Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2020 i Car India

Pininfarina-designed and Carrozzeria Scaglietti-bodied, the early-’60s Lusso was a bigger, comfier GT version of the 250 GT Berlinetta and the end of the 250 GT bloodline. Just 351 were built in an 18-month production run. Proportion is Everything Like the Lusso, the Roma’s silhouette is defined by an endless bonnet and a low, rear-set cockpit nestled between powerful haunches. Both cars use a Kamm tail, too, though the Roma shuns trad Ferrari round rear lights for lenses like gems set into the aluminium surface (Roma is aluminium-bodied; Lusso was steel with aluminium doors, bonnet, and boot-lid.) To restore aerodynamic law and order, the Roma’s three-position pop-up spoiler is invisible at rest and low speed, rising to an intermediate and high-downforce setting as determined by the ECU. A Decadent Surfeit of…

DISGUISES ARE amazing, especially in the movies. It is rather amusing to see a protagonist filter through hordes of villains undetected on the assurance offered by a poorly stuck beard and a fake accent. The point I am trying to make is that in such cases, the hero, usually of a likeable character, assumes a fake identity to pull one over the baddies. Initially, I thought the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios Sportz was just a well-disguised Nios with a turbo-petrol engine. In fact, I was half expecting this road test to produce enough evidence for me to unmask the car by saying, ‘Ha! This is just another hatchback with a badge’. Oh, man, was I in for a surprise… While the Grand i10 Nios Turbo’s silhouette remains identical to the…

THE JEEP COMPASS HAS BEEN THE American brand’s best-selling product in the Indian market since its launch in 2017. With SUVs steadily gaining popularity, the Compass’ winning combination of rugged looks, upmarket interior, and an attractive price tag has won many hearts over the last three years. However, like most modern SUVs, the Compass has evolved into a comfortable soft-roader — ideal for daily use, whether in the city or out on the highway — and remains completely unbothered by the worst potholes and speed-breakers. The standard two-wheel-drive Compass can easily take on dirt and gravel roads, and while the 4x4 variant ensures that you won’t find yourself stuck in the mud, the SUV still doesn’t imbibe Jeep’s legendary go-anywhere off-road capabilities. And that is why Jeep India went ahead…

HAVING QUALIFIED ON pole, Lewis Hamilton looked set to assert his dominance at the new Formula 1 venue yet again. The Tuscan GP weekend also saw Ferrari commemorate their 1,000th race in Formula 1 with a special throwback livery in a darker shade of red. As the lights went out, Valtteri Bottas made a clean getaway past his Mercedes-AMG teammate, Hamilton. However, there was chaos at Turn Two as Max Verstappen in the Red Bull Racing Honda dropped back dramatically and right into the path of the previous race winner, Pierre Gasly, in the sister AlphaTauri Honda, taking out his former teammate. Further repercussions saw contact between the McLaren Renault of Carlos Sainz Jr and the man whose Ferrari seat he’ll be stepping into next season, Sebastian Vettel. As Max…

Ford Endeavour Sport The blacked-out, sportier, and even better equipped Ford Endeavour Sport has been launched at Rs 35.10 lakh (ex-showroom). The Endeavour Sport is the latest iteration of the popular full-size SUV. It still packs the 2.0-litre “EcoBlue” four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine with 170 hp and 420 Nm mated to the 10-speed multi-clutch automatic with “SelectShift”. The Sport is only available with four-wheel drive, with the “Terrain Management System” adding to its capabilities. Equipment matches the Titanium+ variant but a few details set it apart. Available only in black or white, the Sport sees an Ebony Black finish for the front grille, skid-plates, side mirrors, 18-inch alloy wheels, roof-rails, and tail-gate, with “SPORT” decals on the doors and on the rear. Additional equipment includes leather upholstery, panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting,…

OUR TALE BEGINS AT THE ANDHRA PRADESH-ODISHA border. In the “no man’s land” between the two states, I pull over the Kia Sonet to a backdrop that is a feast for the eyes. Rolling hills, sprawling farms, and the handsome Sonet taut on its haunches, ready to pounce. After a few quick clicks, I’m off. Past the boom barrier and into Odisha proper, thinking to myself that if the entry into the state and the start of my experience behind the wheel of the Sonet is this gorgeous, how astounding will the rest of the state be? I couldn’t have imagined just how appealing both these aspects of my drive would end up being. My first stop on the itinerary was the Padmasambhava Mahavihara Monastery in Jiranga. A holy spot…

THE PRESTIGE FACTOR OF OWNING A SEDAN is still strong in the minds of many. Some prefer a boot to go with the added length. Aero plays a factor for a tiny few, too. There isn’t really a shortage of choice, for sure, with offerings from all origins; from the turbocharged Škoda Rapid and Volkswagen Vento to the naturally aspirated Maruti Suzuki Ciaz and Toyota Yaris. Two new ones that came to the party are the new Hyundai Verna and the fifth-generation Honda City. The BS6 norms have seen many a manufacturer take the chance to launch updated models. While the petrols simply need recalibration, direct-injection engines now need a particulate filter whereas diesels need a lot more. Thankfully, the new breed of 1.5-litre petrol engines we have here are…

AS PART OF THE MG GLOSTER TEST DRIVE, MG Motor India shared a list of features that highlighted 71 special ones. Seventy-one! Clearly driving home a point that it won’t be possible for many critics to experience them all. And these are just the in-app, infotainment, and voice command kind of features. There’s a whole bunch of other equipment such as off-road driving modes and creature comforts to explore further. This MG screams premium. And there’s no dearth of road presence either, because this SUV is longer, wider, and taller than the competition. And this thing is BIG! MG had to dig through its Chinese parent’s (SAIC) cavalry to summon this giant. Forming the base for this almost five-metre-long beast is an international D90 model sold under the Maxus car…

I REMEMBER VISITING THE RENAULT INDIA plant in Chennai to drive the soon-to-be-launched Duster back in 2012. It not just kick-started the mid-size SUV segment but also became an instant success with its spacious cabin, muscular design, car-like ride and handling, and the much loved K9K diesel engine. Renault finally cracked the Indian market and the Duster has had a great run. But in the past eight years, the segment has been bombarded with newer models, pushing the Duster to the sidelines. Young guns like the Hyundai Creta, Mahindra XUV300, and Kia Seltos have been luring buyers with more convenience, refinement, zillions of powertrain options, and even dazzled them with their Rapunzel-ish list of features. With BS6 kicking in, the trusted K9K diesel was put to rest and the 1.5-litre…

KIA HAVE DONE THE UNIMAGINABLE. THE KOREAN BRAND HAS MANAGED to capture over four per cent market share, having sold one lakh units of the Seltos in less than a year of its launch. To better understand this achievement, do bear in mind that India is not an easy market to please and every global car manufacturer worth their salt has been vying for such a resounding success. Although the Carnival has received a lukewarm response, the Seltos became a major hit, over 10,000 units being sold in August this year, and now Kia Motors India bring the Sonet, their second SUV/crossover to India, which is expected to have an even greater mass appeal. We got a chance to spend some quality time with the Sonet before its official launch…

LAST MONTH WE BROUGHT YOU our first drive impressions of the new Mahindra Thar after spending a day with the new SUV on the highway and on the mean streets of Mumbai. This month we bring you a more comprehensive review after spending even more time with Mahindra’s latest, and seeing if it lives up to expectations when heading off the beaten track. The year 2010 saw Mahindra returning to their off-road roots with the introduction of the original Thar. The Thar filled the void left after the discontinuation of the MM540 and MM550, descendants of the CL340 “Classic”, which, in turn, was derived from the Willys CJ3A Jeep that Mahindra were licensed to build and sell in India back in 1949. Although Mahindra were clearly focused on more road-friendly…

BIG SUVS ARE THE “IN” THING, HOWEVER illogical that may sound. While manufacturers and policy-makers seemingly cry hoarse about reducing consumption and emissions and looking at greener ways to do things — reducing weight, downsizing the engine, using eco-friendly lightweight parts, and only keeping the essentials on board — yet, sometimes those very manufacturers tend to balance the scale with monstrosities. And I mean that in a good way. The Audi RS Q8 is a 2.3-tonne SUV with a 600-hp V8, 23-inch wheels, huge brakes, and four-wheel drive. And it’s a 48-volt mild-hybrid with cylinder shutdown. Right. The Audi RS Q8 is the latest RS (Renn Sport) model from Ingolstadt’s high-performance division. The Q8 we’d driven earlier this year, prior to the lockdown, was the more, let’s say, normal iteration…

BORN IN TOUGH TIMES and raised in times even tougher, the Geländewagen or all-terrain vehicle — G-Wagen for short — has become an icon in the enviable stable of Mercedes-Benz car models. From the 250 GD diesel-powered German army workhorse to an all-conquering behemoth on wheels, the G-Class has done it all. It’s a proper SUV. In a world where over-inflated hatchbacks with strap-on parts are identifying as SUVs, the term has now been reduced to simply a body-style where form takes precedence over almost all function; save for an inch higher ride height, maybe. The G 350 d is a premium luxury off-road icon, nothing less. Its timeless design has been frozen solid since the Iron Age, seemingly, and there’s no reason not to persist — there are fans…

IT WAS LEWIS HAMILTON OF MERCEDES-AMG who took pole position ahead of his teammate, Valtteri Bottas, setting a new record lap-time in the process. Things looked all too familiar. Except they weren’t. Carlos Sainz put his McLaren Renault in P3 and the usual suspect, Max Verstappen in the Red Bull Racing Honda, started further back in P5, behind Sergio Perez in the Racing Point Mercedes. But that was only just the beginning... The start saw Hamilton make a clean escape, but his teammate didn’t enjoy the same luck. He was sluggish off the line and was passed by Sainz, with the Renaults of Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon also joining the fray. Ferrari, who didn’t even make it to Q3, saw Sebastian Vettel spear off into the slalom run-off at…