Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2017 i Car India

IN THE LATEST ASSAULT ON THE compact SUV arena, Hyundai have introduced the Kona, a stylish new all-road vehicle that promises more capability with efficiency, targeted at customers with an active lifestyle. The modern compact SUV will join the Creta, Tucson, and Santa Fe. The Kona features some inspired styling with LED headlamps, slim daytime running lights (DRL), sleek turn-indicators, and striking tail-lamp clusters. Inside, it also packs contemporary safety technology as well as modern communication and entertainment features, including AVN (Audio, Video, and Navigation). Underneath, the Kona means business. The newly-developed SUV’s chassis is engineered to be rigid, topped with a lightweight body for dynamic driving performance and a comfortable ride. The platform is optimised to permit SUV levels of ground clearance, while the optional four-wheel-drive system and drivetrain…

JAGUAR F-TYPE SVR Jaguar India have opened the order books for the most powerful offering in their portfolio, the F-Type SVR, in both Coupé and Convertible forms, priced at Rs 2.47 crore and Rs 2.62 crore (ex-showroom, Mumbai) respectively. Built by the good people at their Special Vehicle Operations, the F-Type SVR looks just as stunning as the R but features a more potent mean-streak. While there are go-faster styling cues, it’s the uprated supercharged 5.0-litre V8 that really means business. It makes 575 PS and 700 Nm and, paired to an eight-speed automatic powering all the four wheels, can power on to over 300 km/h. Highly customisable, the F-Type SVR offers customers a choice of personalised settings and finer detail. LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER SPORT V6S Building on a…

The Moonbow Car Air Purifier, in the simplest terms, is a negative ion generator to keep the air in your car fresh and clean. You connect it to the 12V port to power it up, and a light on the front changes colour based on the air quality. Red signifies that the air quality is poor, blue signifies that it is relatively clean but still has impurities, and if the light glows green, it means the air quality is really good. Negative ion technology is rampant in car air purifiers, and in the Moonbow, the manufacturer claims that the device emits 12 million negative ions/cc. The manufacturer also claims that the device contains three different filters to keep the air clean. The Moonbow purifier is easy to use and looks…

THE VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN WAS launched in May this year, with the Comfortline priced at Rs 27.98 lakh and the top-end Highline at Rs 31.38 lakh (both ex-showroom, Delhi). You probably know this already. Once the price was revealed, most of us had preconceived notions about the VW, many terming it pricey for a five-seater soft-roader. But hold on. I’ve just driven this well-made German car and feel it definitely deserves a fair fighting chance. Just like the Škoda Yeti, the Tiguan will appeal to a niche audience — those who appreciate Europe’s fine fit and finish, a taut ride, understated design and parts fit to last. If you remember, many Yeti buyers were initially hesitant to buy the odd-ball SUV but, having used it over the years, aren’t willing to…

There’s an aura of performance, of quality, and, most importantly, of commitment HITTING THE RIGHT NOTES IN this day and age is a major challenge. Even with your A-B-Cs in place, each approach, when delivered and offered, will be perceived differently and not always approached like the creator may have imagined. However, that’s where the factor of chance steps in. Is it good by chance? No, it’s good because it was made well. Is it received well by chance? Perhaps. And that’s where we come in. It’s been 40 years since Porsche last offered a flat-four engine, and with a 2.0-litre displacement, no less. However, the ‘718’ name, also new, marks the resurrection of the nomenclature first seen about 60 years ago on a hardcore development of the 550A. It…

A PRACTICAL NEW BMW 7 SERIES HAS just made it to our market which caters to the growing demand for petrol-powered luxury cars. This is the 740Li that sits in between the 4.4-litre V8 petrol powered 750Li and the popular 730Ld which has a 3.0-litre diesel. Assembled locally and available only in Design Pure Excellence (DPE) Signature trim, the 740Li we’re driving is priced at Rs 1.28 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi). Which means two things: first, it cannot be customised or made to order, and, second, it’s nearly Rs 30 lakh cheaper than its 750Li DPE sibling which is imported as a completely built-up unit (CBU). We have already reviewed the 7 Series in detail, so we don’t propose to go deep into the design of the car. As we know,…

IT IS FIVE O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING and we’ve assembled outside the Car India HQ in Pune. The streetlights emit a dull yellow and the road, slick from the showers overnight, glistens in the ghostly light. A dab at the ignition button and the Creta’s 1.6-litre petrol engine purrs to a start. The radiant projector headlamps render those flickering streetlights redundant. I put the car into Drive, and we’re off. As the sky progressively colours in, the miles keep flying by, the steady rhythm of electric guitars, and thump of the double bass help keep us entertained and alert. We have to cover a shade over 1,000 km to make it to our resort in Masinagudi; so a steady pace, minimal stops and consistency were all needed. As we passed…

THE 24 HOURS OF LE MANS WAS probably the most dramatic round of WEC this year because it saw almost the entire LMP1 grid retire at one point. However, the Germans made a dramatic comeback in the last hour, taking the lead and then the victory from a surprise Chinese entity. This year, Le Mans, the most historic car racing event in the world, witnessed what could easily be described as the most dramatic 24 hours in recent times. Before the start, the first three rows were dominated by LMP1 cars with two Toyota Gazoo Racing TS050s on row one, followed by the two Porsche LMP 919 hybrids in third and fourth. The third Toyota TS050 was in fifth and the final LMP1 racer of Bykolles Racing Team was in…

THE MONACO GP THIS YEAR HAD its thunder stolen as Fernando Alonso was across the pond at the Indy 500 in an orange McLaren-Honda of a different kind. Former world champion and teammate Button was in the hot seat for the team. Also, with two Ferraris on the front row and Kimi Raikkonen on pole after almost a decade, it looked set to be a thriller. Hamilton had a woeful qualy after an incident prevented him from setting a time in Q2. Almost everyone started on the ultrasofts. When the lights went out, it was a quick dash off the line for the Scuderia, whereas the Silver Arrows would find their rubber not hot enough to mount a real challenge. Further back, Hulkenberg suffered a gearbox failure, and Perez pitted…

TWENTY-YEAR-OLD Ole Christian Veiby may be participating in the APRC for the first season, but you wouldn’t be able to tell based on his performances in the first two rounds. After narrowly missing the top spot in the first round in New Zealand, Veiby, along with co-driver Stig Rune Skjaermoen, have now managed to capture the top of the podium. Despite the fact that neither Veiby nor team-mate Gaurav Gill (with co-driver Stéphane Prévot) had ever driven this course before, both drivers from Team MRF Škoda bagged the first and second positions respectively. In fact, Gill came out on top on day one with four stage wins compared to Veiby’s three. However, Gill wasn’t happy with the way his rally-spec Škoda Fabia R5 was set up and made some changes…

NEW THIS MONTH MERCEDES-BENZ E 220 d L The all-new 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine from Mercedes has finally arrived in the new E-Class, from Rs 56.80 lakh (ex) VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN VW's luxury crossover finally drives in, and with a potent turbo-diesel 4x4 driveline. From Rs 27.68 lakh (ex) 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 MAHINDRA MASERATI MASERATI MERCEDES-BENZ MINI RENAULT RENAULT TATA MOTORS TATA MOTORS VOLKSWAGEN…

HAVING WOWED THE WORLD WITH THE ALL-new 8 Series, BMW have also confirmed, and, in fact, given the world a teaser of the new M8 high-performance version, which, the company confirms, will be developed alongside the standard car. At the unveiling, where several members of the automotive fraternity were present, BMW did start the new M8 and give it some foot. However, the exhaust note sounded properly unruly and explosive, leading to most of the audience remaining divided as to whether it packed an evolution of the V8 or a more potent version of the V12. Given that the M760Li packs a 610-PS V12 which could go into a potential 860i, and that the new M5 is set to receive a 600+ PS TwinPower Turbo V8, we’d need to be…

ASTON MARTIN ARE WORKING ON A CHALLENGER TO TAKE ON THE LAMBORGHINI Huracán, Ferrari 488 and the McLaren Super Series. Expected to be a sleek new mid-engined, rear-drive, two-door coupé, we can safely foresee a sport-luxury grand-tourer powered by a twin-turbo AMG V8. Power should be in the region of 550 to 600 PS, maybe even slightly more. In a recent interview with Auto Express, CEO Andy Palmer said, “We have one vehicle every year for the next seven years. It begins with our GT cars: DB11, Vantage and Vanquish. In 2019 we’ll have DBX, then we’ll have, for the sake of argument, let’s call it a 488 rival. Then we have Lagonda, which is Lagonda One and Lagonda Two. Each vehicle has a seven-year life, so in 2023 you…

FIAT HAVE REVEALED THE 2018 ARGO, AN EXCITING ADDITION TO their overseas market. The car looks promising on paper with its razor-sharp styling and potent power-plants. The economical engine options include the ‘Firefly’ couple comprising the three-cylinder 1.0-litre and four-cylinder 1.3-litre motors. The 1.0-litre engine produces 77 PS and 107 Nm, while the 1.3 churns out 109 PS and 139 Nm. Both engines run on ethanol. Performance model duties are taken care of by the 139-PS E.torQ 1.8 Evo VIS, which FIAT claim is the most powerful engine in its class. The Argo will also be offered in an Opening Edition Mopar special series. It will be based on the HGT 1.8 AT6 and limited to 1,000 units only, featuring Mopar accessories and Mopar Vehicle Protection (MVP). Having saturated their…

LOOKING FOR A MODERN HOT-HATCH Having grown up with a Maruti Zen I have a soft spot for that kind of car, and am now in the market for a modern hot hatch. My options as things stand are the FIAT Punto Abarth and the Volkswagen GT Sport TSi. On paper the FIAT seems to have more in terms of outright performance, but I love the build quality of VW cars. Could you help me come to a decision? I am looking for a performance-oriented car, but not at the expense of durability. Fuel efficiency doesn’t matter much, although I want a car that would be easy to live with in the long run and be reliable on long drives. Hrishab Sen, Kolkata Dear Hrishab, The Abarth is definitely the…

LUXURY CAR MANUFACTURERS are known for the type of cars they make. Whereas BMW are known as a sporty drivers’ car brand, Mercedes are famous for their luxury. While Audi seek to strike the right balance between sport and luxury, Volvo are known for making the safest cars. The Swedish car-makers were not known to make good-looking cars in the past, but that changed with the new XC90 and the S90. Now Volvo not only make safe cars, but cars that are also well-designed and luxurious. The new XC60 is built on the new SPA (scalable product architecture) platform and shares its underpinning with the XC90 and S90. The Thor’s Hammer LED headlamps merge into the wide chrome grille and the sculpted lines on the bonnet start from the grille…

IT IS NOT EASY TO FIND YOUR WAY in the Indian car market as you have to navigate through the highways of consumer demands, not to speak of those back alleys of bureaucracy. It can be a tough challenge even for some of the most sorted global car-makers. However, Jeep, the iconic American brand owned by FIAT Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), are looking to find their way in this market with the help of their new SUV, the Compass. So, to see how exactly this new SUV tackles the Indian terrain, we headed to Goa for a first drive and this is what we have to say. A shrunk Grand Cherokee is what the Compass essentially looks like. It appears big, but in a non-intimidating way. It has all the essential…

THE COROLLA has, over time, become one of the most popular cars in the world. It has built itself a reputation for comfort and reliability, but time stands still for no one, and Toyota have had to give the car a bit of a cosmetic revamp in order to keep the sales coming in. Is the 2017 Corolla Altis a real rock ’n’ rolla like its predecessors, though? Only one way to find out. To be a real rock ’n’ rolla, first off, you’ve got to look the part. And the new Altis has definitely got it going on looks wise. The new front grille gives the car some added sharpness; it’s subtly done, but you still get the impression that this new Corolla has a bit of an edge…

EVIL. PURE EVIL. BLACK-SMOKE-BELCHING, NOx-generating evil. Ask any green brigadier about a diesel car today and they would shun you like you carried the plague. Rewind to just a few years ago and the same environment-conscious flag-bearing general of Gaia would be song and praise about diesel and its low CO2. Clearly, NOx wasn’t a factor back then, except in automotive tests. How times change... There was a time Mercedes gave the world its first diesel car, the 260 D. It had a 2.6-litre OHV four-pot contraption, with Bosch fuel-injection, that made 45 PS and let it touch 95 km/h. That was 80 years ago. Rudolph Diesel would never have imagined that something which attained a specific output of 18 PS/litre would eventually lead to something that could put out…

A MG HAVE BECOME AN ICONIC name in the performance car world and for good reason. Thus far, we’ve seen not just cars like the 300 SEL 6.8, the Hammer, and the CLK GTR, but also how their engines went on to build more legends — the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, the SLR Stirling Moss, as well as the Pagani Zonda and Huayra. However, it takes an almost unimaginable level of commitment to push the envelope even further, still staying true to your roots yet expanding the limits of the possible. And the SLS AMG went on to do just that. SLS AMG Some call it brutal. Some call it sharp. Others call it wild. Yet, some even called it cute. Behind that smiling face, under that long bonnet, and inside…

THE WORLD WAS UP watching what went down at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Ferrari were leading the championship coming in, but with Lewis’ pace through the practice sessions and a blast of a qualifying lap that secured him pole position, that could very well change. Although Max Verstappen caught everyone by surprise going around the outside even as Lewis managed a great start, it was chaos after the turn. Sainz, in a bid to avoid a tightening Haas piloted by Grosjean, lost it completely, bounced off the barriers, narrowly missing the mid-field, and ploughed straight into Massa, taking him out. The Safety Car appeared. Ten laps later, when the race resumed, Max’s Red Bull had a problem, slowing down and then coming to a complete stop. A disappointing…

OUR LONG-TERM BREZZA HAS PLENTY OF good bits and a few minor niggles too. For instance, the 1.3-litre DDiS diesel is pretty frugal, happily returning 17 km/l in the city and close to 21 km/l on open highways. But it could do with some more power, especially while negotiating steep inclines and highways. Similarly, the suspension setup is sporty which really helps in reducing body-roll during fast cornering, but at lower speeds over bad patches of roads your family might crib about the bouncy ride. I suspect there are a few rattling bits in the door panel because of the road condition and firm suspension setup. I like the way Maruti have equipped the ZDi+ variant. Being an iPhone user, I really make most of the Apple CarPlay which mirrors…

SMALL IS THE NEW BIG. EVERY MANUFACTURER IS TRYING to do more with less, and while engines are becoming smaller and more powerful, cars themselves seem to be growing in size and becoming prepped to take on more challenges. With the move to the Modular Transverse Matrix (Modularer Querbaukasten in German, or MQB) platform, the Polo not only gains major expansion options (literally) in terms of a parts bin that serves some of the most popular car models, but also marks it out as an even higher quality offering. No compact hatchback can boast of siblings on its platform like the Polo can. What that boils down to is this: the Polo is larger, more stylish, spacious, and advanced, packing even more modern safety, communication and entertainment technology. Size-wise, it’s…

PORSCHE HAVE INTRODUCED A SUPER-exclusive 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series, with exclusive styling and details, and more power, too. And it’s limited to just 500 units. The Exclusive Series represents a performance jump over any 911 car on offer even today. It has an exclusive power-kit that takes the output of the 3.8-litre boxer-six up to 607 PS and 750 Nm. Its power is 27 PS up on the 911 Turbo S and, more importantly, just 13 PS down on the 2010 997 GT2 RS, the fastest, most mental 911 ever. All of that, paired to the seven-speed PDK twin-clutch automatic driving all four wheels, translates into 0-100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and 0-200 km/h in just 9.6 seconds. The top speed of 330 km/h matches the 997 GT2 RS’as…

IN A STEP FORWARD TO EXPAND THEIR footprint in India, Volvo Auto India have announced Flyga Auto as their new dealership in Pune. The latest addition creates a Scandinavian luxury experience for discerning customers, while also strengthening the network, taking the total count to 17. The showroom was inaugurated by Tom von Bonsdorff, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India. Flyga Auto has a 12,000-sq ft showroom at Baner, laid out in line with the latest Volvo Retail Experience that promises ‘cool-outside warm-inside Scandinavian hospitality’.…

ALL THE LEAVES ARE BROWN. And the sky is grey. I’m praying it doesn’t rain. That’ll allow me to keep the top down all the way. That’s what a roadster is meant for, isn’t it? Well, most of the time, anyway. When you have a V8 from Italy with the symphony they’re known for, the weather doesn’t always have a say. This is the California T from Ferrari, and it replaced the California from 2009, the one with a naturally-aspirated 4.3-litre V8. Yes, if you haven’t guessed it yet, the ‘T’ is for ‘turbo’. One drive is really enough for it to rewrite what you’ve learned in kindergarten, too. Honestly, it doesn’t matter. The whole deal — downsizing, turbocharging, emissions — is all part of the world we live in…

On track it’s exciting and involving. It should be — it’s a race car RACE CARS THAT CONTEST THE Le Mans GTE category are normally road-going sports cars adapted for the track, but Ford have flipped that logic on its head with the Ford GT. You’re very much aware of its race-car origins behind the wheel. The excitement, the grumbles, the sometimes flaky build, the boot that’s so small it won’t even swallow a crash helmet. Racer with number-plates, no doubt about it. The GT was conceived to take Ford back to Le Mans in 2016, half a century after the original GT40 put Enzo Ferrari’s nose out of joint with a one-two-three after 24 hours. With less than three years’ development, the new Ford GT won its class at…

The mu-X is an SUV made for those who like to spend more time off the tarmac than on it due to its truly commendable off-roading credentials INDIA’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH SUVS IS AN OLD ONE. We are infatuated with these giants — just take a look at the sales charts of several companies selling SUVs. Indians have a burning desire to own a big and butch SUV, and this has fuelled sales over the years. Manufacturers like Toyota and Ford have capitalised on this trend and the latest entrant in this segment, Isuzu, have also tried their hand at getting a piece of this enticing pie with the MU-7. However, since the launch of the MU-7, the competition has moved on; updating their products quite aggressively. So where do…

LET’S GO OFF-ROADING! A statement that a Land Rover owner in India might not make often, thinking that it might be too much for the SUV to handle. In reality the owners are hesitant, for they are not fully aware of the off-roading capabilities of the modern Land Rover SUVs. And to let such owners explore the capabilities these SUVs possess, Land Rover India organised an off-roading experience at Lonavala, near Aamby Valley. We were there to see for ourselves how well LR SUVs do in extreme conditions. As we reached the venue, which is part of an adventure park, there were 10 Land Rover SUVs waiting for us. But before that, the gentlemen from Cougar Motorsports briefed us about the safety aspects as also the dos and don’ts. After…

IN THE VERY HEART OF Pune, Porsche Centre Mumbai and Moto Dreamz set up a special event where customers, potential customers, and enthusiasts could get up close and personal with the Macan and Cayenne, Porsche’s sport-luxury SUV duo. Spread over a specially-created track, the full course would test the abilities of the two over a set of zones: chicken-holes, articulation, lateral inclines (one for each side), rumblers, hill descent and ascent, axle twister, slush and a figure-of-eight. Each zone would, in fact, lay bare the cars’ chassis potential over the articulations bits, then the ‘DSR’ or down-hill speed regulation ability that lets the driver relax while the onboard computer takes over the car’s brakes and throttle down a steep slope. For the course, I picked the Cayenne diesel. After a…

THE LAST TIME VOLKSWAGEN invited me to the racetrack it was to witness the 2016 Vento Cup races, and I even got to experience a heart-stopping lap of Chennai’s MMRT circuit in a car piloted by professional racer and Volkswagen Motorsport India’s development and test driver Karthik Tharani. That was last year, and for the 2017 racing season VW have developed an all-new weapon for their one-make race championship, and a few of us lucky journalists were given the opportunity to get to know this new machine around Coimbatore’s Kari Motor Speedway. We’ll get to the drive in a minute but, first, a little history lesson. It was back in 2010 when Volkswagen saw the potential for an Indian one-make championship for tin-top race cars and introduced the first Polo…

THE ITALIAN ROUND of WRC held in Sardinia turned out to be a surprise for Ott Tänak, who became the second Estonian rally driver in history to take a WRC win; the first one being Markko Märtin who also happens to be Ott’s mentor. However, this Italian victory wasn’t an easy one for the Estonian as the competition was quite close in the opening stages of the rally. The first stage saw Thierry Neuville of Hyundai Motorsport take the lead, followed by Ott in his Ford Fiesta. By the end of the SS9, Tänak was pushed to third and Neuville to second by a charging Hayden Paddon of Hyundai Motorsport. Paddon continued to lead till SS12, but by then Tänak had moved up to second after Neuville slipped to fourth.…

MARUTI SUZUKI’S LATEST ENTRANT IN the Nexa premium space as also our long-term fleet is a jaunty little hatch emulating a compact crossover. Not only does the name revive memories of their rallying past, but it also proves itself to be a wonderful means of city transport. The Ignis Zeta 1.2 AGS I’ve been handed the keys to has grown on me. First, it was the compact dimensions and design that made getting used to its proportions so easy, thanks to its rounded edges and almost a complete lack of overhangs. Second, it was the space that let me breathe at ease, with comfortable seats, too. Third, given some trying times, the Auto Gear Shift, though not driver-oriented, proved itself a useful tool for tackling city traffic. Besides, its rorty…

I’VE BEEN USING THE KWID 1.0 for the past two months and I’m more than happy with this little French critter. Its peppy 1.0-litre engine packs more than enough go for cumbersome city traffic, and its compact size is an added bonus. Carving through insensitive traffic becomes so much easier thanks to its smart design and proportions. It may be small, but it’s big on thought. The cabin is comfortable and the car feels well put-together and nothing seems like an after-thought. The suspension setup is commendable and it tackles every pothole and speed-hump with ease, with no discomfort to occupants. Its high ground clearance adds to peace of mind too. While its small size is appreciated in traffic, I wish its small fuel tank was a bit larger, fitting…