headlamps over the wheel-arches, along the doors and merges into the rear split LED tail-lamps. The sloping roof-line flows seamlessly into the boot-lid like a fast back that Tata call StyleBack. The split LED tail-lamps and the integrated high-mounted LED stop light accentuate the width of the…

‘IF YOU HAVE IT, THEN FLAUNT IT’. This is the mantra for the millennials. That’s a major reason entry-level models from the three big Germans are in much demand nowadays. The young Indian isn’t shying away from splurging to get pampered. Why not if the car offers better quality, attention to detail, and the satisfaction of owning the upscale badge? So, to remain among the most loved entry-level premium cars, the Audi A3 has been given a mid-life makeover. Not surprisingly, the sedan now looks a lot like the bigger Audi A4. It gets a similar single-frame grille and sportier air-dams, giving the A3 an aggressive stance. Even the LED headlight borrows inspiration from the larger Audi and has a sharp wedge at the bottom. The side profile remains unchanged,…

A worker strolls past, whistling The Godfather theme. Maybe, they do that for all foreign visitors MOST CAR-MAKERS ONLY ALLOW their own cars to be parked in front of HQ, and most car company bosses studiously avoid even mentioning the competition. But not Pagani. Horacio’s parking space outside his new factory is as likely to be occupied by his Porsche 918 or his Ferrari tdf or his Ford GT as by a Pagani. And he doesn’t conceal his lifelong enthusiasm for the other supercar makers just because he now competes with them. Pagani on the Porsche 918 ‘Porsche is the reference point when it comes to sports cars. It is the sports car maker. Ferrari is iconic, incredible, legendary. But at the technical and engineering level, Porsche is the greatest.…

NEW THIS MONTH MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS L Made-in-India long-wheelbase E-Class stuns with space, equipment and price. From Rs 56.15 lakh (ex) PORSCHE PANAMERA The latest version of Porsche four-door 911 has taken shape, and what a shape it is. Only Turbo power for now LEGENDS PRICES On the road, Pune (subject to change) BO: Available only By Order * : Ex-showroom price listed NA: Price not available FEATURES F: Front only D: Driver airbag only O: Optional equipment ASTON MARTIN BENTLEY BMW FERRARI FIAT GENERAL MOTORS GENERAL MOTORS HYUNDAI HYUNDAI LAMBORGHINI LAMBORGHINI MAHINDRA MARUTISUZUKI MASERATI MASERATI MERCEDES-BENZ MINI RENAULT RENAULT TATA MOTORS TATA MOTORS VOLKSWAGEN…

FORMULA 1 TECHNOLOGY trickles down to the road, eventually. It does. But, sometimes, there’s a deluge. A flood of tech that bursts through and arrives on the road making everything else seem, well, ancient. We’d seen Red Bull and Aston Martin’s RB-001 concept of a 1,000-PS/tonne supercar and got an idea of what it would look like. Now we know that it will be called ‘Valkyrie’ — after Odin’s chosen ones who sent fallen warriors to Valhalla, continuing the trend of names beginning with the letter ‘V’, one that began back in 1951 — and that Cosworth will be providing a 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12 engine. Fair to say, we can’t fathom the power output in relation to the claimed ratio, but it would translate into, more or less, 750 PS,…

MAKING A STATEMENT ACROSS THREE GROWING SEGMENTS WILL BE German major Volkswagen. VW India have confirmed the imminent arrival of three sought-after models: the Tiguan crossover, the Passat saloon and the Polo GTI hot-hatch. Production of the Tiguan has already commenced at the company’s facility in Aurangabad and the new premium crossover will be launched in a couple of months’ time. The latest version of the Passat will also become available at dealerships later in the year. The luxury saloon, and the Tiguan, will be powered by the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel motor which is available in a wide variety of tunes from 150 PS to 240 PS. The third introduction will be the Polo GTI. Launched earlier as a limited model with only 99 cars up for grabs, the turbocharged 192-PS…

YOU’D BE FORGIVEN for being a little confused about the Vanquish S. Yes, Aston Martin did replace the DB9 with the completely new DB11 last year. And, yes, the DB11 is just the beginning of that new platform’s bloodline, with a hotter, Vanquish-style ‘super GT’ due to land in 2018. But the Vanquish S is not that car. Instead, it takes Aston’s Vanquish range-topper — first launched in 2012, based on the DB9 — and dials it up to, well, 11. The Vanquish was already a pretty radical interpretation of the DB9 and the VH architecture that underpinned it: there was new carbon-fibre bodywork, performance leapt up, the suspension was sharper… It was a much more thorough reworking than the familiar design let on. We rated it highly. But while…

THE CITY OF JEREZ IN SPAIN IS KNOWN to me for its MotoGP race circuit. This was my first visit to Jerez but not to witness a MotoGP race but to drive the all-new Audi A5 Cabriolet. Jerez is located in southern Spain. Its geographical location provides good sunny weather for driving with the roof down and the roads along the cost make for some excellent driving conditions and photography. After travelling for 18 hours I had reached the Jerez airport where we were given a short briefing on the driving route and then we walked towards the car parking where the new A5s were ready for the drive. The sporty front end of this car is dominated by a flat wide three-dimensional single-frame grille. The Matrix LED headlamps are…

LENGTHY PROCEDURES OFTEN INVOLVE mixed reactions. It’s one thing at the dentist’s, but when it comes to building cars, it’s a different story. In Germany, there are always procedures. Building cars entails particularly long ones. Sometimes you have to make something happen for yourself. That’s just what Mercedes of India have done. Long-wheelbase models are a rage in China. Understandably, most European luxury car brands have at least one stretched model in their line-ups. Mercedes-Benz have two. The C-Class and the E-Class. Of course, the Chinese only drive petrol engines, while seated on the left. In a bold move, no less than a statement, Mercedes-Benz have introduced the E-Class L in India, with a choice of petrol and diesel engines, produced at Chakan, near Pune, no less. The 10th-generation E-Class,…

MERCEDES-BENZ IS ONE OF THE foremost names in the luxury car industry. Their badge is unrivalled in several countries and is often the go-to brand for those seeking their first luxury car. However, look at their high-performance models, and you will notice something different: a suffix, which contains some slashes, and three letters — AMG. Mercedes-Benz have always followed the mantra of ‘the best or nothing’. But what happens when the best in luxury gets a heavy dollop of sport cred? AMG answer that very question. For years, they have been taking the most powerful Mercedes-Benz cars and making them even more powerful and much quicker. Their principle of ‘one man, one engine’ has resulted in handmade masterpieces of internal combustion; their attention to detail outshone only by the incredible…

SHOW - OFFS ALPINE A110 The return of a legend. The production A110 from Alpine combines the company’s principles of light weight, agility and performance. With a 1.8-litre turbo-petrol engine in the middle making 252 PS and 320 Nm, this 1,080-kg two-seater sports coupé is true to the spirit of its predecessors, the A110 ‘Berlinette’ in particular. The new car will be built at the Alpine factory in Dieppe with deliveries set for late 2017. AUDI RS 3 SPORTBACK Geneva saw the arrival of the new RS 3 Sportback, powered by the new 400-PS 2.5-litre five-cylinder TFSI engine seen in the TT RS. That, together with the 480 Nm of peak torque, mean, as Audi claim, it will go from a standstill to 100 km/h in just 4.1 seconds. The…

WHAT BETTER WAY TO start February than with a rally race? That is exactly what Maruti Suzuki did by flagging off the 15th edition of the Desert Storm from the GIP Mall in Noida on 29 January. This time almost 200 competitors signed up for a total of 2,000 km over six days. Also known as ‘mini Dakar’, this edition has a 207-km stage which is the longest in the history of Indian motor sport. The rally course passed through Hanumangarh, Bikaner and Jaisalmer, finally coming to an end in Jodhpur. Desert Storm was never short on excitement as there was enough happening across the three categories: Xtreme, Ndure and Xplore. There were 10 woman participants, including Bani Yadav (podium finisher for past editions of Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm, Dakshin…

KRIS MEEKE OF Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT was in a class of his own during the third round of WRC held in Mexico. The four-day gravel round looked promising for the Briton, for on day one he managed to slip into the lead. With things looking bright, he started day two right in the front and maintained superb pace to rule the roost on day two as well. Day three was not different from the previous two days as Meeke managed to maintain his lead and even extend it to 40 seconds. On the last day, all Meeke had to do was just cruise to victory and clinch his and his team’s first win of the season. But this was easier said than done. For most part on the…

DUTCH SUPERCAR MAKERS SPYKER HAVE CONFIRMED NEW ENGINE DEAL FOR THEIR C8 PRELIATOR, and from Koenigsegg! Surprised? Well, the much-loved naturally-aspirated Audi 4.2 FSI succumbed to regulations and was discontinued. However, the replacement is a 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated version of the V8 engine developed by Koenigsegg. It produces an even 600 PS and 600 Nm. The Preliator also maintains its raw appeal with a six-speed manual gearbox. An exclusive car it will be, obviously, with just 100 examples being made by the company.…

THE WAIT IS FINALLY OVER. LEXUS, THE LUXURY BRAND FROM TOYOTA, HAS finally made its India début with the introduction of two model lines and the promise of two more. The line-up begins with the ES 300h, a petrol-hybrid luxury saloon that packs a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine together with an electric motor. The ES, priced at Rs 55.27 lakh (ex-Delhi), will challenge in the executive business saloon space where the Audi A6, new Mercedes E-Class and Volvo S90 are making waves. Next comes the RX 450h. Available in two trim levels, Luxury and F-Sport, priced at Rs 1.07 crore and Rs 1.10 crore (ex-Delhi) respectively, the RX 450h packs a 3.5-litre V6 with electric motor support, for a combined 300 PS+ output, with commendable efficiency. Their luxury SUV, the LX…

CZECH CAR-MAKERS ŠKODA ARE BRINGING A FACELIFT VERSION OF their Octavia sedan to India. With a mid-2017 launch expected, the car will receive extensive rework to its front end, including a new headlamp design with a quad layout and a wider front bumper, with the other prominent exterior change being a reworked rear bumper. Interior-wise not a lot of change is expected, and while international markets get the brand’s 9.2-inch touchscreen Columbus infotainment system, it is unlikely to be introduced in India owing to cost differentials when compared to the current unit. Engine options of 1.4-litre and 1.8-litre turbo-petrols and a 2.0-litre diesel are carried forward from the current line-up. The 230-PS 2.0-litre turbo petrol Octavia vRS is also likely to arrive in India later in the year, with its…

THE 2017 JEEP COMPASS WILL BE OFFICIALLY unveiled in India on 12 April to join the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee in the American manufacturer’s line-up in the subcontinent. The SUV will be available in both petrol and diesel variants and, although the exact engine specifications are not known at this time, we expect to see the MultiJet-II 2.0-litre turbo-diesel with either 140 or 170 PS on tap. What we do know is that the India-spec Compass will come equipped with Jeep’s proprietary Active Drive 4x4 system, making it a capable offroader. Expect a robust interior with steering-mounted controls, touchscreen display, climate control and upmarket material all around. The Jeep Compass will be Jeep’s first locally-manufactured product, built at the FIAT Chrysler plant outside Pune, and as such the manufacturer should…

AUDI A3 CABRIOLET Audi have launched a new and updated version of their A3 Cabriolet in India at an ex-showroom, Delhi, price of Rs 47.98 lakh. As the name suggests, this is a drop-top version of the A3 and is powered by the clever 1.4-litre, four-cylinder TFSI engine, producing 150 PS and 250 Nm of twist. Audi claim that the car returns 19.2 km/l thanks to the engine’s Cylinder-on-Demand technology. Salient features include LED headlamps, a seven-inch retractable display unit, and leather upholstery. Safety kit includes ABS with EBD, five airbags, front and rear parking sensors and a reverse camera. AUDI Q3 The popular Audi Q3 SUV, in its 2017 guise, has been launched in India at a starting price of Rs 34.20 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Standard features in the…

MAKING A SPLASH IN THE performance hatch segment is the new Baleno RS from Maruti Suzuki, a 100+ PS Baleno with an all-new 998-cc BoosterJet turbocharged direct-injection three-cylinder petrol engine. This is the first of its kind from Maruti Suzuki as only a handful of their cars deliver over 100 PS and they’re all rather large. A welcome addition to the Nexa umbrella it is, then, especially with its price-tag of Rs 8.69 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Now, before I tell you more about the car, it’s of utmost importance to understand that the ‘RS’ stands for ‘Road Sport’ and not ‘Renn Sport’ which explains why it doesn’t have 350 PS. Among the highlights that complement its sporty image is the new front grille, with a new bumper and air-dam design…

Orange Book Value (OBV), the first and only algorithmic pricing engine for used vehicles in India, has crossed over 100 million queries within 14 months of its launch. OBV by Droom, India's pioneering online automobile transactional marketplace, covers a wide spectrum of vehicle categories in its evaluation base including cars, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles and planes - covering 24000 products from 100 makes, nearly 1000 models and 4000 variants. Consumers across the country are fast adopting OBV as the default pricing tool for used vehicles. Its ease of use, trustworthiness and easily understandable parameters have aided its emergence as the ultimate and most trusted valuation guide for automobiles in India. Furthermore, there is an increasingly visible trend of sellers pricing used vehicles within the OBV range. As per an OBV adoption…

THE BEAUTY OF POWER IS THAT IT can appear in so many forms. Yet the power of beauty cannot be underestimated in a world that thinks with its eyes. The new 3 Series Gran Turismo has arrived in India. More importantly, it brings back a badge long revered in the automotive scene; one that makes enthusiasts smile. The 330i name is one that evokes a rush of emotion and endorphins for many. However, what it was then was a 3.0-litre naturally-aspirated straight-six recognised as a marvellously-balanced masterpiece. Today, BMW have managed to squeeze out seven more horses from their ‘28i’-badged in-line four, taking the total up to 252 PS; enough for it to earn the +2 for its nomenclature in their book. Does it live up to the title? Are…

BAJA SAE INDIA HAS, SINCE 2007, been giving engineering college students from around India the opportunity to grapple with the real-world challenges faced in an industry such as automobile design and development. Based on the Mini Baja SAE that was started in the United States, the Baja SAE India creates a platform for college teams from all over the country to design, build and test a small, single-seat all-terrain vehicle, while competing with each other across several parameters. This year also saw the eBaja run concurrently with the traditional mBaja, as electric mobility gains acceptance in India. With over 400 teams having registered for this year’s competition, the first task was whittling down the numbers through several elimination events, after which the 185 teams selected for the mBaja and 31…

2016. THE YEAR THAT WAS. A NEW world champion. A few retirements. And, then, one of them confirmed he was coming back even before the year actually ended. There’s a lot going to change this year, and we hope it will be for the better. Here’s all you need to know about what’s new in F1 this year, starting with the regulation changes. DECREED THE GOVERNING BODY OF FORMULA 1 HAD confirmed several changes to the car last year with a view to increasing dependence on mechanical grip while reducing dependence on aerodynamics. That’s led to drastically different looking cars, wider Pirelli tyres with more difference in compounds, and differently proportioned wings. The front wings are now lower with a 150-mm wider span (1,800 mm) and regulated end-plates. The rear…