Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2019 i Car India

AUTOMOBILI PININFARINA HAVE ANNOUNCED THAT THEIR ELECTRIC hypercar, earlier codenamed PF0, will be named “Battista”, after Battista “Pinin” Farina, who founded the Carrozzeria Pininfarina coachbuilding company back in 1930. The Battista will be the spearhead for the new brand into the automotive world and will be formally unveiled at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show in March this year. The name came naturally as it was Pininfarina founder’s vision to see a car badged with the company’s own logo. The hand-built, limited-number luxury electric vehicle will be Italy’s fastest road-legal car thus far with an output of 1,900 PS and 2,300 Nm from the all-electric driveline. It will be capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in less than two seconds and better 250 mph (402 km/h), with zero emission…

IRV GORDON, THE GUINNESS WORLD Record-holding single owner of the legendary Volvo P1800 that clocked over three million miles (more than 48 lakh kilometres) passed away at the age of 78. With the registration plate reading “MILNMILR”, the 1966 Volvo P1800 is a Guinness World Record holder, thanks to its one and only owner, Irv Gordon. Sadly, Gordon passed away on 15 November while travelling through a remote and mountainous terrain in China. He was doing promotional work for Volvo Cars at the time and had sent a message to his daughter just hours before the unexpected happened, saying that he was “having one of the best times of his life”. Born in 1940, Irv Gordon graduated from the Massachusetts College. He worked as a science teacher from 1962 and…

ŠKODA HAVE UNVEILED THEIR NEW SCALA COMPACT HATCHBACK IN TEL AVIV, ISRAEL, showcasing their new design language. Elements of this new approach are sporty in nature with a panoramic glass roof blending into an elongated rear fifth door and large air inlets underneath a striking grille. The side skirts and an aerodynamic roof spoiler and a rear diffuser underneath the bumper give the Scala a mean overall stance. The Scala features a number of state-of-the-art connectivity tech and functionalities seen in the Vision RS concept. The optional 10.25-inch information cluster is the largest in the compact car segment and a Virtual Cockpit is also available as an option. The infotainment system has a large 9.2-inch touchscreen. The car packs a number of features such as LED lighting, adaptive cruise control,…

DROOM, ONE OF THE LEADING ONLINE automobile marketplaces in the country, recently organized the country’s first Pre-owned Automotive Awards. The idea was to highlight the rapidly growing used-vehicle market. Sandeep Aggarwal, founder and CEO of Droom, said, ‘India is the third largest automobile market globally. Since 2013, the number of used vehicles sold is higher than new vehicles sold in India. However, most of the ecosystem is still aligned with new vehicles.’ In the major car categories, the Honda City won the “Buyer’s Choice Sedan of the Year”, while the Mercedes-Benz C-Class claimed the “Dealer’s Choice Luxury Car of the Year”. The criteria to judge each category were based on the points secured during the jury round along with online voting by the buyers and dealers.…

I am in the market for an MUV for short road journeys with my family. I would be travelling with my wife, child, nanny, and our Labrador, Willis. As such, rear boot space in an MUV is an important factor for me. So far, I have always been inclined towards the Toyota Innova, but a few friends have advised me to consider some of the new options as well. I read your review about of the Mahindra Marazzo and it did appeal to me a little. There is also the Tata Hexa and Renault Lodgy. I felt that the Honda BR-V and Maruti Ertiga seemed a little small. Could you please help me in making this rather confusing decision? I live in Mumbai, so finding a service station is not…

LIVING UP TO THE SANTRO BRAND-NAME ISN’T EASY. MAKING A car that single-handedly paved the way for Hyundai Motor India into the hearts of millions of Indian homes was no mean feat. “Santro” is a name that eventually became synonymous with a perfect family car. One that’s easy to own and maintain. One that brings the family together. With the new model, the company is leaving no stones unturned to repeat the Santro phenomenon. The focus is on world-class manufacturing and segment-leading quality. We delve into the epicentre of Hyundai Motor India’s operations and walk through the various stations to discover the secret of their success... WALKING THE LINE... Hyundai Motor India have put Sriperumbudur on the global car manufacturing map. The plant can churn out over seven lakh cars…

THE ALL-NEW BMW 3 SERIES was launched at the Paris Motor Show last October and last month we were invited to Faro, on the southern coast of Portugal, for its global first drive. The 3 Series is the most important car for BMW and their bread-and-butter car, it being the number one in the segment and within the BMW stable. Like all new cars, the 3 Series has grown in size; now it is 76 millimetres longer than its predecessor (at 4,709 mm), 16 mm wider (1,827 mm) and just one mm taller (1,442 mm). These dimensions lend the latest-generation model dynamically stretched proportions and a muscular stature. The car has grown all round with a 41-mm longer wheelbase (2,851 mm) and increased track widths (front: +43 mm, rear: 21…

THE MOST ANIMATED DEBATE nowadays is on the future of mobility; whether it should be electric or fuel cell and electric vehicles (EV) seem to have found favour at least for the time being, for most manufacturers seem to be busy launching their versions of EVs. A couple of manufacturers have already launched their electric cars and the latest to join the fray are Audi with the e-tron. We were invited by Audi to Abu Dhabi for the global first drive of the e-tron, their first EV. The Audi e-tron reflects the fundamentals of Audi design being translated into the electric age by new, stylistically defining details. Typically for one of the brand’s SUV models, the Audi e-tron bears the octagonal-design single-frame grille with vertical struts. Its corpus is largely…

IT IS QUITE A UNIQUE AND BOLD move to name your sub-compact SUV “Kicks”. What does it symbolize? What is the hook behind the name? Well, that is a question we would like Nissan India to answer. However, what we can tell you is that the Kicks is the first of many upcoming models from Nissan in India and they hope that it kick-starts the company’s growth in the country. We drove it recently in Gujarat and, honestly, it felt like déjà vu. Read on to find out what we remembered driving the new Kicks. To begin with, the design and styling is quite similar to the Kicks that is sold in international markets; however, that very sub-compact SUV is based on a different platform. The Indian Kicks is based…

PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4S Feast your eyes on the new, eighth-generation, 992 Porsche 911. It’s larger, wider, packs big wheels, and packs more electronics than ever before. There’s a new eight-speed PDK auto-box, optional rear-wheel steering, a large 10.9-inch screen interface, and a drop in the number of buttons on the centre console. Outside, it’s all aluminium. The bonnet gains two parallel, longitudinal creases, wider wheel housings, larger 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels, and a family-styled sweeping LED light bar across the rear. The new 992 Carrera S (and 4S) receive a bump in power of 30 PS to a total of 450 PS from the 3.0-litre flat-six twin-turbocharged engine. Optimizations include a revised turbocharger layout, improved charge air-cooling system with two radiators now placed optimally on the outer…

LET’S START WITH THIS: THE FIRST AMG 65 WITH a 6.0-litre BiTurbo V12 made 612 PS — the same as this 4.0-litre BiTurbo V8 motor. That’s how much technology has changed and allowed manic power to come from a third less displacement. Turns out the replacement is a pair of turbochargers, direct injection, and a smarter engine control unit. With a specific output of over 150 PS/litre, the E 63 S is a mental super-saloon from the deepest, wildest skunkworks within the heart of Affalterbach. The E 63 S was bred to seamlessly switch from the autobahn to the racetrack and back again. However, with its “4MATIC+” all-wheel drive, new nine-speed AMG multi-clutch transmission making its début, and 850 Nm of torque, it isn’t a sort of AMG E-Class we’re…

JEHAN DARUVALA, ONE OF THE MOST successful Indian racers who have made India proud in international kart racing, Formula Renault, and the Formula 3 European championship, has been signed by Prema Powerteam. They have been enjoying a great run of success and have just announced their team for 2019, which includes Jehan in the squad. It is great to see the youngster in F3 as it is a stepping stone to Formula 1. With this step up to F3, Jehan will be racing cars that are a fair bit faster than what he has raced until now. The Prema F3 car has an all-new Dallara chassis with a 3.4-litre Mecachrome engine that can touch speeds of up to 300 km/h. These race cars are also built with cutting-edge technology and…

VOLVO CARS HAVE PARTNERED WITH LUMINAR, A LEADING START-UP, in the development of core-sensing technology for autonomous vehicles to demonstrate the most advanced LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensor and perception capabilities to date. LiDAR technology uses pulsed laser signals to detect objects. It will be a crucial factor in creating safer autonomous cars, allowing them to navigate safely in complex traffic scenarios and at higher speed thanks to reliable long-range perception capabilities. New developments make it possible for the system to detect human poses, including individual limbs such as arms and legs, a level of detail not previously possible with this type of sensor. It can also detect objects up to 250 metres away; much further than any LiDAR technology presently available. LiDAR can help Volvo Cars approach Vision…

ASTON MARTIN HAVE BEEN GEARING UP well for the electric future with the upcoming Rapide-E but, at the moment, the iconic British carmakers have been thinking up other electrification ideas. This time, they’ve taken an iconic 1970 Mk II DB6 Volante and replaced the combustion engine with an electric motor. The self-contained battery-cells sit on the original engine and gearbox mounts and can be reversed should the owner of the car so desire. The only other change is a new “cassette” powertrain that now features a power management screen fitted to the interior, displaying charge levels. Given the popularity of classic cars and the stricter emission norms being imposed on vehicles, the Aston Martin Works team is offering the electrification solution to other classic Aston models as well.…

MAHINDRA’S SAMLLER XUV, THE XUV300 WAS FINALLY REVEALED ahead of its launch early next year. The XUV300, earlier codenamed “S201”, is based on the Ssangyong Tivoli compact SUV. As with the Alturas G4, this Ssangyong will be badged a Mahindra and receives a new front end design to reflect that aspect. The XUV300 will be manufactured at their plant in Nashik and will receive quite a few changes in terms of powertrain and equipment as compared to its Korean counterpart. As with the larger XUV500, the XUV300’s styling has been inspired by a cheetah and, as such, it features flared wheel-arches and pronounced haunches and muscular lines. Under the bonnet will be a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine with what will be the best-in-class torque. There will be a petrol engine…

Force Gurkha Xtreme Force Motors have introduced the more capable and even more powerful Gurkha Xtreme at Rs 12.99 lakh (ex-showroom). The new Force Gurkha Xtreme is based on the Gurkha Xplorer three-door variant. It gets updated hardware and even a new engine. The live, rigid front axle now gets coil-spring suspension. The transfer case now promises lower NVH and has the provision for fitting front axle hub-locks. It offers differential locks on both the front and rear axles. The engine is the 2.2-litre Mercedes OM 611-derived four-cylinder engine, earlier seen in the defunct Force One, making a credible 140 PS and 321 Nm. A chrome-finish snorkel helps the engine breathe while wading through water. The new Gurkha Xtreme continues with a basic, functional cabin and longitudinal twin benches in…

How does it feel to bring a legendary car like the Santro back into production? We’re highly excited and, at the same time, feeling very responsible. The Santro has had an unrivalled history in India and we have to live up to that expectation. Based on the positive customer feedback about the new car, we’re pretty happy with what we have achieved. Hyundai over the years have become a benchmark in terms of quality and finish. How do you strive to maintain that? As you know, the Hyundai Motor Company is over 50 years old and Hyundai Motor India (HMI) about 20 years old. Over the years, the company has brought a lot of technological advancements into the picture. From an age of human-centred activity, we’re moving to the new…

A VISIT TO PORTIMAO CANNOT BE complete without a drive on the Portimao racetrack and BMW had a special treat for us: the BMW M340i xDrive for the track driving experience. The M340i gets a 3.0-litre straight six, the petrol motor gets M TwinPower Turbo technology with Valvetronic fully-variable valve control and Double Vanos variable camshaft control. The straight-six motor produces 374 PS and 500 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to an eight-speed Steptronic sports automatic transmission and the power is put down on the road via the BMW xDrive all-wheel drive system with rear bias. After a sighting lap, we selected the Sport Plus mode. It was all-out driving, attacking corners with trail braking into the apex of the corner, then unleashing all the power and torque…

FROM THE TIME TATA MOTORS ACQUIRED Jaguar and Land Rover, the company has been under pressure to answer one pertinent question: when do we see a Tata car model based on a J-LR platform? Well, it seems that with the Harrier, the Indian auto giant has answered that question and how. We got a first glimpse of things to come when Tata Motors showcased the Concept H5X at the Auto Expo last year. The idea was based on Land Rover’s D8 architecture, powered by FIAT’s popular 2.0-litre diesel engine and sporting Tata’s radical new Impact Design 2.0 styling. Many funky bits from the concept have made it to the production model and, overall, it’s a heady concoction of the H5X, Nexon, and even the Discovery Sport which is also based…

AN OIL COMPANY LEADING THE CHARGE TO PROMOTE fuel-efficiency sounds counter-productive at first, but then Shell is not your average oil company. Nitin Prasad, Chairman, Shell Companies in India, said that Shell are making huge steps into the field of energy transition. It does seem fair that they are the ones to spearhead this commendable movement. “Make the Future” is a platform for students, industrialists, and companies. What this assortment of brilliant minds have in common is their ultimate goal of overcoming the impending energy handicap at the global level. Spread over four days at the MMRT, the event gave us a chance to witness some intense competition and some innovative ideas in the field of energy-efficiency. To be more specific, there were exhibitions and panel discussions, and the highlight,…

SOME EXTREME FEELINGS ARE MORE THAN WORDS. Although there are ways in which emotions can manifest and flow free into the living world. That said, the phrase “Joy is BMW” truly takes shape in the new F90-generation M5. Masterful it was always intended to be. Breathtaking, it is, truly. And that stands true for beholders as well. One look — especially at this Frozen Dark Red First Edition model — immediately identifies this one with its menacing style as a very special automotive creation. The sinewy lines and glaring face are enough to make 500-horse muscle cars sit down and stay put. There is black detailing on the kidney grille, the air ducts on the front quarter panel, the carbon-fibre double-bubble-type roof — which weighs half as much as the…

NEW KID BACK ON THE BLOCK THE ALL-NEW SANTRO HAS COME IN AND MADE ITS presence felt in a big way. Considering that I used to have a Santro from exactly two decades ago, this new-generation model has many of its virtues, yet brings a whole lot more to the table. The design is quite European with many a line thrown in for good measure. Its proportions make it a compact, yet extremely comfortable city car. There’s enough room in the front for driver and passenger and more than a decent amount of room for rear passengers, too. The Sportz variant is just one shy of the top and, thus, has a good amount of kit, including a touchscreen interface with likeable haptics. The strongest virtue of the Santro is…

NEW THIS MONTH FORCE GURKHA XTREME With more capability and more power, courtesy a new 2.2-litre diesel engine and gearbox, the 140-PS Gurkha Xtreme is here from Rs 12.99 lakh (ex) TATA TIAGO XZ+ New top-end variants with more features have arrived for the popular Tiago, priced between Rs 5.57 lakh to Rs 6.38 lakh (ex-showroom) LEGENDS PRICES Ex-showroom, Pune (subject to change) BO: Available only by order NA: Price not available FEATURES F: Front onlyD: Driver airbag onlyO: Optional equipment ASTON MARTIN BENTLEY BMW FERRARI FIAT HONDA HONDA JAGUAR JAGUAR LAND ROVER LEXUS MARUTI SUZUKI MARUTI SUZUKI MERCEDES-BENZ MERCEDES MINI MITSUBISHI RENAULT RENAULT TATA TATA VOLKSWAGEN VOLKSWAGEN VOLVO…

MERCEDES-BENZ ARE AMONG the extremely low number of carmakers who have gone ahead and produced diesel plug-in hybrid car models in the quest for maximum efficiency. While others have since gone silent, Mercedes show no sign of slowing down with the new E 300 de diesel plug-in hybrid and E 300 e petrol plug-in hybrid models of the bestselling E-Class executive luxury saloon. The anticipated C 300 de has been added to the C-Class luxury sedan line-up as well and deliveries will commence by mid-2019. Each of the latest generation of the plug-in hybrid models adopts a turbocharged combustion engine that complies with the stringent Euro 6d-Temp standard. The C and E 300 de get the new 2.0-litre OM 654 turbo-diesel, making 194 PS and 400 Nm, with a new,…

THE NEW BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT CONVERTIBLE DROP-TOP grand tourer has been unveiled in its third generation. The fold-away, soft-top roof on the new Bentley Continental GT can be lowered or raised in a claimed 19 seconds at speeds of up to 50 km/h. It can be configured in their finest hand-crafted materials, including an optional “Contemporary” tweed fabric roof, with the other option being the Z-folding which, Bentley claim, is a unique design. The new model is 20 per cent lighter and five per cent stiffer than the outgoing one. Powering the new Continental GT is the new 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 petrol motor with 635 PS and 900 Nm. An eight-speed, dual-clutch, automatic transmission sends the power to the all-wheel-drive system. The performance is quite spirited with 0-100 km/h dispatched…

Valkyrie Will Do 11,100 rpm Aston Martin have revealed more details of the Cosworth 6.5-litre, naturally aspirated V12 engine that will power their Valkyrie hybrid-hypercar. The naturally-aspirated V12 will make over 1,000 PS at 10,500 rpm and 740 Nm of peak torque at 7,000 rpm. The engine will red-line at a heady 11,100 rpm. It weighs just 206 kg. The billet-machined crankshaft is 50 per cent lighter than the one used in the One-77’s Cosworth V12 engine. Bram Schot Appointed Chairman of Audi AG Bram Schot has been appointed as Chairman of the Board of Management at Audi AG by the Supervisory Board, with effect from 1 January 2019. Schot has headed the company since June 2018 as interim CEO and will continue to temporarily hold Board of Management responsibility…

CONTINENTAL TECHNOLOGIES ARE SET TO produce high-quality decorative surface solutions locally in India with a new plant at Kesurdi, near Pune. Series production begins in 2020. The new Continental plant is set to be a 12,000-sq-metre manufacturing facility with an initial annual capacity of five million square metres, built over a four-hectare area at an investment of €22 million (Rs 180 crore, approx). Initially, it will have 110 employees, going up to 250 by the end of phase one. The plant will be provided with air treatment in accordance with a stringent global standard as well as sustainable energy from an environment-friendly biogas system. The plant will produce premium surface materials used for car interior elements, such as seat-backs, head-rests, centre consoles, door-panels and so on for supply to the…

SAVITA OIL TECHNOLOGIES LTD, A LEADING MANUFACTURER OF AUTO, industrial and consumer lubricants, have signed an agreement with Tata Motors to manufacture and supply original oils for the Passenger Vehicles segment under the brand “Tata Motors Original Oils”. This partnership will also help Tata Motors deliver original products at the right price and will ensure easy availability through the bazaar channel, essential to building and maintaining the trust that customers have for the Tata brand. These products will be supplied by the authorized parts distributors of Tata Motors for after-market or replacement market, or “bazaar trade” in industry parlance. The new range of engine oils will complement the existing original parts business for the company’s channel partners.…

LICENCE TO DRIVE OVERSEAS I have a query regarding a driving licence to drive a car overseas. I am planning to go to San Jose, California, on a month-long holiday. My brother lives there and there is a glorious Dodge Challenger that I really want to drive. I read the most recent cover story about your drive in a Volvo in California itself. Therefore, I was wondering if you could help me. Are we Indians allowed to drive in the US? If so, would I need something like an International Driving Permit or will just my Indian driving licence suffice? Your help will be appreciated. Rahul Prateek Sharma, Varanasi Dear Rahul, Yes, you can actually drive in California if you have a valid driver's permit issued by a foreign jurisdiction…

MARUTI SUZUKI HAVE WON THE 2019 INDIAN CAR OF the Year (ICOTY) award for their third-generation Swift hatchback. In an interesting turn of events, the jury also introduced a new award for luxury vehicles with the first-ever “Premium Car Award by ICOTY” going to the Volvo XC40. The Indian Car of the Year was announced at a ceremony in Mumbai on 20 December 2018. The coveted trophy was presented by Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Limited, to Kenichi Ayukawa, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Maruti Suzuki. The chairman of the ICOTY jury, Yogendra Pratap, presented a winner’s certificate signed by all the members of the jury for the ICOTY 2019 to Maruti Suzuki. A similar procedure was followed for the Premium Car of…

THEY SAY EVERYTHING IS BIG IN TEXAS. THUS, THIS SERVED as a perfect backdrop for the Mercedes’ large, luxurious new GLE drive. The SUV has grown in size and, for the first time, gets seven seats, three interesting engine options, and comes loaded with innovative features. The important news for Indian buyers is that it will be coming to India in 2019, when it will compete with the Audi Q7, BMW X5, and Volvo XC90. Now let’s jog your memory a bit. This Mercedes first hit the road back in 1998, wearing the majestic “ML” badge, and, if you are a Jurassic Park fan like me, I bet you can still recall it. But the name “GLE” (hinting at it being based on the E-Class platform) was only introduced when…

THE VOLKSWAGEN CENTER OF Lighting Excellence has a 100-metre-long light tunnel with black ceiling, floor, and walls. This is where great minds work on the “Evolution of Light”. The engineers create various road simulations and test how drivers and pedestrians react to different lights and signals. It speeds up the entire development process and helps new lighting systems reach the production car much faster. We’ve all noticed how headlights have evolved from the simple, round lights that gave the Beetle its iconic face eight decades ago to the intricate IQ.Light seen on the new VW cars. With the modern LED lighting, designers can put dozens of diodes into every light fixture. They won’t just become brighter and put more light down the road, but will open up fascinating new avenues…

As the chairman of Shell Companies in India, are you happy with how Shell is doing in the country? Absolutely. This is our 25th year here and we have organically built all of our businesses. Today, Shell is a company that is growing into a different growth vector in India. We are now the third largest employer in the Shell group. There are three service centres in India: a finance centre, an IT centre, and a research and development and engineering facility. Each of these centres is working on global projects as key centres. The quality of the talent, their capability, and resilience are fantastic. We have learnt and understood how to be successful in a tough market like India. As an energy transition company, what are your future plans…

NOW THAT WE’VE FINALLY MANAGED TO GET OUR HANDS ON THE new Renault Captur petrol, we decided to skip the mundane drill and take this softroader on a road trip. One involving a bit of city driving, some highway cruising and, of course, a scenic hillside location. The family was more than eager to accompany me once they realized that they had a chance to enjoy a drive to the strawberry farms of Mahabaleshwar in the attractive new Captur. Come weekend and we loaded the Renault with our luggage, packed some sandwiches, tucked in the little ones on the spacious rear seats and drove towards the beautiful roads of the Western Ghats. This sturdy SUV is based on Renault’s proven M0 platform which also underpins the Duster, but it’s almost…

FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE AND REAR-WHEEL DRIVE; MID-engined and rear-engined; naturally aspirated and turbocharged; £141,000 (Rs 1.28 crore), £185,000 (Rs 1.67 crore), and £215,000 (Rs 1.95 crore). Rarely does a Car India shootout contain three cars so different in the way they go about their business. The common the musketeers’ hand pile-on, the weird bit at the middle of a Venn is the exact nature of that business. It’s not simply going fast. Any supercar can do that. These cars are only one tiny step removed from the racetrack and as perfectly at home on it as they are parked at a “Cars and Coffee” meet, serving as a handy arm-rest while you regale onlookers with tales of track heroics. From tall stories to long tails, specifically the McLaren 600LT, the latest…

THE M5ELECTRO IS BASED ON THE latest, second generation of the Formula E race car. The new car has been developed extensively following the first four years of the sporting class. The generation-two car will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in a claimed 2.8 seconds and be good for a top speed of 280 km/h. The design of the generation-two car features Mahindra Racing’s iconic red, white, and blue livery, drawing inspiration from iconic Indian symbols such as the Bengal tiger and the lotus. This year Mahindra have partnered with lubricant giants, Shell, who have been involved in motor sport for nearly 100 years. Mahindra Racing and Shell will also embark on a joint development of lubricants and fluids for electric vehicles.…