Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2018 i Car India

LAMBORGHINI HAVE REVEALED THEIR first modern SUV, the Urus, adding a much-awaited third model to their portfolio. Claiming to be the world’s first SSUV (Super Sport Utility Vehicle), the Urus is based on the VW Group’s MLBevo platform. Seating for either four or five passengers is available. Despite being fast and powerful, the car also promises to be luxurious as well as versatile off road. A 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine makes 650 PS and 850 Nm. The Urus, then, is the first Lamborghini with turbochargers, also marking a return to the V8, last seen in the 1981. Power is sent to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Claimed figures are 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 12.8 seconds, and a top speed of 305 km/h, making…

RENAULT’S TWO-SEATER SPORTS CAR FOR 2018, THE ALPINE A110, IS DESIGNED TO TAKE on the likes of the Porsche 718 Cayman and Alfa Romeo 4C. While the styling of this lightweight, mid-engined coupé is inspired by the company’s A110 Berlinette of the 1960s and ’70s, with that central ‘spine’ running along the bonnet, the front end of the new A110 is decidedly modern, with LED daytime running lights and an aggressively-shaped front grille. The design is a result of extensive wind-tunnel testing to reduce drag and aid downforce, and the result is a sharp-looking compact sports car. The 2018 A110 is powered by a new 1.8-litre, turbocharged in-line four, jointly developed by Renault and Nissan, which makes 255 PS and 320 Nm. These don’t sound like earth-shattering figures but, considering…

THE ITALICS WINE CLUB HOSTED A WINE CULTURE, Vetrina Italiana, Impresa Awards, and Italian wine buffet dinner at the Trident, Mumbai, on 24 November. Apart from creating flamboyant automobiles, Italy is also renowned for manufacture and export of wine, which is why the Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IICCI) has identified ‘wine’ as a sector of their ‘Make it Sustainable’ campaign. As a part of this campaign, with IICCI as the Sustainable Ambassadors, Impresa Awards were given; a model developed by experts on sustainability and validated by Trento University. The awards recognised the efforts, approaches and results of several Italic and Indo-Italian companies with particular focus on aspects of sustainability ― people empowerment, environmental management, impact on society, and customer satisfaction. Along with the awards was the Vetrina Italiana.…

MOTUL, ONE OF THE most prominent names in the world of automotive lubricants, recently entered into a partnership with Suzuki GB PLC. Under this new multi-year commercial agreement, Motul lubricants will be “Officially Recommended” by Suzuki Great Britain for all their automotive, motorcycle, and marine products. Motul have been actively developing lubricant products for cars, bikes, marine engines, and gearboxes and, since Suzuki’s portfolio includes all the aforementioned products, the partnership seems like a perfect deal for both the companies. Motul also work with a lot of racing teams at world and local championship levels and most of their products come from the brand’s racing expertise, including their presence in the World Touring Car Championship, the fIA World Endurance Championship, and the Super GT series. This is helpful for Suzuki,…

I would like to seek your advice with regard to a few technical issues that have cropped up in my Volkswagen Vento TDi (February 2011 model). The car has clocked 1,15,000 kilometres and has been regularly serviced at the authorised VW service centre. The issues are as follows: 1) For the past one month or so, I have been noticing that the engine revs increase by 100 rpm. The normal engine rpm at idle are 890 and they tend to increase to 1,000. There is an increase in rpm even while being on the move, that is, while driving. I’m at a loss to understand what could cause this, because everything else is functioning normally. There can be no issue with the fuel quality because I’ve been using Shell diesel…

WITH PORSCHE’S ELECTRIC future, what you see is what you’ll get, and that’s a promise. When the Mission E, also known as project J1, goes into production in 2019, it will look like a pragmatic metamorphosis of the stunning concept here, first unveiled at the 2015 Frankfurt show. So, it will have conventional B-posts instead of those eye-catching suicide doors, enough headroom front and rear for you to wear a helmet, and a more manageable width that won’t lead to quite so many precious wheels being kerbed in tight car parks. The basic shape, however, is pretty much cast in stone. Among the items due to reappear on the real thing are the four-eyed headlamps, the wrap-around tail-lights, the striking proportions and the space-age interior. Although the GT2 RS and…

PERHAPS THE MOST powerful letter in the BMW dictionary is ‘M’. The M prefix to the 5 Series luxury sedan turns it into a fire-breathing monster propelled with a twin turbo V8 that packs in 600 horses! And that’s what I’m about to drive right now. I’m at the Estoril circuit in Cascais, Portugal, which is about an hour’s drive from Lisbon, and in the driving seat of the sixth-generation BMW M5, which was unveiled recently at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. It’s based on the new 5 Series sedan and, like all the M cars, this one also gets a sporty boost on the exterior design to match the sharper dynamics and additional power. I might add that the solid and understated design of the F90-generation M5 looks the…

The Urus has four fathers: Ferdinand Piech, Ulrich Hackenberg, Stephan Winkelmann and Rupert Stadler. Piech (until recently the VW Group’s driving force) pushed the Lamborghini brand. Hackenberg (the former Audi R&D chief) pushed the project. Winkelmann (Lambo boss for a decade) saw it as another feather in his cap. Stadler (Audi and Lamborghini chairman) caused numerous delays but is now proud of the result. It took almost 10 years to materialise because Lamborghini kept proposing alternative projects such as the new Miura, an Espada replacement and the four-door Estoque. They also considered V10 and even V12 engines for the Urus. They had a V8 with a desmodromic valve train and a 13,000-rpm red-line in the works. But in the end, it was synergies, easy evolution and masses of low- to…

THE GREATEST FERRARI EVER BUILT IS ALSO ONE OF the ugliest. It doesn’t have a glittering competition career to brag about or a list of famous Hollywood owners to bestow cool. And have you seen the interior? The dashboard looks as if it comes from some DIY replica of an F40, the kind of thing you’d see on Jalopnik and fall over laughing about. But this is absolutely the greatest Ferrari. I would say that, though, wouldn’t I? Being 12 years old when it landed, I had the Athena artwork, the Bburago model and every magazine my pocket money would stretch to. I remember my dad winding his Mk2 Cavalier up to 160 km/h one time and proudly nudging me and pointing at the speedo. Unimpressed, I knew the F40…

THE V12S ARE, IN THE WORDS OF Ferrari’s own technical staff, ‘hardcore’. The V12 was there at the beginning, in the 125 S, and it’s right there at the top of the pile now, bolted to the bulkhead of the LaFerrari and slotted in the nose of the 812 Superfast. Ferrari cling to it as Porsche do the flat-six, well aware that while on paper it’s no more than a means of propulsion, it is in reality everything: Ferrari’s USP, identity, talisman, and touchstone, all wrapped up under a pair of cam covers. The flat-twelves, too, are special, even if — on the road as on the track — they ultimately proved an evolutionary dead-end. And while the V6 Dino is a gorgeous car, one whose significance is entirely at…

PURE, SCINTILLATING, AND OH-SO-GORGEOUS: that’s the Audi R8 V10 plus for the world. It is not just another supercar; it’s a revelation for the novice who has earned him/herself an experience that will last a lifetime. The Germans have always surprised the world with a plethora of brilliant cars that look so unintimidating that they would pass for just another piece of precise engineering. However, the Audi R8 V10 plus is an exception. It sets the bar high for many companies who strive hard to achieve supercar nirvana but only a few rise to challenge the R8. Audi have built a supercar that is actually more forgiving than most other supercars out there This supercar is in a league of its own thanks to all the engineering magic created by…

 HE SUB-FOUR METRE CROSSOVER segment is full to bursting these days, but that wasn’t the case when the EcoSport first came along to India. In fact, it had a bit of a monopoly back in the day, and essentially began the crossover revolution on our shores. And while there’s a whole lotta love for these all-rounders (and, boy, does India adore its all-rounders), all that love and adoration has attracted a slew of manufacturers to throw their hat into the crossover ring. From top-dog to underdog then, and Ford are hoping to come out swinging with the new EcoSport, and to that effect, have kitted it with a new ticker: the 1.5-litre three-pot codenamed Dragon. The EcoSport is fairly quick on its feet, especially since there isn’t a spooling turbo…

NEW THIS MONTH LEXUS NX 300h Lexus' most accessible offering is the sharp new compact luxury SUV with a hybrid driveline. Yours from Rs 53.18 lakh VOLVO XC60 The stylish second-gen XC60 arrives sharper and better equipped than ever before. From Rs 55.90 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 FERRARI HINDUSTAN MOTORS HONDA HYUNDAI HYUNDAI LAND ROVER LAND ROVER MAHINDRA MARUTI SUZUKI MASERATI MERCEDES-BENZ MINI NISSAN RENAULT ROLLS-ROYCE TATA TATA VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLVO…

BMW HAVE DELIVERED MORE THAN ONE LAKH ELECTRIFIED VEHICLES TO customers worldwide in 2017. At the beginning of the year, the German luxury car-makers had set the target of 100,000 for their electro-mobility division. An 80-year-old driver from the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany collected his BMW i3 in Protonic Blue at BMW Welt in Munich in December, making him the 100,000th customer for an electrified BMW worldwide. To celebrate the achievement the company has decorated its headquarters in Munich with bright lights, announcing “The future is electric”. The BMW Group selected this glowing symbol to represent the technological change taking place in mobility and the electrical decoration is supposed to have transformed the building, which is designed like four cylinders of an internal combustion engine, into a battery. BMW…

TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL ENERGY CONSERVATION DAY, Tata Motors have delivered the first batch of electric vehicles (EV) to the state-run Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) as part of the institution’s initiative to procure 10,000 electric vehicles. The Tigor EV is an all-electric, zero-emission variant of the popular petrol and diesel powered Tigor Styleback. The Tigor EVs being delivered to EESL have three trim levels ― Base, Premium and High ― and will be available in the ‘Pearlescent White’ colour with blue decals. Apart from the base requirements the car also has fATC (fully Automatic AC). Tata Motors rolled out the all-electric version of the Tigor styleback from their Sanand plant in Gujarat, developed exclusively for the EESL. No plans for a full commercial roll-out have been revealed as yet.…

Lexus NX 300h Lexus have introduced the new NX 300h in two trim levels: Luxury, priced at Rs 53.18 lakh, and f-Sport, priced at Rs 55.58 lakh, both prices ex-showroom. The luxury crossover SUV arrives in its latest-generation avatar sporting a slew of sharp styling cues with modern technology. Smaller than its larger siblings on sale at present, it will be the most accessible model yet. Even so, there is no skimping on comfort and safety equipment. It boasts of a quality cabin with elegant elements and a thoughtful layout, with several creature comforts to make life easier on the move. Power comes from a combination of a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine as well as three electric motors: one acting as an integrated starter/generator (ISG) and one each at the…

THE INDIAN CAR OF THE YEAR (ICOTY) 2018 WAS announced at a glamorous award ceremony in Delhi on 13 December 2017. On behalf of the esteemed ICOTY jury, Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Limited, handed the trophy to Y K Koo, MD & CEO, Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Chairman of the ICOTY Jury Bob Rupani presented a winner’s certificate signed by all the jury members of ICOTY 2018 to the Hyundai team. Indian Ocean, one of the country’s most celebrated rock ’n’ roll bands, put on a cracking show in front of a packed audience, with the who’s who of the automotive world in attendance. Now in its 13th edition, the ICOTY is the pinnacle of automotive awards in India — the most honest,…

at the Estoril circuit before driving it straight back to the airport. Surely, this exercise helped flaunt the EV’s new found multifaceted personality. When it comes to driving electric cars, the experience is very different compared to their conventional cousins. You can’t hear the engine crank up or idle, there are no grunts or vibrations from the motor when you accelerate, and there’s just no lag in the power delivery. All you get is a spinning motor’s whizzing sound, which for some reason reminds me of a washing machine. There’s no drama, no emotion, no thrill — just plain, simple power on demand which at best is just about adequate. The i3s isn’t just another electric hatch but a BMW. So, although it has most of these traits, it was…

Fiercely responsive V8 and V12 powertrains and an immediacy of connection that takes your breath away YOU PROBABLY CAN’T picture a Ferrari 125 S (above). We certainly couldn’t. But the small, open-topped sports car was the first Ferrari and, therefore, arguably the most important of all. It’s now 70 years since the 125 S made its début at the Piacenza racetrack. Scuderia Ferrari had raced Alfa Romeos long before that, of course, but it’s the 125 S, with its V12 engine engineered by Colombo and a win at the Rome GP the same year, that marks the start of the Ferrari bloodline. Seven decades on, it’s both a magazine editor’s dream and source of sleep deprivation to celebrate that legacy. How on earth can you do it justice? The 250s…

 I WON’T TRY TO ARGUE THAT THE 430 SCUDERIA IS the best Ferrari ever, but I nominate it for two reasons. First, you can pick one up from around £140k (Rs 1.19 crore) — yes, some houses cost less, but some Porsches cost more, and that’s superb value for a Ferrari that’s still spectacular to drive. Second, the Scuderia will always be irrationally special to me, because it was my first ever Ferrari launch. The 430 feels benignly well-balanced and accessible when you broach its limits Released in 2007, the Scuderia is the hardcore version of the F430, and followed the 360 Challenge Stradale — short of clocking in on a LaFerrari launch, I couldn’t have gone in much higher. Power from the naturally aspirated 4.3-litre V8 rose 20 PS…

FERRARIS SHOULD BE RED AND HAVE AN OPEN-gate manual gearbox. I fell in love with a yellow one that only had two pedals. It was our 2010 Sports Car Giant Test and when the finance department wasn’t looking, we escaped to France for five days, complete with a fuel card to sate the thirst of eight of the year’s finest sports cars. All right, seven and a Cosworth-tuned Impreza STi that even now ranks as an all-time disappointment. An Elise, M3 GTS and Megane RS did their best to disrupt the finishing order, but on some of Europe’s most epic roads the heavyweight battle was among a Mercedes SLS AMG, Porsche 911 GT2 RS, Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, and a Ferrari 458 Italia. The tussle lasted for 2,500 miles (4,000 km),…

8.37 am, Ferrari’s Media Offices, Maranello Another espresso, another presentation slide — welcome to Ferrari’s briefing for LaFerrari first-timers. There are many slides because the LaFerrari is not a simple car. There’s a substantial chapter on the hybrid powertrain alone (an alliance of turbo-free 800 PS, 6.3-litre V12 and mild hybrid KERS system for a fulsome 963 PS, as per 2014’s coupé). It’s captivating stuff and intuitively Ferrari know that you want absolutely everything, and in forensic detail — the LaFerrari is that kind of a car. As the hands of the clock on the wall spin in double-time, I realise that I am getting absolutely everything, and in forensic detail. Exactly when and to what extent the ECU preloads the V12, holding it taut like a sprinter’s calves to…

Car India (CI): Please tell us about your favourite performance car from the Audi line-up and also tell us why you like it the most. Rahil Ansari (RA): My favourite performance car is the Audi RS 6 Performance as it combines the comfort of a luxury car and sporty performance of a sports car. Whether it is the road or the racetrack, this car gives the best of both worlds. And I love travelling with a lot of luggage, the space given in this car is fantastic. CI: Which technology do you think is the best among the superb array of technologies that Audi offer and why? RA: Audi in India already offer a host of technological features that take the concept of luxury a few notches higher.…

E LIVE IN A WORLD FULL OF CONGESTED CITIES AND heavy traffic and driving a manual car in such a scenario takes some serious commitment. However, if you are not the one who likes to work their left foot more than the right one while driving, then the new Hyundai Verna 1.6 CRDi AT is a car you might want to consider as your next ride. Hyundai have improved their latest generation Verna by leaps and bounds, and now it comes with a six-speed automatic transmission. Is it as impressive as the manual car, the winner of our shootout and the prestigious Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) award? Read on to find how the automatic diesel Verna fared in our quick road test. Styling of the new Verna is…

HE EAST HAS ALWAYS FASCINATED ME — THE CULTURALLY RICH states of India’s north-east and the land beyond it have always been on the top of my bucket list. Recently Mahindra Adventure made my dream of driving to these mystical places come true. Mahindra Adventure is known for taking its customers off the beaten track to places that pack a wealth of culture, history and surrealism. Car India was one of the very few media houses who were invited on this journey. There were several enthusiastic participants as well who were quite eager to experience the joy of discovering the north-east and Myanmar for the first time. Here is what I experienced on this 3,000-km-long journey through some of the most interesting places on the planet. It all started in…

“You commit yourself to such a level where there is no compromise. You give everything you have; everything, absolutely everything.” ― Ayrton Senna That’s how McLaren decided to begin their description of their latest Ultimate Series car, earlier codenamed ‘P15’. The Senna is a tribute to famed Brazilian racing legend Ayrton Senna, three-time Formula 1 world champion with McLaren. An all-new Monocage III carbon-fibre chassis construct, carbon-fibre panels, race-derived suspension and components, driver-focused layout, and road-legal but track-oriented characteristics make the Senna, the new Ultimate Series McLaren supercar, one of the most exciting new cars we’ve seen this year. Styling looks like an evolution of the 720S, with a lot more attitude, but that’s what it’s about. The Senna aims to break new ground in handling and driver engagement and…

THE THIRD-GENERATION CLS-CLASS FROM MERCEDES-BENZ HAS FINALLY BEEN revealed and the company has, in fact, stated that the new car is ‘the original perfected’. The first generation car had among the most beautiful, flowing lines ever seen, and, in essence, created the four-door coupé segment when it was first introduced in 2005. With a bold new face, aggressive LED lighting, and a slew of changes under the skin, the new CLS brings the badge forward in to the futuristic present. Apart from the contemporary interior, it packs a host of advanced driver assistance features and a new selection of engines, including three initial in-line six petrol and diesel offerings. The CLS 350 d and 400 d pack the new 2.9-litre six-in-line motors making 286 PS/600 Nm and 340 PS/700 Nm…

IN A BID TO FURTHER THE USE Of SAFETY BELTS IN CARS, MARUTI SUZUKI HAVE unveiled a social campaign, called #Pehnikya? (or ‘Have you worn it?’), across India. It aims to promote the use of seat-belts in cars and enhance the safety of all occupants, whether seated at the front or in the rear, and to educate vehicle users about the importance of seat-belts and their role in preventing road fatalities and injuries, as well as break myths related to seat-belt use. The worrying truth is that only 25 per cent of occupants wear seat-belts regularly, according to a survey conducted across 17 Indian cities, commissioned by MSIL. The survey results revealed that the use of seat-belts is high in a few cities where enforcement is stringent and appallingly low…

RECOMMEND THE RIGHT SUV This is to seek your kind advice on the purchase of an SUV. I am planning to buy an SUV below Rs 30 lakh, preferably a seven-seater. Basically, I am looking for a vehicle that is very comfortable to travel, fun and thrilling to drive — a car that has good handling and refinement, satisfactory fuel economy, and low maintenance cost. One more thing I would like to get clarified is that, if I buy now, will the BS-VI standards become a problem in 2020 and will I be forced to change the vehicle? Please advise me. Sooraj Nambiar, Kannur Hello, Sooraj, Based on your budget and requirements, you may consider the Ford Endeavour 2.2 Titanium, the top-of-the-line Isuzu mu-X, or the Toyota Fortuner’s manual variants.…

TO BREAK NEW GROUND BY ONESELF without a reputation in the land to fall back on and only with qualities and capabilities speaks volumes about strength. The first Volvo XC60 arrived in India in 2010 and that was when Volvo became a more popular name on the lips of potential premium car-buyers. Until that moment, it was a name synonymous with luxury buses rather than super-safe cars, as is the case globally, and the old S80 and XC90 didn’t fare as well as the Swedes had hoped. Seemingly undue wrongs were righted with the arrival of the new XC90 and the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA). The Thor’s Hammer LED lights, smooth lines, generous proportions, and an interior like no other were reasons enough for it to become the bestseller in…

THE TWIN RING MOTEGI CIRCUIT in Japan may be a staple of competitions such as the MotoGP; however, it is also Honda’s favourite stomping yard. Developed by the Japanese automotive powerhouse, Motegi is where their latest products are tested, with their famed museum playing host to retired models and historic race vehicles that make up the brand’s lineage. It is here at the iconic Motegi that I find myself, performing an up-close examination of the brand’s latest innovations in cutting-edge automotive technology. The Clarity series is the brand’s future-ready line-up of cars, and I am set to drive the Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) and Hydrogen Fuel Cell (FCV) variants of the 2018 model line-up. Both the versions of the Clarity, the PHEV and the FCV, are visual twins with only a…

The new Cayenne Turbo does 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds. Impressive, but the Urus shreds it T’S 8.00 AM SHARP AT NARDO, THE Italian test track. Lined up are three preproduction versions of the Lamborghini Urus. We’ll start on the 3.85-mile (6.2-km) handling course, switch to an off-road loop covered in sand and gravel, then after lunch dodge cones and try out the launch control on the skid pan. This isn’t shaping up to be a dull day. The Urus, even in baggy camouflage, is a striking-looking car, one that looks far more like a Lamborghini than its successor did. That sole previous Lambo SUV, the LM002, was more like a high-powered monster truck, whereas this needs to be a serious rival for cars as varied as the Range Rover…

 TWO ERAS OF FERRARI COME TOGETHER IN THE gorgeous Dino 246 GT. Its arresting shape harks back to the sports racers of the 1950s when alloy was stretched over a tubular chassis and production runs could be counted on one hand. At the same time, its mid-mounted engine, radical in its day, soon became the only configuration in town, as Ferrari went all mass-production and Miami Vice. The Dino is ’50s meets ’80s, old school and new broom, a genuine watershed in Ferrari’s history. As you build the revs, a crisp song cuts through, an urgent, rising howl It’s also tiny, compared to every modern car. Spring open the door with a little chrome latch on the window frame, and the interior opens like a dark pocket of leather and…

THE ’50S AND ’60S WERE THE MOTOR CAR’S BELLE Epoque, as the auto business threw off the shackles of wartime gloom and designers strove for beautiful shapes to reflect the confidence and optimism of new enlightened times. From D-Type to E-Type, GTB to GTO, Miura to Mercedes SL, DS to Duetto Spider, it was a golden age. There were no cars more beautiful than Ferraris in this progressive period, and no Ferrari more elegant than the 275 GTB/4. A great Ferrari must, of course, be gorgeous. To my eyes, the 275 GTB/4 is sublime: small, dainty, long bonnet, pert rear, upturned tail, curved hips, softly styled, so simple and so perfect in stance and poise, a Pininfarina masterpiece. A great Ferrari must also drive superbly, of course. And the 275…

A SILVER 530i SPARKLES IN THE LAST HOUR OF EVENING SUN, sitting pretty in the parking lot of a landmark construction on one of the most prominent locales in the city. As I head back from a long day at work, with nothing to coax a smile, the sight of that E60 530i proves otherwise. The year is 2010, and the naturally-aspirated straight-six motor under that bonnet, even from that distance, was enough to have an effect on my inner enthusiast. “That is signature BMW,” I told myself I never got to drive that one. The year is 2017, drawing its last few breaths. I’m in a 530i, at the wheel, and I’m wondering what to expect. What I’ve seen getting in: LED headlamps, svelte lines, sharp 18-inch alloys, 245-sec…

WITH EACH NEW GENERATION OF THE M5 super saloon, BMW’s M Division slaughters another sacred cow. The fourth-generation E60 dropped the manual gearbox for SMG, the fifth-generation F10 swapped natural aspiration for turbocharging, and now the M5 wanders once more unwittingly into the abattoir, its previously crucial rear-wheel drive swiftly given a bolt to the head. Other than the X5 and X6 M models (more unholy squealing slaughter), it makes this sixth-generation F90 M5 the first ‘true’ M car to be fitted with all-wheel drive. Sacrilegious, or the key to driving nirvana? We’re about to find out. One thing’s for sure, though: the introduction of so-called M xDrive also means that, for the first time, the battle between the BMW M5 and its Mercedes-AMG E 63 rival is fought on…

WHENEVER WE LET GO OF ONE OF OUR LONG-TERM CARS, there are certain emotions attached to it. The nitty-gritty might not be mentioned in the monthly reports but is often read between the lines. The first long drive with the girlfriend could be concealed within official words like “scouting for new photo shoot location” and “travelling with four grown-ups and luggage” could indicate chauffeuring the best friend on the latter’s wedding, while a mundane “airport run” may be the proud moment of parents visiting the author’s new home for the first time. Yes, these cars don’t belong to us and eventually go away, but in due course play a pivotal role in creating memories to cherish. I’ve had my share of adventures with the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, and pretty…