Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2020 i Car India

THE 5 SERIES HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST desirable sport-luxury sedans and 2021 G30 LCI-generation model takes things further. The signature kidney-grille embraces the sharp, overlapping design for an even sportier and fresh look. The LED headlamps look sharp and the blacked-out tail-lamp clusters look refreshing and, together with that “530e” badging, prove there’s always a way to improve efficiency while retaining or even enhancing the fun factor. The new 5 gets an assortment of four- and six-cylinder powertrains electrified with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system including an 8.0-kW integrated starter/generator on both the petrol and diesel, except for the V8-powered range-topping M550i xDrive. There are updated engines in multiple states of tune, including this new 530e with up to 292 hp and 420 Nm. An 80-kW (109 hp) e-motor…

THE MARUTI SUZUKI SWIFT DZIRE, ONE OF INDIA’S HIGHEST-SELLING sedans, recently received an update; though just a facelift. Now, details of the 2020 Swift have emerged from Japan and this model should make its way to India soon. The most noticeable change is the front end of the car. It gets a larger, chunkier grille with a hexagonal pattern. Apart from this, there seem to be no other major changes, with the rear appearing to be identical to its predecessor’s. We may expect some updates to the interior and a few touch-ups to make it more premium. The 2020 Swift Dzire, when it does get to India, will get the BS6 1.2-litre, K-series DualJet, Dual-VVT petrol engine that makes 90 hp at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 113…

BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé The all-new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé will be offered in India for the very first time. Two petrol variants have been launched: the 840i Gran Coupé at Rs 1.30 crore and the 840i Gran Coupé M Sport at Rs 1.55 crore, both ex-showroom. The new BMW 8 Series Gran Coupé is a 5,082-mm long, four-door, four-seat grand tourer with a wheelbase measuring over three metres long. It combines trademark BMW sporty characteristics with modern-day technology and luxury. In India, BMW have introduced the 840i, with a 3.0-litre straight-six making 340 hp at 5,000-6,500 rpm and a peak torque of 500 Nm between 1,600 and 4,500 rpm. An eight-speed automatic funnels the power to the rear wheels via an M Sport differential. The 840i weighs…

The Hyundai Venue is the highly successful Korean auto manufacturer’s newest model in the country and is a perfect choice for this period COVID-19 BURST INTO OUR LIVES IN A SUDDEN AND DEADLY form, creating havoc on a truly global scale. However, even with the horrors of the current situation, it is important to remember that old proverb: “every cloud has a silver lining”. In this case, the word we are looking for is “bond”. No, not the famous British spy with commitment issues, but the actual word instead. The pandemic has in many ways renewed or created a number of bonds that may be remembered forever, such as the calm and serene family environment or a true connection with one’s other half, a new friendship with the family pet,…

FEW CARS CAPTIVATE THE senses the way an exotic Italian sports car can manage to. And, when it comes to sharp lines and edgy design, Lamborghini sure have a way of putting things forward and making it seem like a real fast-forward. However, their latest creation is a little more of a rewind. The Huracán Evo RWD Spyder follows Lamborghini’s tradition of getting more fun out of less with the addition of open-air bliss when nature allows it. The Evo RWD Spyder is the latest introduction to the Huracán portfolio and brings with it a clean, sculpted form accentuated by sinewy elements to add muscle to the lean, supercar theme and, of course, the signature Lambo V10 engine sans any high-speed blowers or whining screws. The raison d’être is simple:…

IN THE NEW-GENERATION MODEL, THIS 1.4-LITRE TURBO PETROL IS CLEARLY my favourite. The spirited motor comes with the option of a very quick and convenient seven-speed dual-clutch transmission which makes it a great pair for everyday driving and even for your adventurous weekend trip. This BS6 engine was first introduced by Kia on the Seltos and even though both the car models share plenty of the car parts and underpinnings, the two look poles apart from the outside. The Creta looks a lot more unconventional and the smooth flowing lines merge elegantly into the soft curves of the body. The new design really sets it apart even from the first-generation Creta which had a more universal appeal. You can’t deny that the 2020 version looks modern and even more sophisticated…

WHAT THE COFFEE COULDN’T manage, the M8 Competition’s V8 is doing effortlessly. Just a few moments ago, as I slid aboard the 2+2 BMW coupé, my brain was still on the pillow; still on standby, with only essential systems online. Now, thanks to the BMW’s awesome V8, I’m very much awake. This is one ferociously quick car. We’re snaking through wild hill county, the bone-grey road the only conspicuously man-made scar on a landscape that was here long before us — and will go on long after we’re gone. There is no other traffic; the only other living souls are sullen birds that take flight as our two-car cacophony heads their way. The S63 engine up front (shared with the F90 M5) is an upgraded version of the 4.4-litre V8…

THE NEXT-GENERATION SPA 2 (SCALABLE Product Architecture generation 2) platform will see LiDAR in Volvo car models and more autonomous capability. Volvo are recognized as a global leader in automotive safety and are now setting new standards, following their partnership with tech major Luminar, to provide industry-leading LiDAR and perception technology for their next-generation car models. This means Volvo’s first fully self-driving technology for highways and future active safety developments. The next-generation SPA 2 modular platform will be available hardware-ready for autonomous drive right from the production stage set for 2022, with the Luminar LiDAR in Volvo car models seamlessly integrated into the roof. So, what is LiDAR? Luminar’s technology is based on LiDAR sensors that emit millions of pulses of laser light to accurately detect where objects are by…

THE SUB-FOUR-METRE COMPACT crossover segment has seen immense success in India and Honda will soon join the party with an all-new vehicle that may be called the ZR-V. The competition in the segment is stiff with the likes of the Mahindra XUV300, Ford EcoSport, and Tata Nexon as well as the big guns of the segment, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and Hyundai Venue; the real success stories. These sort of vehicles make sense in urban environments, being easier to live with in narrow city streets. They are also quite capable of handling all road conditions. Considering Honda’s build quality and reputation, this ZR-V may well be the perfect step to pick up where the WR-V left off. The ZR-V will be an all-out sub-four-metre compact SUV based on the Amaze…

MAXXIS TYRES’ T RAZR TRANSFORMATIVE Tyre has won the A’ Design Award and Competition. The A’ Design Award is an achievement that designers, artists, architects, brands, and design agencies worldwide look up to. In the Automotive Accessories and Car Care Products Design Category, 2019-2020, Maxxis Tyres’ T Razr Transformative Tyre took top honours. The T Razr Transformative Tyre was conceptualized in Taiwan in 2018. With dimensions of 656 mm x 240 mm x 656 mm, the T Razr was built to actively detect the driving conditions and transform the contact patch of the tyre to provide optimal traction. The T Razr features a Sport mode that improves control on tricky road conditions. Of course, the “transformation” of the tyre does require electricity and that is handled by the charging function…

IS THE CYBERSTER ROADSTER GOING TO REINTRODUCE MG TO their heyday as a small sports-car maker? MG had a noteworthy history of small-capacity sports cars during the 1950s and ’60s. Their cars were pretty and did not cost an arm or leg as an Italian one would. Now, MG have teased a roadster and it falls right into their heritage portfolio. The MG Cyberster is an all-electric vehicle with sharp and stunning design features. From the sketches, we see quite a large bonnet with sharp lines that flow seamlessly past the cabin and large flared rear wheels until getting cut off sharply at the end with an interesting lighting system. Electric sports cars do seem to be making their way into the hearts and minds of people but still have…

TO COPE WITH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, MAHINDRA HAVE INITIATED A SERVICE experience that benefits both employees and customers. Mahindra have re-opened dealerships and workshops in many parts of India with permissions and guidelines from the government. They have now announced a new “Contactless Service Experience”. With this initiative, Mahindra assure complete safety to their customers whether they get their vehicles serviced from the comfort of their own homes or choose to visit a Mahindra workshop. Mahindra have also launched their new vehicle selection and purchase portal, called Own-Online. Even after the lockdown ends, India’s increasing net-savvy population stands to benefit. With Mahindra’s pre- and post-purchase online solutions already in place, re-imagining the car purchase experience was the logical next step. Own-Online offers an easy-to-use solution that allows customers to buy…

Crossover Conundrum I have decided to go with a petrol manual version and have finalized three options in crossover SUV. My criteria for petrol CUV are as follows: 1. Super refined quiet engine 2. Silent cabin while driving 3. Good mileage in city 4. Long-term reliability I don’t like noise or engine disturbance inside the cabin while driving or parking since I always prefer a very silent atmosphere inside the car or even at my home. My options are the Honda WRV, Ford EcoSport, and Hyundai Venue. I have already test-driven all these three and found them to be well within my budget while meeting the rest of my criteria. However, I am unable to decide which one to book as per the reliability and mileage issue. Hence, I will…

PERSONAL MOBILITY IS about more than one’s personal space on the move. It’s about creating a sustainable ecosystem of transport and services that works efficiently while reducing the burden on the environment significantly. While reliable and clean mass-transit solutions are ideal, there is the factor of personal mobility and the choice of having one’s own vehicle for however long it remains a viable option in the state of affairs. The Strom R3 is a super-compact car with just three wheels, two doors, and all the elements now considered essential — seating for two, luggage space, flashy design, connectivity, and a sunroof. The all-electric car packs a simple yet functional interior with a 7.0-inch touchscreen interface as well as voice and gesture control. A 12-way adjustable driver seat is available as…

The starting point is last year’s Huracán Evo, from which Lamborghini delete all the stuff you’re supposed to covet LAST YEAR WE PUBLISHED OUR dystopian “The Last Gallon” story, imagining what we’d fuel with our last dregs of super-unleaded in a post-apocalyptic Grimsby. Right now, it’s as though I’m trapped Tron-like in those pages. I’m ripping over the Pennines, a huge hunk of engine out back helping adjust attitude and smear number 11s over the road. There are great peels of V10 thunder on every downshift. It’s pre-lockdown, the day before they’ll close the pubs. For a few more hours driving for the sake of driving is still all right and I’ve got my hands on a supercar I think I might actually fuel with my last ever gallon: the…

UNLESS YOU’VE BEEN stranded off-road with no phone signal, you’ll know the Land Rover Defender has just returned, very much modernized, after production of the old model came to an end at Solihull in 2016. However, the off-road icon’s updated design and monocoque construction aren’t the only radical shake-ups with which its loyal fan-base must grapple: the new model’s manufacturing also breaks with a tradition that dates back to 1948, as it switches from Solihull to Slovakia. Solihull has not closed: it continues to produce the Jaguar F-Pace and all Range Rovers barring the Evoque. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have also invested in building “the next generation of flagship Range Rover and Land Rover models” there. Still, removing all Defender production from the UK is a big deal. Ahead of…

Why is it here? Because the 911 is the sports-car benchmark and the Turbo S promises to be something of an ultimate ― the fastest and most complete road-focused 911. And the new one is not like your father’s 911 Turbo. That was a numbers king keener on searing standing starts and swanning about like an apex predator than being hurried. The 992-gen Turbo feels different: more agile, more involving. Any clever stuff? As you’d imagine given the Turbo’s propensity for speed, active aerodynamics play a big part in the engineering. The car can tweak flaps in the front spoiler to achieve the best possible drag/downforce/ cooling profile in real time. The control unit and compressor for this pneumatic system sit in the 911’s front boot, while the huge rear…

VOLVO’S POPULAR SPORT-luxury sedan, the S60, has changed. A lot. While the next-generation 2019 model has not yet arrived here in India, we may now safely expect this updated 2021 iteration to be introduced here. The new Volvo S60 is based on the SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) platform that also underpins the XC60 and the larger 90 series models and bears a new, more evolved design language, with smooth lines but sharp details; inheriting the Thor’s Hammer headlamps and sleek tail-lamp clusters. It also brings an updated interior with the signature large touchscreen-laden centre console, smooth design air-vents, and all the safety tech one may expect of the brand that’s synonymous with automotive safety. The big change is the advent of the B and T TwinEngine range replacing the older…

THE NEXT-GENERATION PORSCHE 911 Targa — Type 992 — has been revealed and three versions are on offer, including a manual. The Targa lineage dates back to the 1960s and the latest 992-generation models continue that heritage with the Targa 4 and Targa 4S, the latter of which is available with a choice of automatic or manual. Measuring a compact 4,591 millimetres long, the new Targa models run the same 2.45-metre wheelbase as the Carrera models, with the widened wheel tracks of 1,591 mm at the front and 1,557 mm at the rear. The signature glass-bubble roof lifts or drops in 19 seconds and stows, convertible-style, behind the rear seats and ahead of the engine. The Targa 4 packs a 3.0-litre, twin-turbocharged, signature Porsche boxer-six with 385 hp and 450…

A HIGH-PERFORMANCE VERSION OF THE popular Hyundai i20, the i20 N, is being readied with tests already under way. The new i20 N will follow the introduction of the all-new i20 in its latest generation, with the prototype of the new N model already being tested under extreme conditions on a frozen lake in northern Sweden. Additional testing was performed by Hyundai Motorsport’s World Rally Championship (WRC) driver Thierry Neuville. The design of the i20 N has been inspired by the i20 WRC and RM19. While changes in its dimensions will be minimal, a massive punch will be delivered by the powertrain. A 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine is expected to sit under the bonnet of the new i20 N and deliver more than 200 hp and 250 Nm of torque…

SMARTPHONE AND TECH BRAND HUAWEI HAS ANNOUNCED A COLLABORATION WITH 18 automotive brands to work on an auto-based 5G connectivity solution. This move may get 5G conspiracy-theorist tongues wagging, but is a welcome step for those who are always looking for the next big technological move in the automotive space. The endgame for this development from Huawei and the prominent China-based carmakers is an enhanced intelligent car experience that will try and maximize IoT (Internet of Things) and connected car technologies for greater convenience and could even contribute to self-driving infrastructure. The 18 brands that have come together with Huawei on this project include the likes of First Automobile Group, Chang’an Automobile, Dongfeng Motor Corporation, SAIC Motor Corporation, Guangzhou Automobile Group, BYD Auto, Great Wall Motors, Chery Holdings, and JAC…

A COMPACT AND AFFORDABLE HYUNDAI MPV MAY BE LAUNCHED sometime next year to combat the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Hyundai currently have a wide range of products for the Indian market across most segments, but we are yet to see a compact, seven-seater MPV from the Korean brand. This may change soon as Hyundai respond to the growing demand for an affordable people carrier on the lines of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and Mahindra Marazzo. Not much is known at the moment, other than a heavily camouflaged Hyundai MPV that was recently spotted testing in Beijing. If or when the Korean manufacturer decides to bring this vehicle to India, we assume it could sport a design similar to the Hyundai Hexa Space Concept pictured here that was showcased back at the…

Style Icon The first thing you are bound to notice about the Triber is its sensational looks. It has a riveting presence and an uncompromising stance. The LED DRLs, triple-edge chrome grille, and Flex wheel design all enhance the aesthetic. Whereas the SUV-style skid plates, wheel-arch cladding, eagle beak split tail-lamps, and roof-rails add a bit of aggression to the mix. It isn’t all form over function either, as the roof-rails are functional and load-bearing, not just for show. Similarly, the cladding along the wheel-arches protects the paint from getting chipped off by debris kicked up by the tyres and the overall stance of the Triber offers a generous 182 millimetres of ground clearance. Frugal and Fun Energy Engine The Renault Triber features a sprightly 999-cc, three-cylinder petrol engine ―…

1 Solihull, UK What do they make? Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Velar, and Jaguar F-Pace Why here? Originally a WW-II “shadow factory”, aiding the aircraft industry 2 Castle Bromwich, UK What do they make? Jaguar XE, XF, F-Type Why here? Another WW-II shadow factory, later car body pressings, bought by Jaguar, then part of BL, in 1977 3 Wolverhampton, UK What do they make? Engine plant builds petrol and diesel fours and sixes. Why here? Set up to end JLR’s reliance on Ford/ PSA-developed engines 4 Halewood, UK What do they make? Transverse-engined, steel-bodied Discovery Sport, Range Rover Evoque. Why here? Opened by Ford in the ’60s to make Anglias 5 Nitra, Slovakia What do they make? Home to Defender and Discovery production. Why here? Extends JLR’s global footprint…

I REMEMBER READING SOMEWHERE YEARS AGO THAT Mercedes would never get the 65 AMG V12 to India. Sad as I was upon hearing that news, I found consolation in the fact that the M275 existed and that it was being worked upon even more. Further consolation arrived in 2015 when I got behind the wheel of the Maybach S 600 — the first spawn of the brand’s reincarnation to feature the evolved M277 V12 with 530 hp and 830 Nm. Now, though, this is the big one. The full-fat Maybach S 650. And it’s armed with the Affalterbach-built M279 AMG V12 engine that delivers all of 630 hp and what is a governed peak torque of 1,000 Nm; still unbelievable in this day and age. This V12 has an illustrious…