Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2021 i Car India

RECENTLY, THE WORLD WAS GIVEN A SHOCK BY THE SCIENTIFIC community who stated the very real threat of climate change and the part that we play in it. Hence, the clamour for cleaner energy-driven machines is at an all-time high and thankfully so. Electric vehicles (EV) are the main preoccupation, with a number of manufacturers already offering a few models. Tata Motors have seen a fair bit of success with their Nexon EV and they have now introduced a new model, a sedan, the Tigor EV. The Tata Nexon EV has been selling well and the company expects the same response to the new Tigor EV. Having spent most part of a day in September with the Tigor EV, we can say that the Tigor EV might just do so,…

RAIN. A HEAVY DOWNPOUR. NOT THE IDEAL CONDITIONS TO test a 600+hp car with bucketloads of torque with a dedicated rear-wheel-drive “Drift” mode. I have many memories of the pre-facelift W213-iteration, with its suave face, horizontal slat, and matte grey finish, which seem more distant as I look at the aggressive demeanour, the Panamericana grille, and the new MultiBeam LED headlamps. Aggression is a good thing, especially when paired with focus and determination. Knowing what you need to do and staying true until it’s done are the traits of a champion. And applying the laws of evolution for the better means it’s something of a force to be reckoned with. Of course, all this comes at a price. At Rs 1.70 crore (ex-showroom), the AMG E 63 S demands commitment.…

CREST THE BROW OF THE hill in third and inside my brain I say: ‘Oh. My. God.’ It’s just too perfect: perfect car, perfect weather, no traffic — and look at that sweeping, towering, blockbuster stretch of road ahead! Oh. My. God. Even as a journalist on a car magazine, moments like this are surprisingly rare. Within these pages we like to dress it up a bit — you know, sell the dream. In reality, you are often in an Aventador while being logjammed in traffic outside Aylesbury or stuck behind a tractor at 30 km/h. We tend to gloss over all that. But today, I promise, the dream has become reality. I am in a Ferrari Roma on the North Yorkshire Moors, the sun is just going down and…

SO, I WAS RIGHT THEN, THE FERRARI WINS. Some readers will not care — they just want the DB11 regardless, for its speed, its V12 and all that James Bond cultural appeal. Fair enough. But be in no doubt, the DB11 is outclassed in this company. The progress made in 2018 when the AMR replaced the original V12 has been comprehensively overtaken now and the DB11 badly needs updating. According to Aston’s new boss, that will happen soon but until then, it struggles to reach the bar the other two cars in this test set so high. Sure, you can drive the AMR up a motorway and revel in its power and torque (and that noise), but on twistier roads, it just does not have the poise of the Porsche…

THE RENTIES YPRES RALLY Belgium got under way with some phenomenal driving by the Hyundai drivers. Slipping spectacles did not hinder Thierry Neuville’s (Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team) top form as he powered through the four speed tests that ran along narrow asphalt farm lanes. Right on his tail was his teammate, Craig Breen. By the end of the day, the Hyundai man, Ott Tänak, also caught up and gave the Korean manufacturer a podium lockout on the first day. Saturday’s route consisted of 119.92 kilometres of stages which began with Hollebeke. The action began with some spectacular fighting between Neuville and Breen. The latter began the day with a few wins and shortened the time between himself and Neuville by almost half; however, Neuville fought back and reclaimed…

Vorsprung 2030 Paves EV Way for Audi WITH THE ELECTRIC AGE LOOMING IN NEAR SIGHT AND GLOBAL MARKETS SCRAMBLING TO adapt to the changing automotive scenario, Audi are the latest to announce a fast-track move to non-fossil-fuelled automobiles. Vorsprung durch technik or “advancement through technology” has always been the guiding light for the Ingolstadt sport-luxury brand. With the entire world now being witness to the vagaries of the long-warned-of climate change, there are a spate of measures being lined up, some even being implemented, in an attempt to tackle the problem. With the e-tron line-up of fully electric vehicles (EV), Audi stepped into what is now a competitive EV arena with all the major automakers eyeing a piece of the pie. Audi now have focused their strategy on…

Average Speed During Test Read your story on the Škoda Kushaq fuel-efficiency drive. What was the average speed at which the car was driven for those 771 kilometres? Can the 1.5-litre manual variant of the Kushaq deliver the same? Prasan, via social media Hello, Prasan, Average speed throughout the drive would be difficult to calculate because we did stop a lot to take pictures. For as long as we were on the highway, we did maintain a steady speed of 80 to 90 km/h whenever possible. As for your second question regarding the 1.5-litre manual, we look forward to a chance to find out. Family-mobile Given the high fuel pricing these days, my priority for driving dynamics has taken a back seat. I am now in the market for a…

THE 2021 AMAZE GETS some nips and tucks to stay in the game. Though these changes might not seem extravagant on paper, they do elevate the style quotient a notch. To start with, the Amaze has been one of the better-looking compact sedans in its class. The facelift carries forward the Accord-inspired face with a chunky upper chrome slab. However, instead of the honeycomb, the lower half now sports a couple of stylish chrome slats. The facelift now boasts of LED projector headlamps with LED daytime running lights (DRL), while some chrome garnish around the fog-lamps keeps things interesting. The aggressive profile remains unchanged, apart from the City-inspired 15-inch dual-tone alloy wheels that run on narrow 175-section tyres here. Other new bits include chrome door-handles, re-profiled tail-lamps which are all-LED…

PRESENCE, SOPHISTICATION, AND performance with a bit of a wild streak always sum up a Jaguar. Not everyone who can afford one gets one, many choosing other options, yet there are plenty of them around. And for good reason. Jaguar’s roots are in racing. They are used to chasing speed and they look good doing it. Their XE, XF, and even the large XJ were fun to drive, shrinking around the driver for a true sensation of speed. Yet, refinement and engagement went hand in hand. And, then, along came the F-Pace. It’s like Jaguar and Land Rover had a job swap day and one thing led to another and it just sort of happened. But it’s not like that. The F-Pace was a deliberate attempt to crack into a…

IT WAS AN INTENSE QUALIFYING SESSION AS the rain-soaked Spa-Francorchamps saw almost zero visibility and George Russell in the Williams Mercedes set an astonishing time. It seemed like a Williams pole until, at the very last second, Max Verstappen in the Red Bull Racing Honda narrowly snatched top spot. The race, however, was delayed due to the weather as well as a crash into the barriers for Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull. He was set to not start the race. After a formation lap well past the scheduled start time, the race start was suspended because of the inclement weather. Three hours later, a decision was made to get the minimum required laps to have an official classification and award half points; because less than 75 per cent…

Welcome Hyundai Alcazar Diesel AT Signature FAMILY TIME HYUNDAI KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT MAKING SUVs. They’ve been launching one blockbuster after another in India. The list includes the Creta, Venue, Tucson, and the new Alcazar. I’ve been keeping a close eye on the Alcazar right from its first spy pictures to driving the camouflaged prototype at the beautiful Alila Fort. I also got to attend the seven-seater’s official media drive. So, when the key to our long-term Alcazar landed on my office table, I wasn’t too surprised. In fact, I’m elated. A well-made, reliable, and efficient car that offers seven comfy seats is what I need for official road trips and driving holidays. Thankfully, the Alcazar isn’t just a stretched Creta but has so much more to…

THE BOLD NEW MERCEDES-AMG GT 63 S E-Performance 4MATIC+ 4-Door Coupé brings 843 hp and up to 1,470 Nm of peak torque, will do zero to 100 km/h in less than three seconds, and get up to 316 km/h. It can also travel for up to 12 kilometres on pure electric power. Now let’s see how it actually does it. As reported earlier, the new AMG E-Performance models combine a combustion engine, in the GT 63 S’ case the M177 4.0-litre, biturbo V8 that makes 639 hp and 900 Nm, with an electric motor mounted not within the transmission — as was the case in some earlier models — but on the rear axle with its own two-speed transmission. The 150-kW e-motor has another 204 hp and 320 Nm of…

THERE’S A REASON WHY THIS IS CALLED THE XUV700 AND NOT THE 2021 XUV500. Underpinning it is a new platform which not just supports all-wheel-drive options but has been designed keeping future mild-hybrid powertrains in mind. The wheelbase is 50 millimetres longer and the overall length has gone up by 110 mm. And to aid dynamics and centre of gravity, it’s 30 mm lower now. There’s a whole list of segment-first features and brand-new engine options: a 2.2-litre mHawk turbo-diesel and mStallion 2.0 turbo-petrol. These had made their début in the Thar but make more power here. It remains true to the Mahindra XUV500 design only taking it forward. In the flesh, the Mahindra has a strong presence and a proper SUV stance which makes an impression. The highlight is…

OVER THE YEARS, THE FRENCH HAVE launched a number of stunning four-wheelers, thus becoming a household name the world over. Think of Peugeot or Renault. Equally successful are Citroën. Though lesser known in our South Asian country, they have recently entered with a bang. For their début, Citroën have introduced their latest model, the C5 Aircross, which has a number of pros and arguably just a single con. But that stumbling block may very well be the vehicle’s undoing in India. The pros first, starting with design. The C5 Aircross is quite different from everything else on offer in the country with a mix of sportiness and elegance. It works great in my book no complaints on that count. You get a split headlight set-up with a sleek line running…

THE SUB-FOUR-METRE COMPACT SUV segment is a busy place with manufacturers constantly trying to better one another, offering buyers the most attractive package at the best price. Vehicles in the segment are also perfectly suited for Indian conditions, with generous ground clearance to take on the worst of our roads, ample interior space to bring the family along, and a compact footprint to easily make it through congested city streets. Renault have taken note of this and the Kiger is their way of throwing their hat into the ring. This compact SUV is based on the Renault-Nissan coalition’s CMF-A+ platform that underpins the Lodgy and the Magnite, the latter of which this car also goes up against. With prices starting at Rs 5.45 lakh (ex-showroom), the Kiger successfully undercuts everything…

THE ATMOSPHERE WAS ELECTRIFYING AS Max Verstappen sped to pole position at home in Zandvoort on the Saturday. The capacity crowd had thronged every grandstand and site and it was a sea of orange in support of the home hero in the Red Bull Racing Honda. Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes-AMG could only manage second, just 0.038 of a second behind. As the five lights went out in Zandvoort, 36 years since the last time that happened, the Red Bull charged to the front and began opening out a gap almost immediately. Even before DRS was enabled on lap two, Max had opened out an advantage of over a second on his championship rival. The first stops came sooner than expected for some as Mercedes-AMG Petronas got ready for a…