Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2017 i Car India

TOP CAR MANUFACTURERS AND SHELL will work together for the future of electric mobility. IONITY is a joint venture between auto giants BMW, Mercedes, Ford, and Volkswagen (including Audi and Porsche) to create a worldwide electric car charging network. With electric cars becoming more and more current, we have an immediate requirement for the infrastructure to enable long-distance electric car travel, and IONITY are partnering with petrol stations across Europe with the target of 400 fast-charging points, with a charging capacity of up to 350 kW each, by 2020. Lubricant major Shell have been consistently trying to enter the electric-vehicle charging sector, and the first Shell-branded charging stations have already been deployed in the UK and the Netherlands. So far, IONITY have announced partnerships in Germany, Norway, Austria, Belgium, France,…

HONDA HAVE ANNOUNCED SIx “BIG” launches in India in the next three years. The Tokyo Motor Show 2017, while largely focused on EV and hybrid technologies, did showcase some interesting vehicles that hold a certain amount of relevance to the Indian market. The brand’s Chief Officer, Asia & Oceania Regional Operations, Shinji Aoyama, along with Takahiro Hachigo, President and CEO of Honda Motor Company, and Yoichiro Ueno, President and CEO of Honda Cars India, jointly addressed the Indian media after the Motor Show to expand on their plans for our country. The big announcement from this session came from Hachigo san who confirmed that India was the leading market for Honda in the Oceania region and, as such, Honda would launch a total of six big products in the country…

LEXUS WILL SOON LAUNCH THEIR LATEST COMPACT crossover, the NX 300h, in India at an estimated Rs 60 lakh (ex-showroom). With the addition of the NX, Lexus will boast of a range comprising four models. To be offered in two trim levels, Luxury and F-Sport, Lexus have announced that the NX 300h will be launched in January 2018. Bookings have already opened at Lexus Guest Experience Centres across the country. The NX, too, will be a CBU (completely built-up unit). The Nx 300h will feature contemporary exterior and interior elements, including perforated leather upholstery, a 10.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, and a head-up display. Sound is taken care of by the premium Mark Levinson audio system. Under the bonnet is a familiar 2.5-litre petrol engine paired to an electric…

AFTER GETTING TO DRIVE THE NEW Audi A5 in Rajasthan a couple of months ago, it was but natural that we should put it through its paces to be able to give you the authentic performance report about this snazzy Sportback. Our first impression was that it was quite a stunning piece of machinery. The front has the usual Audi family face, much to the joy of Audi aficionados, and the highlight remains the all-LED headlights with the signature daytime running lights (DRL). The overall profile makes it stand out when compared to other Audis, as the long snout, coupé-style sloping roofline, frameless doors, and chrome accents around the windows really set it apart. The star-shaped and fairly large 18-inch wheels beautifully fill up the wheel-arches and the distinct shoulder-line…

To tread in the proverbial tyre tracks of motor sport mavericks and enjoy the Q7 in its natural habitat was a sublime experience indeed COFFEE IS THE ELIXIR OF THE GODS, a modern day ambrosia that kick-starts my brain every morning and unlocks that mystical portal to creativity and eloquence that is sometimes notoriously stubborn to access. As any coffee lover anywhere in the world will tell you, instant coffee is a mug’s game (pardon the pun), and the good stuff comes freshly brewed. Well, fresh doesn’t come much fresher than at its source; so in my search for some breathtaking brew, I headed off to the place where it all began — India’s coffee wellspring of Chikamagaluru. This meant a near 750-kilometre drive from Car India’s Pune HQ, and…

LEXUS MAY ONLY HAVE ARRIVED RECENTLY IN INDIA, BUT they’re far too well established to be considered a ‘newcomer’ to the luxury segment. Their LX SUV, the LS saloon and even the IS convertible have been spotted time and again on Indian roads in several cities. Their halo product, the LFA, powered by a high-revving atmospheric V10, set enthusiast pulses racing and won many hearts with its incredible performance; even featuring in the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise. The brand, then, is no stranger to anyone. Lexus’ India chapter began with the trio of the ES sedan, RX crossover, and the LX large SUV. Now, though, comes their fourth offering, and the most compact one yet: the NX 300h, a mid-size luxury crossover. It’s still quite large, and will take on…

The 30d is very good to drive. The steering is light, quick and precise, and helps shrug off the 30d’s not inconsiderable 1,820 kg THE BMW X3 HAS COME A LONG WAY, AND not just from the Spartanburg, South Carolina, manufacturing plant where it’s built. In 14 years, it’s reinvented itself from runt of the litter to a mid-size SUV that genuinely makes you question if you need an X5. Or if a 3 Series Touring would be that much more involving to drive. This new model is the third generation and key stats include a 51-mm stretch to the wheelbase, 55 kg less mass to lug, and a choice of SE, xLine or M Sport trim levels — the latter predicted to garner 60 per cent of sales. BMW,…

DAIHATSU DN SERIES Multisix The DN Multisix, a compact six-seater, features three rows of seats. This concept also echoed the styling cues that were prevalent in the other Daihatsu concepts on display. In addition to an interesting styling, the concept minivan has been sensibly designed in terms of functionality as well; an aisle between the second-row seats improves third-row accessibility. The DN Multisix is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine. Trec Next in line was the DN Trec, a stylish four-door compact SUV concept. Daihatsu confirmed that this baby SUV would borrow engine options from the saloon-coupé, DN Compagno. The company says that it intends to make the DN Trec a capable car for daily use and some mild off-roading as well. Aesthetically, the car radiates an aura of efficiency…

THE LAST ROUND OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP (APRC) was not lacking in drama by any means. Team MRF Škoda drivers Gaurav Gill (co-driver Stephane Prevot) and Ole Christian Veiby (co-driver Stig Rune Skjaermoen) were neck and neck in the standings, with the former holding a slender lead, and the latter needing just seven additional points to wrest the title from his more senior team-mate’s grasp. Gill’s experience won through on the day, though, as he navigated through the coffee plantations of Chikamagaluru with a controlled display and built up a healthy lead by the end of day one. The fact that Veiby had gearbox issues was a definitely contributing factor in Gill’s lead as well. The young driver mounted a strong challenge on day two and posted some excellent…

SÉBASTIEN OGIER IS NOT your average rally car driver any more for the French ace has entered the history books by becoming the second most successful WRC champion ever. It is a proud moment for France as the WRC title stays in the country for a record 14th time. Before Ogier went on to become five-time champion, Sébastien Loeb was the undisputed king of rallying, having won nine consecutive titles before bidding adieu to WRC. Ogier continued the tradition and kept winning that WRC trophy for France ever since. This year he won the title in Britain; however, it wasn’t really that easy. Ogier started the year with a bang, winning the first rally of the season, but after Monte Carlo, things started to get tough. He faced fierce competition…

NEW THIS MONTH FORD ECOSPORT Bold styling, new petrol engine and new automatic transmission, plus the familiar frugal diesel. Yours from Rs 7.31 lakh RENAULT CAPTUR Stylish new French crossover looks captivating, packs premium features and a classy interior. From Rs 10 lakh LEGENDS PRICES Ex-showroom, Pune (subject to change) BO: Available only by order NA: Price not available FEATURES F: Front only D: Driver airbag only O: Optional equipment ASTON MARTIN BENTLEY BENTLEY FERRARI FIAT GENERAL MOTORS HINDUSTAN MOTORS HYUNDAI HYUNDAI LAND ROVER LAND ROVER MAHINDRA MAHINDRA MASERATI MERCEDES-BENZ MINI NISSAN RENAULT ROLLS-ROYCE TATA MOTORS TATA VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLVO…

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS illustrious history, the iconic and prestigious Targa Florio heads to the region of Victoria in Australia as the century-old race moves outside Sicily for the first time ever. With a line-up of several exotic and stunning cars from the iconic marques Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Bugatti, Mercedes, and Porsche, the four-day challenge begins with scrutiny in Melbourne before going through the stunning landscapes of Geelong and the Bellarine on day one, the Great Ocean Road on day two, the Mornington Peninsula, Gippsland, Phillip Island, and Rochford Wines in the Yarra Valley on day three, before drawing to a close at the Dandenong Ranges in Docklands, but only after passing Albert Park by half past noon, in its final stage. Not just the world’s most ancient…

McLaren’s New Ultimate McLaren have officially announced their new Ultimate Series as incoming. Given their last Ultimate Series was the jawdroppingly quick P1, we can expect the new car to pack a similar punch. Set to be revealed this month, McLaren say it’s the most extreme road-legal car they have ever made; one that has sacrificed everyday usability for a more intense track experience. Vanquish S Ultimate The swansong from Aston Martin for the V12-powered Vanquish is this final edition, aptly called the Ultimate. This will be the last opportunity to have the naturally-aspirated 6.0-litre V12, and at its zenith: 603 PS. The Vanquish S Ultimate is being offered in Coupé and Volante forms, with a choice of three ‘Designer Themes’. Only 175 will be built. Dodge Hellcrate: Hellcat V8…

TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION AND SUZUKI MOTOR CORPORATION HAVE concluded a Memorandum of Understanding for a co-operative structure to introduce electric vehicles to the Indian market by 2020. The two Japanese giants initiated this deal for a business partnership in February this year, and the furtherance of electric mobility technologies within the subcontinent is high on the agenda. The agreement states that Toyota will provide technical support to Suzuki, who will produce EVs for the Indian market and also supply them to Toyota. The two companies plan to source lithium-ion batteries, electric motors and other major components for the production cars locally to help keep manufacturing costs down. High prices and the lack of infrastructure have been the main hindrance that kept the EV market from taking off and, by teaming…

Ford EcoSport Ford have launched the new EcoSport, priced between Rs 7.31 lakh and Rs 10.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The new front sees a muscular grille and projector headlamps with LED daytime lights. The interior has larger and more supportive seats and a new 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system that incorporates SYNC 3 along with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Dual-front airbags are standard, while the top Titanium+ trim gets dual front, side and curtain airbags, as well as traction control. Under the bonnet is a new 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine. It makes a higher 123 PS and 150 Nm and comes paired with either a five-speed manual gearbox or an all-new six-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox. The autobox is available in the ‘Trend+’ and ‘Titanium+’ variants. The latter also gets a sport…

LetsTrack Prima Price: Rs 7,499 Available online at www.letstrack.in The Prima is one among many products from LetsTrack that offer real-time GPS tracking solutions. This one is meant specifically for cars. LetsTrack claim that the device is mainly intended for managing a fleet in areas that have unreliable network. Here’s what we think about it after two months of testing. Along with the device you will receive free installation, year-long service, and an app with live global tracking. Post installation, the device is fairly simple to use through the ‘Letstrack Realtime GPS Tracker’ app (available on App Store and Google Play). The easy-to-use interface will guide you through a menu that comprises Tracking, Radar, Let’s Ride, and LTSafe. The Tracking section displays a list of all the devices you have…

A LOT OF HYPE SURROUNDED THE JEEP COMPASS JUST A few months ago when the company announced the diesel variant, leaving petrolheads out of the affordable Jeep experience. Now there is a petrol variant and we recently road-tested it to see if it would impress a gas-loving mortal. Initial thoughts are clouded by the fact that the Compass is quite similar to the much bigger and brawnier Grand Cherokee. Once you get over that, however, you realise that the baby Jeep is, in fact, a good-looking SUV though not completely out of the shadow of its elder sibling. The variant we drove was the top-of-the-line Limited automatic 4x2, which comes with a fair amount of equipment. It features an infotainment system that is touch-operated and has Android Auto and Apple…

AS WE WERE CRUISING DOWN THE highway towards the Kanha National Park, with me in the driver’s seat, eyes on the road, hands on the wheel, and feet off the pedal (the Verna’s cruise control was doing all the heavy lifting), I was excited, but that excitement tasted a little bittersweet. Excited, of course, because we were going to one of the most celebrated forest reserves in the country, but the bittersweet feeling was brought on by the knowledge that this would be my last sojourn into the wild, this being the last trip of the series. When you’re driving an exciting car down the highway, though, you can only be melancholy for so long. So I put my foot down and enjoyed the many kilometres that led to the…

SHARP, NEAT, WELL-GROOMED AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, contemporary. This is how we would describe the latest VW Passat that we drove recently in royal Rajasthan. Volkswagen’s design and engineering have impressed innumerable people in the land and the Passat is one of the top VW cars to garner fulsome praise. For the past 44 years, this sedan has carved a name for itself by finding more than 22 million homes around the world. And with each generation, it only gets better. Talking of better, is the latest one as good as or better than the last one? Well, I must say that I wasn’t surprised by the answer. First of all, Volkswagen have kept the design of the Passat true to its executive-class nature. It is styled to portray your corporate…

FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER THE SCORPIO FIRST made an appearance (and all the headlines) in 2002, the butch SUV from India’s most prominent proponents of go-anywhere cars is still going strong. Updates such as this one at regular intervals in an ever-evolving market has helped the Scorpio maintain its relevance all these years, and Mahindra will hope that this latest refresh will continue this trend. So what’s new? To start with, the car has been given a mild makeover. This includes a new front grille with little chrome-y bits, the bumper has been given a rework, and there’s a new skid-plate. The lighting has also been altered a bit: fog-lamps are now round and there are turn indicators integrated into the mirrors as well. Apart from the latter and the new…

ADMIT IT. ELECTRONICS ARE TAKING over everything from ticketing to music. Why should cars be spared, then? True, they’re on their way there. However, many consider the journey to be an important part of the destination and, as such, the path from combustion engine to full electric is not going to be a paradigm shift. There would have to be a mix and match scenario — which began long ago with the Prius — and which involves combustion engine supporting the electric motor, both combustion engine and electric motor working together, as well as engine and e-motor doubling up as a dual powertrain for a — selectable — choice of maximum efficiency or maximum power. Then, along the way, there would be smarter systems. Smarter systems would involve an advanced…

THE EVENT WAS HELD AT the Royal Western India Turf Club, the home of equestrian racing in India, which felt like the ideal stomping ground to unleash the plethora of German horsepower on show. On arriving at the event, participants were required to register themselves and once that was completed, the participants (myself included) had a tough choice of picking only one model for the two courses; the first being the dynamic course featuring slaloms, hard braking and acceleration, showcasing the handling capabilities of the vehicles. The two vehicles to choose from were the iconic Audi TT and the recently launched Audi S5 Sportback, which was my stallion of choice for the course. The second course was a more rigorous off-road course featuring two cars from the Q range: the…

THE 5.1-KM-LONG BUDDH INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT (BIC) is undoubtedly the best arena in India for motor sport champions to fight it out. Following high-octane action at the Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore, for the previous rounds, the racers headed to BIC for the finale. Going into the final round, Anindith Reddy (Hyderabad) was the favourite for the Euro JK 17 championship; he led the grid with a total of 96 points. In the smaller LGB Formula 4 class, Chittesh Mandody (Avalanche Racing) with 62 points looked like the best bet for the win. Let’s take a look at how they fared. EURO JK 17 Race One Setting a ballistic lap time of 2:03.997, defending champion Anindith Reddy started on pole for the 10-lap race. He was followed by Vishnu Prasad (Tamil Nadu)…

WE ALL KNEW IT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN, especially after the Asterion LP 910-4 electric GT was showcased. Besides, the electric future cannot be denied. Lamborghini have been wise to stay with the times and deliver something clean, yet potent, that will soothe the nerves of both sides of the coin — those looking at emission and eco-friendliness as well as those expecting blistering acceleration times and top speed. The Terzo Millennio, or ‘third millennium’, Concept has been created in collaboration with two laboratories of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a bright future of an electric supercar as a collective vision. However, the main focus is a revolution in energy storage: moving away from conventional batteries towards potentially adopting super-capacitors instead. This is not a new avenue Lamborghini…

VOLVO HAVE REVEALED THE V90 CROSS COUNTRY VOLVO OCEAN RACE SPECIAL edition all-road estates to celebrate the start of the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race. Buyers will be directly contributing to help further understand the health of our oceans as the company will donate €100 (Rs 7,630) for each of the first 3,000 V90 Cross Country Volvo Ocean Race cars to support the Volvo Ocean Race’s Science Programme around ocean plastics. The resulting donation of €300,000 (Rs 2.29 crore) underlines Volvo Cars’ longstanding commitment to environmental care.…

DACIA, A SUBSIDIARY OF RENAULT, HAVE introduced the latest version of one of their most popular cars, the Duster. The good news is that it will soon make its way to India, too. The Duster truly got the ball rolling for Renault India and the new model should help keep up the momentum. The Duster has proved to be a versatile creation, adept at tackling city duty, some off-road activity, as well as highway jaunts with aplomb. The new car gets a sharper, slightly chunkier, and aggressive front face with a chrome-studded grille and silver-finish skid-plates front and rear. It also packs a fresh interior with more conveniences such as the multi-view camera, keyless entry and starting, blind-spot warning, automatic headlamps, auto climate and MediaNav Evolution. Under the bonnet is…

HYUNDAI INDIA, THE COUNTRY’S SECOND LARGEST car-makers and the leading car exporter since inception, celebrate another milestone with their domestic count crossing five million (50 lakh) following the roll-out of their new super performer, the next-generation Verna. This achievement comes after just 19 years and two months — the first million took eight years and seven months, the last one took just two years.…

BUYER’S DILEMMA I read your first drive report of the Renault Captur and I was smitten by the car. This puts me in a dilemma because I was about to put my money down on a Renault Duster but now I am having second thoughts. I am torn between the top-end diesel Duster and the Captur Platine. Which of the two do you think I should go for? I am an average commuter who indulges in the occasional long-drive vacation. My priorities are ride quality, fuel efficiency, and a pleasant cabin. Sarah George, Hyderabad Dear Sarah, Both cars you mention are well up for city driving and long hauls. While the ride quality on both is good and fuel efficiency is also similar, the Captur, being the newer car, has…

That salty sea-smell is enough to reinvigorate your every pore and tear away all those crushing burdens life piles up on your shoulders THERE’S A SPECIAL KIND OF MAGIC to cruising along the coast: you can hear the roar of the crashing waves, feel that warm sunshine, and get that salty sea-smell. It’s enough to reinvigorate your every pore and tear away all those crushing burdens life piles up on your shoulders. In order to capture a little bit of this magic, we hopped into the Maruti Suzuki Dzire in Visakhapatnam, the commercial capital and largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh. An immensely pivotal port town, Vizag, as it is more commonly known (lesser syllables for the win!), is the HQ of India’s Eastern Naval Command. Vizag is…

THE BMW 6 SERIES GRAN TURISMO DRIVE WAS HELD IN Estoril, Portugal, and the presentation of the car was done on iPads in the van on our way from the airport to the hotel with a view to maximising the driving time. The last-generation GT was one of the best-looking cars from BMW; in fact, it is still one of the good-looking cars. The exterior length has gone up by 87 millimetres over its predecessor’s; the new car’s external length is 5,091 mm. The width of the car, however, remains the same at 1,902 mm. This car stands at 1,538 mm, which makes the new one 21 mm lower than its predecessor. At the front the LED lights merge into the wide kidney grille and this gives the car a…

MORE FROM LESS. TO GET MORE JUICE from a little fruit, you need a better juicer. It’s the same when you want a lot more out of a compact car. And, when it comes to getting more from less, there are no better examples than compact crossovers. Blending the comfort and driveability of a car with a decent-sized portion of the capability of an SUV, crossovers provide a mix of both worlds to those who tend to explore the wild side often, without investing in real-estate over the line. The Ford EcoSport was the first sub-four-metre car of its kind. It was small, but it did big things. It could handle city duty, munch miles with ease on the highway, and even go further and tackle more adventurous terrain than…

THE OILY BITS ARE MADE AND DESIGNED IN Germany, the engineers and designers mostly work in Munich, the chairman is called Schwarzenbauer and the CEO has three umlauts in this name. Even the leather — 12 hides per car — comes from Bavarian bulls. Yet there is still a wonderfully grand Englishness about the new Rolls-Royce Phantom, just as there was with its BMWengineered predecessor. It’s made on Lord March’s green and pleasant Goodwood estate, the carpentry and leathersmithery owe much to the time-honoured boat building and saddlery skills of the Sussex coast and, when you climb on board, you’re inside a stately home’s sitting room on wheels. (You can almost smell the log fire.) There’s now even a gallery for specially commissioned art on this, the latest and greatest…

The AMG’s V8 is so good you almost forget the old 6.2. On paper, the new RS 5’s V6 kills the old V8 WE’RE IN PRIME AUDI TERRITORY: BLISSFULLY clear early evening motorway, inside lane at a solid 75 mph (120 km/h), miles digitally recorded and discarded just as quickly. The climate is spinning silently at 19 degrees, the auto box is locked in eight and there are barely 2,000 revs showing; I feel like I could drive until the road runs out while using just a fraction of the Audi’s ability. Like undercover special force it is quiet and calm but perpetually prepared with punches of acceleration and kicks to the kidneys. Is this the ultimate do-anything sub-supercar? The answer lies somewhere in the rear-view mirror. The Audi’s window…

Taking off from the start-finish straight, as if in a real race, the R8 simply bellowed towards C1 with gusto THE WEATHER WAS SOMEWHAT gloomy as we reached the BIC to attend the Audi Sportscar Experience. Once in the paddock, we were greeted by an array of Audi performance cars waiting to tame the BIC. Audi have been organising the Sportscar Experience for a long time now and I was delighted to participate in unique initiative that gives Audi owners a chance to learn about their car and become better and safer drivers. This time around at the BIC, Audi had brought their scintillating new TT, the performance station-wagon RS 6 Avant, the oh-so-gorgeous RS 7, and, of course, the pinnacle of Audi engineering, R8 V10+, besides the R8 LMX.…

Mexico: Verstappen Wins the Race; Hamilton the Title Brazil: Vettel Wins; Hamilton Fights His Way Through Abu Dhabi: Bottas Ends Season on a High DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP Lewis Hamilton 336 Sebastian Vettel 3 1 7 Valtteri Bottas 305 CONSTRUCTORS’ CHAMPIONSHIP Mercedes-AMG 668 Ferrari 522 Red Bull Racing 368…