Supper moto october 2016

EDITOR, PUBLISHER & PRINTER Paresh Nath

maNagINg EDITORRohin Nagrani

aSSOCIaTE EDITORKartik Ware

aSSISTaNT EDITOR Anubhav Sharma (Special Projects)

mOTORCYLINg & FEaTURES EDITORRuman Devmane

SENIOR FEaTURES WRITERRaunak Ajinkya

FEaTURES WRITERSAvishar DuttaAadil Naik

CONTRIBUTORSAlan CathcartSrinivas Krishnan

aRT DIRECTORAmit Naik

aSSISTaNT DESIgNERPranita N Mayekar

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VOLUME 3 ISSUE 10As Motoring World October 2016

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RIGht saId ed

Motoring has and will remain in our blood, one way or another. Despite the disagreements, the arguments, the right and the wrong, the magazine has grown to be resilient. There is no reason why it shouldn't be so, because it's always been greater than any one individual. ‘Motoring, at the end of the day, is a thought, an idea,’ as Bijoy once said. The interpretation of Motoring may vary from person to person, but in the end, the idea has always been the same.

Which is why, after 118 issues, it's time for me to make way for younger blood with fresher ideas and newer approaches, hopefully with more fire in their bellies and a greater thirst for bigger and better stories. The good thing is, you know them well and they are just as merry as the men I started out with.

Thanks, then, to all those who have been a part of my life during these ten years — from colleagues at Motoring to colleagues at fellow publications, blogs/websites and TV shows. From industry and PR executives to owners of fine machinery (most of whom I count as friends) to you, the reader, and anybody else who has played their part in this journey. It's what has kept me going and I hope you can continue to do so for the fine lot that takes over.

Au revoir, folks!

17 years of Motoring funFormerly Business Standard Motoring

On a bright September afternoon, as I entered the Business Standard office for my job

interview, one hand in a cast and the other clutching on to a copy of my resume, I never quite knew what to expect. The security guard manning the phone booth gave me a quizzical look when I said I had a meeting with Bijoy Kumar Y, probably dismissing me even before I had a chance to present my case. I was quickly called in to the cabin situated right next to the main door.

As the door opened, Bijoy, who sat facing the door, had his expression change from being welcoming to being concerned; the cast, of course, was the talking point. It came down to me falling off a motorcycle for the nth time and he said, 'I don't want to see you near a motorcycle again.’ Sure, that would have killed any chance of being hired. In a while, the discussion changed track to cars and planes, my frayed nerves slowly relaxing as the minutes went by. Shubhabrata Marmar, or Shumi as he's known in our fraternity, barged in at some point, armed with a drawing on a sheet of paper. Bijoy looked at it disapprovingly and said, 'I asked you for a tulip chart, not the drawing of a tulip.’ That broke whatever little tension was in the air (I am sure that was staged, just like we staged the video recording of Aditya Upadhyayula's interview).

Then, in a flash I was whisked in to meet the rest of the team, introducing me to a band of merry men, those who continue to be friends and allies to this day. Of course, I never got on a motorcycle after that day.

THANK YOU!

A MEMBER OF FOLLOW Motoring World ON

ROHIN NagRaNIManaging Editor [email protected] / @rohinnagrani

6 | MOTORING WORLD | October 2016

38 experience Land Rover Experience Off-road Bias

42 short shift Fiat Linea 125 S Power Dressing

46 short shift Audi A4 All Grown Up

UP FRONT

62 short shift Mini Cooper S Convertible Top Gone

72 short shift Hyundai Elantra Comeback Kid

short shiftBMW 320iOctane Rated

short shift Mahindra DaybreakSteroid Diet

THis MonTH

50 FOURs Field

12 Write hand drive The Write Stuff

14 Lust KtM Moto2 Heart Attack

16 reWind/pLay triumph speed triple Hooligan III

18 fast volvo iron Knight Horn Not OK Please

OctOBER 2016

58

78short shiftFerrari California T

HORSe POWeR!

20 cooL Hot Stuff

22 Behind the sins This Is How We Do It

24 'Bar taLK Fast Talkin'

26 in the neWs Peak Talk, Jeeps launched, Mini Clubman Cooper S, Toyota etios Platinum twins, Land Rover Discovery, Hyundai i30, and more


head to headAprilia SR 150 vs Suzuki Gixxer

Sporting event

88 Kit Bag Bagging It

90 the grapevine Batpod, Triumph Bulldog, MV Agusta F4Z, Ducati Multistrada enduro launch, and more

112 experience TVS Tyres Factory Rubber Side Up

114 shutterspeed Jexit and Fexit

116 tracK record F1: Spa Francorchamps and Monza, MotoGP: Silverstone and Misano & Red Bull Road To Rookies Cup

mOTOFOcUs

152 the diffuser Ride Away

iN cONclUsiON

104

126 survivors Garage Band

138 Which car? Listed Company

short shiftYamaha Ray ZRLookin' Sharp 92

96

cover storyBMW G 310 RSingle Out



[email protected]

twitter.com/MyMotoringWorld

facebook.com/MotoringWorld

Opinions expressed here aren't endorsed by Motoring World. Reader

discretion is advised.

things. He seems to, at least. Thanks, nonetheless, for waiting for our magazine patiently. Hit a couple of snags this month. Cheers!

‘StangarangGlad I could catch an unbiased review of the Mustang so early. I read other guys’ review on it at the track and it all seemed to be the same, so a little bit of perspective on regular roads was welcome. Do tell, though. How much did you guys fiddle around with the burnout mode? Lots? Way too much? Or just simply an indecent

amount? Come on, spill. That thing just looks gorgeous in my opinion. I would do a lot of illegal things if it weren’t for the fact that

I still live with my grandmother. She’s cool, but she’s not a felon. Or an accomplice. Or able to walk all that well, for that matter. You guys know the number for an osteopath?

Jai ‘I’m-56-and-living-it-up’ Mathur

Thanks, Jai. Do pass on a ‘hello!’ to grandma dearest. Please don’t be thinking about carrying out a bank heist with her. I’m sure she has other things on her mind. The Mustang was fun, albeit a little too shortlived an experience. Didn’t get around to the burnout mode too much since the owner might have gotten a bit angry at decimating his tyres so early on. Thanks for reading, though! Keep at it. Cheers!

here's what our instagram-enabled monkeys have been up to with their opposable thumbs...

The Late FateDid you guys go on a sabbatical? The September issue took its own sweet while coming to me, which was strange even by your standards. Anyway, despite the delay, the stories were pretty good. The photography, too. Just so I know, though, what do you guys do with all that rubber that gets thrown down after those burnout shots that you guys do? I’m assuming it’s not a simple thing to do, so there must be multiple shots taken to ensure you get it right. That should involve a lot of tyre melting, and a

lot of rubber being flung. I really like rubber. Never met someone with the same fetish, really. Not even women! Anyway, could you guys do me a favour and collect the rubber from your burnouts and doughnuts next time on? I’ll have it collected from you guys as and when possible. That’ll be helping me out a bunch. Thanks!

AJ ‘Fetish-for-latex’ Curzai

Er, we’re not in the habit of looking out for leftover rubber, AJ. Definitely one of the oddest requests we’ve gotten. Although, you must get in touch with Sherman, our ex-photographer. He shares your sense of, well, oddity when it comes to these

WRITE HAND DRIVE


LUSTKTM MOTO2


Donor Heart

Talk about being ‘Ready to race’. If you haven’t heard already, KTM is planning to racing in the Moto2 class of the MotoGP championship next year. This is all sorts of news because the Moto2 class is only

allowed to run slightly massaged Honda CBR600RR inline-four motors. Yes, that’s right — KTM will go racing with a Honda engine. It shows KTM’s commitment to racing, and this move goes hand in hand with its MotoGP debut next year, too. The Austrian company aims to field a ladder all the way from the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup to Moto3 to Moto2 and finally into MotoGP, ensuring that talent is kept in the KTM family all the way to the top. While we’re quite astounded by one manufacturer’s decision to go racing with another’s engine, we have to say the prospect of a fairing with a big ‘KTM’ on its side winning a race powered by a Honda motor will be a sight to behold. There’s every chance of that happening, since unofficial tests have sprung rumours of some very competitive lap times. We wonder if other manufacturers might consider following KTM’s example. Oh, and the bike looks quite lovely, too, doesn’t it? M

October 2016 | MOTORING WORLD | 15


Triumph is hell benT on proving Triples are here To sTay

rewind / play1994 Triumph Speed Triple/ 2016 Triumph Speed Triple

2016: Triumph Speed Triple

In the early ‘90s, the motorcycle industry was just waking up to the streetfighter style and bikes like the Ducati Monster were a tremendous success. Triumph, not wanting to be left behind, got into the mix by introducing their first street naked, the Speed Triple.The Speed Triple borrowed many of its components from the Daytona 900 and could well be considered a parts-bin special. It came with clip-on handlebars, a single round headlight and the same chassis and 885cc inline-triple cylinder carburetted engine from the Daytona 900.Making 98 bhp at 9000 rpm on a bike that weighed 209 kg, it was aggressive, raw and visceral. Triumph used it to attract a younger audience, which was aided by their one-make race series, the Triumph Triple Challenge, which was a big success.Super rare today, the original Speed Triple stuck around for only three years, before getting a major overhaul in 1997, which is when they introduced the iconic bug lights, single-sided swingarm and upright handlebars.

Triumph had last updated the Speed Triple in 2011, as most of its focus was on the smaller Street

Triple, which is still a hot seller. However, with

the introduction of bikes like the BMW S1000R and the KTM Superduke 1290, the Speed Triple was starting to look like a slow dinosaur.Triumph launched the latest Speed Triple at the 2015 EICMA show in Milan and boasted a total of 104 changes to the engine alone. The 1050cc triple now has more power (140bhp), more torque and consumes less fuel than before. A revised crankshaft, new cylinder

head and piston design, along with a ram-air intake and new exhaust makes this an incredibly capable motorcycle.To keep in line with the competition, electronic aids such as ABS and traction control are standard. Rider modes, a slipper clutch and Brembo Monoblocs make it even more performance oriented, and the R versions come with higher-spec Ohlins suspension at the front and rear.This is the most comprehensive update for Triumph in a very long time and the tremendously positive response it has received is evidence that in the world of big litre-class supernakeds, Triumph’s insistence on sticking to inline triples is not a fool’s endeavour. Not in the slightest. M

NOW

1994: Triumph Speed Triple

THEN

Heavy. Powerful. fast. volvo

VolVo Iron KnIght

Truck OffSince it began, man’s obsession

with speed hasn’t diminished one bit. From strapping motorcycle

engines to lawnmowers, to go-karts that can hit 120 kph, the quest for making things that were designed to not be fast, go very fast, is never ending.

Volvo Trucks happens to be a manufacturer that strongly ascribes to this make-everything-faster ideology, and it’s proved it with the hybrid Mean

Green record-breaking truck in 2012. But they are back for more, with a brand-new speed demon, lovingly called the ‘Iron Knight’. Weighing an incredible 4500 kg, this 12.8-litre six-cylinder diesel engine pumps out a whopping 2367 bhp. That’s about the same power-to-weight ratio as a Mclaren P1. With 611.7 kgm of thrust capable of catapulting it to 100 kph in just 4.6 seconds, this is one seriously fast truck, built with just one

goal in mind — breaking speed records.Volvo Trucks got European Truck

Racing champion Boije Ovebrink to pilot this behemoth up and down a private airstrip. The result? Not one, but two records shattered! The Iron Knight covered 500 metres in 13.71 seconds and 1000 metres in 21.29 seconds, hitting a top speed of 276 kph in the process. In a four-and-a-half-tonne truck. Just let that sink in. M


Scaled down fun!

cool

This JDM beauty is based on the tuned Nissan Fair-lady Z that appears in the

1/18 NISSAN WANGAN MIDNIGHT DEVIL Z - AUTOART

This one deserves to go onto the top shelf of any scale model display. It is a 1/18 model of a 964 modified by the famed Japanese tuner RAUH-Welt Begriff (RWB), founded by Akira Nakai. It has all the trademark RWB features like the canards up front, wide fenders and the ‘kamiwaza’ double-decker wing.

Price : ` 12,645

1/18 PORSCHE 911 (964) RWB - GT SPIRIT

Wangan Midnight Japanese manga comic series, where ‘Wangan’ refers to the infa-mous Japanese expressway notorious for the midnight street races held there. Stunningly detailed, right down to the tuned parts of the L28 engine.

Price : ` 17,600

This is a painstakingly accurate (down to the mud-covered exterior) scale model of the demonic

The competition history of the Ferrari Dayto-na is not as wide-ly celebrated as some of the company’s other models. It never com-peted officially under the Scuderia Ferrari colors, it

1/18 LANCIA S4 RALLY SANREMO 1986 CERRATO/CERRI - AUTOART

1/8 BUGATTI CHIRON - AMALGAM

1/18 KYOSHO FERRARI 365 GTB/4 - 1977 DAYTONA 24 HOURS

Lancia Delta S4 rally car. Its turbocharged and super-charged four-cylinder was a bit hairy even for Group B standards. This particular example is modelled on the one which competed in the Italian WRC round in 1986 and was actually disquali-fied from the rally!

Price : ` 19,135

was successful in the hands of privateers, who used cars

After Martini, the Jagermeis-ter livery has this ability to make anything look absolutely stunning. But a BMW E30 DTM racecar doesn’t require much effort to make it look good any-way. This Kyosho scale model is based on a 1992 year model, which used to make an aston-ishing 350 bhp from the 2.5-litre four cylinder.

Price : ` 9800

1/18 KYOSHO BMW M3 GERMAN TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP 1992 ‘JAGERMEISTER’

One of the first Chiron scale models to hit the market, this huge 1/8 example is exqui-sitely detailed. How detailed, you ask? It has been built using Bugatti’s original CAD data for the Chiron! Fur-thermore, one can create their own personalised scale model, down to the stitching on the seats.

Price : ` 7.04 lakh

built by Ferrari, with class wins in 24 Hours of LeMans. This scale model is based on the one which entered 1977 Daytona 24 Hours.

Price : ` 10,000

A roundup of the best scAle model releAses of 2016 so fAr


Lights, Camera, Blindness!

High Time

behind the SinSthis is how we do it

Buy-Ding Time

There’s the worry about the next day. An incessant fear of the next year. Whether what you’ve been working toward will come to fruition. An irrational need to predict the future. Allowing fear and anxiety to seep into every decision and choice we make. Not being bold enough when all there’s left to do is to stand up for yourself. Commitments. Worries. Intolerances. Scepticism. Doubt. Isn’t it time we dropped the act? Grew up? Moved on? How much of it really matters anymore, really? At the risk of sounding like a hypocrite, take a bit of advice from someone who doesn’t really have all the answers, either. Get a nice ride, drive to a beach, catch the sun as it yawns itself to life, and crack open some bubbly. Think it’s time. Huracán

It’s always a good day if there is a supercar shoot to help out with, especially if the supercar in question is a bright red Ferrari. But this time around, for me, it was the shoot itself that was a tad more interesting than the car. We did an indoor shoot of the California T, and Kartik had bought a pair of huge Elinchroms flashes to light it up. So I found myself talking about sync speeds, aperture settings, flash brightness and reflectors, as much as tur-bocharged V8s, manettino settings and exhaust notes. By the end of the day, not only was I giddy with the car and the fabulous shots, but also with the high-octane fumes and the blinding flash of those Elinchroms.

Centenario

This was ‘sticker job’ month and I hated it. There were no really new motorcy-cles to put through the grind and despite spending hours trying to hunt down something worthwhile, it all came to naught. It’s made me restless. Agitated, even. The chase is not just about having something to say. It’s about actually clocking saddle time, trying to figure out who’s tried to reinvent the wheel; about progression, advancement and evolution. So, what do you do when you have absolutely nothing to ride and a lot of free time on your hands? You go buy a motorcycle. So be it.

Ferruccio


Smoke of luckThere I was, sat in evening traffic, thankful for being in a car. The rain came down like a vertical ocean, drowning the sidewalls of many a car including mine. Motorcycles and scooters dived for cover wherever they could find it, their riders unwilling to get drenched to their very souls. And just as I was contemplating what I’d do if I found myself in their shoes, sandals or chappals, I heard a familiar ring-a-ding noise coming up on my left, the throttle hand full of determination. A Yezdi Roadking rumbled into view, complete with a proud cloud of smoke around it. He sat stuck behind a bus, getting soaked, even as I wondered how any water wasn’t getting into his fuel tank and/or elec-tricals. The groups of sheltered riders looked at this smoky mirage displaced from its time. Perhaps they thought if it could do it, they could, too. They ran towards their bikes (don’t ask why) and joined the old timer on the road. I switched off the air-con’s recirculation mode and let in that two-stroke smoke mixed with the freshness of rain-scented air. And drove home breathing in the fragrance of undeterred inspiration from twin exhausts of another time.

Reventón

Is this my fate?

The last month I spent almost two weeks out of India. A week in Am-sterdam, where you see more bicycles than cars and rarely hear anyone honk. A week in Germany, where the roads ironically reminded me of India. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but it was surprising to see motorists cut lanes, disobey speed limits, not slow down for pedestrians and even honk regularly. Guess the West is learning all the wrong things from us.

Balboni

Horn Ok Please

I love my job. I don’t mind working holidays or getting up at 3am to make it for a shoot. What I don’t like so much though is working Sundays, because it usually means I miss MotoGP races. And thanks to work, I have missed the last five races. The one Sunday that MotoGP was on a break, I was at home. Irony, eh? Well, the last race I missed, I was in Chennai to see the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup, which was some consolation. But please, I want to get back to watching Rossi. Egoista


up tospeedSpeed. A concept defined to allow

humanity to measure the rate of its own prodigious progress. In

less than a couple of centuries, we’ve come from staring at dung-ejecting rear ends of bullocks and horses to sipping champagne in pressurised winged metal tubes flying at 40,000 feet above the ground. Not bad for a bunch of creatures, the fastest of whom (a certain Mr Bolt) can only manage 44.64 kph. Quite deservedly, we can marvel at our own vast success as a species that has made vast inroads into the realm of velocity. But it looks like we’ve hit a speed breaker of late.

The fastest man has ever gone is 39,897 kph when Apollo 10 was on its way back home from the moon in 1969. That was 47 years ago. The land speed record is held by the Thrust SSC at 1227.985 kph, set in 1997 when I was still in school. The fastest a motorcycle has ever gone is 634.217 kph, a feat achieved by Ack Attack in 2010, a streamliner that quite aptly used two Suzuki Hayabusa motors. Even Bolt’s legs managed the aforementioned record back in 2009. Are we slowing down as a species?

There is a visceral need for speed seated deep in our evolutionary psychology. It probably began a long time ago with the realisation of not wanting to end up as a faster animal’s meal, and I can think of no better reason to invent the wheel. A

I don’t particularly care for numbers which is why I prefer my own bikes to not have speedometers. Though a form of regulation, I find them to be distractions at best.

The numbers might disagree, but the sensations will always tell you that a motorcycle is a mechanical platform that is truest to the concept of speed. On a motorcycle, there’s practically nothing that stands between a human body and the effects of speed. It’s a reality that goes far beyond the numbers, the ideas, the relativities, the advantages, the pitfalls or the considerations of safety. On a motorcycle, speed is a spiritual phenomenon. And it irritates me that a motorcycle is faster than only Bolt in that collection of speedsters up there.

I suppose the splat a rider makes at 300 kph cannot be all that different than one made at 600 kph. However, the numbers matter just as much as the sensation, even though I don’t covet the former myself. It has to be done to prove human potential to future generations and to lay down a marker for them to beat. Are we slowing down? I don’t know for sure, but I hope we’re catching our breath so we can go even faster at the next attempt. After all, doing things at the right speed is important. And the right speed just might be defined as ‘as fast as possible.’

few millennia later, someone added internal combustion between a set of wheels, and mankind has been trying to outrun itself ever since. And though we might not have exceeded our own achievements, our exposure to speed itself has increased. The top speed of humanity may not have improved, but its average speed most certainly has. And this bothers me.

Speed can shove you into trouble. But it can also propel you away from it. Speed is a byproduct of efficiency,

a result of everything working as it’s supposed to. On a more intangible but no less compelling plane, it is a dream, a goal that we chase all our lives. Understanding speed and its effects should increasingly be an essential part of growing up. It is important to be familiar with its advantages and consequences beyond school textbooks and speedometers. [[email protected]]

’bar talk

k a r t i k w a r e@kartik46

Speed can shove you into trouble. Butit can also propel you away from it


Quite BenignThe fifth-generation Audi A4 (B9), and the third iteration of the executive sedan since the first was launched in India more than a decade ago, was officially launched in India. Based on the MLB modular platform, it’s slightly bigger, lighter and roomier than the pre-vious-generation car. The new A4 follows Audi’s new styling cues, which debuted

box. The car will be available in two trims: Premium Plus and Technology. It’s priced at ` 38.10 lakh for the former, while the Technology variant is available at ` 41.20 lakh, both prices being ex-show-room, Maharashtra.

Earlier this month the iconic Jeep brand was official-ly launched in India by revealing the prices for the Wrangler Unlimited and the Grand Cherokee range. And they don’t make for pretty reading. The Wrangler Un-

turbocharged four-cylinder diesel producing 197 bhp and 47 kgm, the Grand Cherokee has been launched with two engine options; the diesel Grand Cherokees comes with a 3.6-litre V6, in Limited and Summit variants, which

Jeepers Creeperslimited has been priced at ` 71.59 lakh, while the cheap-est Grand Cherokee – in the Limited trim – will set you back by ` 93.64 lakh, all pric-es being ex-showroom, Delhi. While the four-door Wran-gler comes with a 2.8-litre

produces 239 bhp and 53.6 kgm. Sitting on top of the hill, with its 463 bhp 6.4-litre HEMI V8, is the Grand Cherokee SRT and that has been priced at ` 1.12 crore. Which, consid-ering the price of its diesel siblings, is pretty reasonable.

with the new Q7, and retains the front-wheel-drive layout of the non-quattro engine options. For now, the only engine available is a 1.4-litre TSI petrol making 146 bhp and 25.5 kgm, and instead of the CVT which the older car used to come with, the new car gets a 7-speed DSG gear-


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instrument cluster remains, but now it comes with a dig-ital tachometer While earlier, dual airbags were standard across the range, all variants now get ABS too, along with ISOFIX points.

The Mini Clubman will be the next addition to the Mini range in India. BMW has im-ported an example, a Club-man Cooper S, for homolo-gation and it’s expected to be launched early next year. The Clubman is like a station wagon version of the Mini Cooper hatchback, with five doors and an elongated trunk which, at 509 litres, offers twice as much cargo space

The Audi A6 Matrix trim line, is now available 1.8-litre TFSI petrol, with the A6 Matrix 35 TFSI launched at ` 52.7 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). While the 1.8-litre engine puts out only 190bhp, those 18-inch forged alloys and the S-Line kit sure looks the part.

Mercedes has launched the GLS 400 petrol, priced at ` 82.9 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The 3.0-litre V6 pro-duces 328 bhp and 49 kgm, with a lot of that torque avail-able at a low 1600 rpm. Like the diesel V6, it is coupled with the 9G-Tronic gearbox, with air-suspension and 4MATIC as standard

The lack of an auto in the Hyundai Elite i20 range was a glaring hole which Hyundai has filled up with the launch of a petrol automatic in the Magna trim at ` 9 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The rather steep price is because it gets a new 1.4-litre petrol engine producing 98 bhp and 13.5 kgm, coupled with a 4-speed torque convertor.

SHORT BURSTS

ElitE PriCing

400

Matrix rEloadEd

than the Mini hatch. The most interesting bit about the Clubman is that instead of a traditional hatch, the tail-gate is split into two doors which open out. Unlike the Countryman, the Clubman doesn’t sit any higher than a normal Mini hatch, but since it is based on the new BMW UKL2 platform, which also underpins the new BMW X1, the wheelbase is 100 mm

longer than the hatchback and the overall length has grown to 4.3 metres. The Clubman S gets a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 189 bhp, coupled with a 8-speed au-tomatic transmission which is unlike the 6-speed unit found in the Mini hatch sold here. Expect the Clubman Cooper S at around ` 38-40 lakh in India.

Club Wear

going PlatinumAfter two years, the Etios range has been given a bit of an update, now called the Etios Platinum and Etios Liva Platinum. They have been launched at a starting price of ` 5.24 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai) for the hatchback and ` 6.43 lakh for sedan, with mostly cosmetic changes, the 1.5-li-

tre diesel and 1.4-litre and 1.2-litre petrols remaining unchanged. Up front, there is a new a V-shaped grille and more pronounced cowl-ings for the front foglamps. Inside, the centrally-placed


The Mustang has gone through several design iterations in the last five decades. What, in your opinion are the key character defining lines that have stayed constant?The Mustang has evolved with changing times and customer preference. However, in the past five decades Ford engineers have worked carefully to stay honest to its legacy, its quintessential character that the Mustang is known for across the globe. The four-seat cabin, sizeable boot, long hood, short deck, bold grille, shark-front nose, fastback profile, side hockey stick contours and rear tri-bar tail-lamps are some of the elements that the Mustang is identified with and all these defining elements have been carefully retained in the current generation vehicle as well.

With so much emphasis on muscularity, how do you translate the exterior design to reflect the same on the interior?The new Mustang features a sleek, modern and muscular interpretation of the iconic pony car form that is more aerodynamically efficient. The interior elements are tastefully crafted to showcase their conjoint relationship and packed to achieve optimum fit and finish. And it’s inspired by the cockpit of a plane! All the gauges, registers, toggle switches and other design elements are placed into the wing. We also took advantage of modern lighting technology at both ends of the car. Indirect LEDs illuminate the blade style tri-bar tail-lamps with a uniform glow. LEDs are mounted inboard of the high-intensity-discharge headlamps, recalling the gills moulded into the headlamp

buckets of the original 1965 Mustang.

How much would you characterise design's role in ensuring the success of the current Mustang versus the emphasis on a refined and more mature driving experience? Ford designers have worked very hard to retain distinct design elements of the Mustang intact through its 50-year history, at the same time ensuring that the car looks extremely contemporary and fresh. Retaining the original DNA, the Mustang’s bold and aggressive, whether you look at the face, the detailing or even the athletic stance on its tyres. Even with the classic, forward-leaning shark-bite grille and a more aggressive stance for the new Mustang, the car slices through the air providing increased fuel efficiency while in car and driver assistance technologies keep the car planted and the driver in complete control at all times. Since this is a Mustang for 'global' markets as much as it's for North America, how American is the Mustang still?The Ford Mustang is more than just a car, as it has come to symbolise optimism and independence for millions of people. Its five decades of legendary

performance and looks has made it an American icon and has secured its place within pop culture and history. Designed and developed in America, the all-new Mustang is instantly recognisable as a Mustang, yet entirely new — to satisfy not only current fans but also broaden its appeal.

Three performance Fords from across eras that you think are timeless designs.The 1966 Mustang GT350, 1966 Ford GT and the Ford Capri. M

Kemal CurriCPEAK TALK

Kemal CurriC, the new Ford mustang’s exterior designer, talKs passionately about its design


in the news

Shiny DiSco BallS

i-next

which is exactly what Land Rover got adventurer Bear Grylls to do as a publicity stunt. Of course, Land Rover doesn't expect skydivers to be using this feature often, but the idea is that if the owner is saddled with a lot of shopping, we can use the app to alter the arrangement

of the last two rows to create more space. Other than this, the new Discovery is expected to be use the new 2.0-litre Ingenium engine, more use of aluminium in the monocoque chassis and will move away from the boxy, square proportions of the older cars.

is still a month away. But what we do know is that the new Discovery will come with a very intriguing feature. With the help of a mobile app, the owner of a Discovery can remotely alter the arrangement of the seats from quite a distance away, even while skydiving,

What iS it?The third-generation Land Rover Discovery, which is going to be revealed at the 2016 Paris Motor Show.

What’S neW aBout it?Actually, that is something we don't know much about, since the launch of the car

What iS it?The new generation of Hyundai’s biggest hatchback, the i30. The same one to which Hyundai adds a boot to and names ‘Elantra’ in India.

What’S neW aBout it?Hyundai is very excited about the new i30 because early next year it will reveal the i30 N Sport, the first Hyundai which has been developed from the start to have a performance ‘N’ version. Unlike the

current spate of Hyundais, the i30 seems to have ditched the ‘Fluidic’ design and has more demure European lines with a large front grille, a strong shoulder line and an almost Golf-like rear. Hyundai has experimented

with the interiors, too, with the central infotainment screen separate from the dashboard and above it, while the rest of the climate control buttons housed in a small pod below the air vents, making the dashboard

look simpler and with less buttons than any current Hyundai. A 7-speed dual-clutch transmission will help the i30 mingle well with the German sedans in this range, while the engine options include a 1.4-litre 138-bhp petrol and a 1.6-litre 130-bhp diesel. While we

will definitely get the Elantra sedan version of

this in maybe in two years time, Hyundai could create an all-new segment by launching the i30 hatchback in the ` 12-15 lakh segment.


in the news

GranD ViSionthe difference being made up by three electric motors. The Mercedes-Benz Vision Gran Turismo concept car from 2013 is a good reference point for how this hypercar might end up looking. Like the concept it is going to come with gullwing doors,

The Mustang GTE is the cheapest way one can flaunt the Shelby brand name. It is basically a standard Mustang with a ` 12 lakh Shelby perfor-mance kit. This kit includes 19-inch wheels, a less restrictive exhaust, a power dome on the hood, a carbon-fibre front splitter and a spoiler, and an ECU remap which bumps up the power of the 5.0-litre V8 to 456 bhp.

Australian tuner, StreetFX Mo-torsport has heard you all who wished for a more powerful GT-86 by bulldozing in the Nissan GT-R’s R35 V6! They also increased the capacity to 4.1-li-tres and added bigger turbos to make it a 1000-bhp engine. Talk about a power bump.

SHORTBURSTS

cut-price coBra

poWer exploSion

What iS it?The AC Cobra Mk1 260 Legacy Edition.

What’S neW aBout it?Actually, nothing, since the $500,000 (` 3.34 crore) price

claSS of ‘62

What iS it?After the Aston Martin-Red Bull RB001, Mercedes-AMG is now throwing its hat into the ring with plans to build an F1-derived hypercar.

WhatS neW aBout it?To celebrate their total domination in F1, the Mercedes-AMG hypercar is going to be built around the turbocharged V6 F1 engine and will be taking advantage of the F1 team’s vast knowledge of aerodynamics. Power output is going to be higher than the 700 bhp that the F1 engine makes — it is said to be over 1000 bhp — with

tag is because these are going to be perfect replicas of the original Mk1 AC Cobra. While AC Cars had downed its shutters long back, a company called AC Heritage had purchased most of the original

build plans and tooling. Which is why they are able to manufacture these cars today to the original specifications, down to the aluminium body panels which are going to be hand beaten to shape and

the twin-tube chassis with the live rear axle. They even managed to source a couple of original brand-new 4.25-litre Ford V8s, which will go into the car. Carroll Shelby had asked AC Cars to fit these Ford V8s into the AC Ace, which had created the original AC Cobra in 1962. While 75 Mk1 Cobras were made in the early ’60s, exported from England as kits to be reassembled by Shelby’s team in California, AC Heritage will make only nine complete cars, to be delivered to their lucky owners in the United States of America.

Ferrari has announced that they will make one more LaFerrari coupe, making it the 500th example of the hypercar, which will then be auctioned with the proceeds going towards helping all those affected by the recent earthquake in Italy. Thats charity done right!

encore

too. Interestingly, 2017 also marks the 50th year of AMG’s existence, so it would be reasonable to expect that AMG will coincide the hypercar’s launch with its anniversary.


NEWSBRAKESKODA KODIAQ

WHAT'SIN A NAME?Skoda iS gunning for the SuV Space in a big way. the kodiaq iS juSt the Start

The SUV space has been quite a catch for many manufacturers in recent years and Skoda couldn't

be seen to be a slow mover in this direc-tion. Globally, the Yeti has been a suc-cessful case study despite its lukewarm reception in India. And its second SUV, the Kodiaq intends to build on this, its first seven-seat SUV.

Based on the MQB platform that also

underpins the Octavia and the Superb, the Kodiaq measures 4.7 metres in length and will be powered by one of three powertrain options to start with — a 2.0-litre diesel with two different power outputs (148 and 188 bhp) and two petrols motors, the 120-bhp and 148-bhp 1.4 TSI, and the 178-bhp 2.0 TSI. Of these, India will get both diesel variants and the more powerful 2.0 TSI


ond row has a classic 60:40 split, while the optional third row can be stowed away flat into the floor.

A car that derives its name from the city of Kodiak in Alaska, one that itself gets its name from the Kodiak bear found in North America, the car follows the same design language as the current Superb. Designed under the leadership of Josef Kaban, the Kodiaq uses a com-bination of straight and toned muscular lines to offer a larger stance. The light catcher line provides just the right amount of muscle, while the highly de-tailed headlamps, tail-lamps and grille add a premium tone.

The North American reference has time and again been brought into the spotlight, not just from a nomenclature standpoint, but even the entry of Skoda into the world's most important car market. And the Kodiaq would be the perfect car to create an impression, feels

petrol variant, although at this time it isn't clear whether all three variants will be launched together.

All motors come either with front- or all-wheel drive, 6-speed manual or 7-speed DSG gearbox options. The Kodiaq is a well-loaded and well-kit-ted-out SUV with lots of mechanical and electronic features like drive mode select, in-car communication, city emer-gency braking, adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist for the sat nav, driver alert and more. India will get most of these features on the high-end variants, save for certain features that require government clearance.

The Kodiaq is offered internationally with both five and seven-seat variants. The seating is flexible with the five-seat-er getting a full-sized spare wheel while the seven-seater makes do with a space-saver. The driver's seat is fully electric with memory function, the sec-

Bernhard Maier, CEO, Skoda. In the wake of the diesel scandal, this might be a good way for the VAG group to reduce some of the negative baggage by bringing in an 'unknown in the US but well respected elsewhere' brand.

Skoda will launch the car in the second quarter of 2017-18 in India as a CKD/SKD from its operations in Shendra, near Aurangabad in Maha-rashtra. The positioning of the Kodiaq will follow a premium one and will be placed above the Superb. Expect a starting price tag in the region of ` 30-33 lakh for a possible front-wheel-drive variant, with top-end variants going up to ` 38 lakh or thereabouts with all-wheel drive. That would put it against the likes of the smaller SUVs like the BMW X1 and Audi Q3 and the larger full-size SUVs like the upcoming Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour and Hyundai Santa Fe. M


Text PARANJAY DUTT Photographs LAND ROVER

Our drive in an urban range rOver uncOvers surprises; a lOt Of surprises

ExpEriEncELand RoveR expeRience

In July this year, JLR posted its best-ever monthly sales which, for a brand that was desperately look-

ing for a revival a couple of years ago, is nothing short of brilliant. Of the 33,000 Land Rovers sold, 8,208 units were of the Evoque. We took one on a small yet challenging off-road course — at least for an urban SUV and a city-dweller like me — to see if it does anything to deserve the ‘Land Rover’ monicker.

Land Rover Experience, for the uninitiated, is a way of introducing its customers and enthusiasts to the im-mense capabilities of its products. The Discovery Sport and the Evoque were two options for the event. ‘My’ Evoque led the way. Planned around Damdama Lake in Gurgaon, the obstacle course

by Cougar Motorsport looked tough enough to test the Evo-que’s capabilities.

Of the various technolo-gies that make LRs such huge favourites off the road, the Terrain Response System is

very close to the top. It gets four modes: general, sand, grass, and mud. For most part we dealt with mud, hence the mode remained unchanged once we were off the tarmac.

It was only a matter of a few metres that we got to grips with getting stuck

speakEvospeakEvo

The Discovery Sport had no qualms

about gobbling up bad terrain!


and recovering, as if nothing happened. The Evoque’s an expensive piece of machinery and a good-looking Brit at that, so I was trying to be a bit more careful than I was the last time I beached an SUV. Lack of momentum meant that during the early parts of the course, I, embarrassingly, ended up get-ting stuck halfway through an incline. But with the vehicle’s traction control sending power to the right wheel(s), all it took was a dab on the accelerator ped-al and the proverbial leap of faith to get unstuck. And when it was time to de-scend, the Hill Descent control worked wonders (going downhill without hav-ing to use the brakes). The system can be manually overridden, which might be the preferred choice when you want more control, but relying on the Evoque surprisingly doesn’t take the confidence away. In fact, once you get acquainted

to the way the systems work, you start working with it. Bollocks to ‘they don’t make them like they used to…’.

Apart from this, whatever we threw at the Evoque was dealt without hesita-tion. The drivetrain, chassis, suspension, tech wizardry, and even the plush cabin, all of them ensure that the Evoque’s ace at tackling bad roads. That despite hav-ing one of the best on-road dynamics package in the segment, deserves an applause.

The Evoque sits on a fine line be-tween an off-roader and a midsize exec saloon. Think about it as the best way to plunge mud without having to change your three-piece suit. It amazingly excels at doing things you thought were

a tad too much for it. Hardly a surprise how the smallest Range Rover has garnered fans (and buyers) across the globe. Cue oohs and aahs… M

The sight of off-roaders masquerading as

urban SUVs was surprising, to say the least

If the original LRX concept impressed you, the

Evoque’s abilities just take it all one level further


There’s something to be said about Fiat’s prospects in India. There’s so much promise surrounding each

and every one of its cars, and it’s all done away with because of tiny yet consequen-tial details here and there. If I can draw a parallel, I’d liken Fiat to Italian racer Teo Fabi who, during his 64-race F1 career, scored all of three pole positions, but he has the distinction of never having led even a single lap. Cruel fate, indeed, and it seems like Fiat, in India at least, seems to be suffering the same kind of there-but-not-really-there fate.

Its new Linea 125 S is, I’m positively not delighted to say, more of the same. The highlight of this update is the 1.4-litre T-Jet engine that’s been tuned to put out 11 bhp more than the earlier one. The thing is, though, that the Linea keeps playing ping-pong when it comes to its good and bad bits. Find two good bits and I’m sure you can follow that up with two bad ones.

Take the engine, for instance. The extra power makes so much of a difference. On the move, lower down the rev range things are a bit slow, but keep at it and there’s so much of power to lean on. It’s not Punto Abarth-esque, but the power’s abundantly apparent and it sounds so sweet when you rev the pants off it. But then you slot it into another gear. Sorry, let me rephrase that. You attempt to slot it into what feels like a

Short ChangeBy RAUNAK AJINKYA Photographs KARTIK SADEKAR

Was more poWer really the need of the hour for the linea?

short shiftFiat Linea 125 S



Fiat Linea 125 SPOWERTRAINDisplacement: 1368cc, i-4, turbopetrolMax power: 123 bhp@5000 rpmMax torque: 21.2 kgm@2000-3500 rpmTransmission: 5-speed, manualTYRESF/R: 205/55 R16DIMENSIONSL/W/H (mm): 4596/1730/1494Wheelbase: 2603 mmGround clearance: 190 mmKerb weight: 1258 kgFuel capacity: 45 litresPRICE` 10.46 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)

AUTODATA

designated slot for the gear you want. The shifts are so rubbery that Bridge-stone should probably think of cashing in on some gearbox branding opportu-nities with Fiat.

Then there’s the way it drives. It has a hydraulic steering and you don’t need to drive it to tell that it’s going to be good. It’s so much fun to chuck it around corners because body roll is kept in check and, aside from a bit of understeer when you push it too hard, it’s reasonably happy to go along with your senseless requests. That is, until you see a crater that you think the Lin-ea can handle because it rides beautiful-ly well otherwise, but you’d be mistak-en. The Linea crashes, and crashes hard. I could give it the benefit of the doubt


and say that the test car that I’d been driving might have already had some damage, but then it would have made itself apparent at other instances, too. Which it didn’t. Thankfully, it’s quite a bit off the ground (190 mm, to be pre-cise) and that’s the best in its segment, so you’ll probably never have to worry about large speed bumps.

Then there’s the equipment list. New for the 125 S is a touchscreen that’s big enough for an ant and it even has nav-igation. It even gets auto headlamps, auto AC, rain-sensing wipers and a solid boot to boot (500 litres of storage!). But Fiat deemed it unnecessary to equip it with a reversing camera. And finally, the seats. Just like the Punto, good luck finding the right seating position. The

steering wheel is big and you can never seem to find the right position for it, either. Oh, and long distances turn into a back-breaking endurance thanks to the uncomfortable seats. Shame for a car that drives so well, really.

Should you buy one, then? The Fiat Linea isn’t quite the package to beat just yet, as you may have figured. It has its plus points, sure, but it backs that up with an equal amount of flaws. The big-gest of which is probably its after-sales service, which is still nothing close to the best. For ` 10.46 lakh (ex-showroom, Del-hi), it’s a fair bit of money for a car that’s not at its best yet. Hopefully Fiat can turn this around and salvage a product that has a fair bit of potential. Or is it too little, too late? I fear it might be. M

Tiny 5-inch touchscreen is responsive, at least

Where it all comes together — the engine is good

Short Shift | fiat Linea 125 S


short shiftAUDI A4

MOLECULARAUtOMObiLEBy ROHIN NAGRANI Photographs KARTIK SADEKAR

Small motorS and luxury carS. can it make for a taSty recipe?


Back in 2007, the famous Nandu aka Shreenand Sadhale and I were on a drive through Ger-

many in a fleet of Volkswagen Passats. This hurriedly conjured up fleet saw a mix of motors, and as luck would have it, we were left with a 1.6-litre 100-bhp version for the 200-odd km drive.

Out on the German autobahn, the lack of power in the 1.3-tonne car was telling. With the foot buried to the floor on the derestricted sections of the ‘bahn, we were inching from speeds of 150 kph to an indicated top speed of 160-165 kph. I distinctly remember that process taking eons; so ingrained is that memory in my cranium that at times it smashes through the Passat’s firewall in agony.

Cut to 2016 with the all-new Audi A4 on stretches from Bhubaneshwar to Konark and yet another small motor had found its way into a 1.45-tonne

sedan. The 25.4 kgm and 148 bhp should have been enough on paper, and honestly it didn’t feel as bad as that Passat. Yet, it felt strained. The 1.4-li-tre TFSI engine that felt perfectly fine around the urban stretches of Bhu-baneshwar was suddenly feeling a bit out of breath on the highway. Sure, the turbos were kicking in nice and fast and the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission was doing a stellar job, too, but with the 6200-rpm redline approaching and the gears holding for long in Dynamic, the hand would immediately tug at the right paddle. There’s only so much ears can take.

To cut a long story short, the 1.4 TFSI is just about adequate for the job at hand. Sure, Audi’s claims of it being just 0.3 seconds slower than the outgo-ing 1.8 turbo motor may be true, but there’s nothing like the seat of the pants to discern that. At this point, then, Audi

may have made a strategic error in of-fering a downsized petrol motor (that’s the only option for now) on a car that costs ` 38.1 lakh to ` 41.2 lakh, ex-Delhi. Or it might have seen something that product-focussed journalists like us fail to discern.

The lack of surety, despite the lift-ing of the diesel ban in the NCR, has brought petrol motors back into focus on luxury cars. And Audi was keen on bringing in a motor that didn’t take too much of a hit on performance yet pro-vided good efficiency (an ARAI-claimed 17.4 kpl). What better, then, than to get the 1.4 turbo motor that also does duty on the VW Jetta, Beetle and Skoda Octa-via in India. Besides, in urban usage, the 1.4 is perfectly adept at handling stop-go traffic or generally cruising around town, given most of these cars would be chauffeur driven.

Still, those seeking performance will


have to wait a few months more for the 2.0-litre diesel and more powerful vari-ants await. Does that mean we ignore the rest of what the new A4 offers? Not quite.

Built on the MLB platform, one that underpins cars like the A4 all the way up to the upcoming Lamborghini Urus SUV, the A4 is lighter than its prede-cessor by a good 85 kg. This difference can be felt when you operate the doors or bootlid, or generally let your hand go over the trim. But at no point does the rebooted A4 feel cheap. On the contrary, the wide and flat dashboard with the stick-out MMI (it doesn’t fold in), the horizontally slatted air-vents and the virtual cockpit make it feel special. In stark contrast to the carefully detailed Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the A4 feels sportier and youthful, the colours and materials, the way the steering wheel falls to hand or the speedboat-in-spired gear lever gives you a sense that the interior will last the 6-7 year lifecy-cle rather well.

And it’s gotten comfier, too. Unlike the previous car, the new A4 does offer more comfortable front seats, better under-thigh support at the rear and

Built on the MLB platform, the A4 is lighter than its predecessor by a good 85 kg

The cabin's been subtly improved and it's all the better for it. Overall a very nice place to be in now

Virtual cockpit is pretty neat and easy to use

7-speed auto is brilliant and intuitive to use

Tiny though it may be, it still packs a decent punch


AUDI A4 30 TFSIPOWERTRAINDisplacement: 1395cc, I-4, turboMax power: 150 bhp@5000-6000 rpmMax torque: 25.4 kgm@1500-3500 rpmTransmission: 7-speed autoSUSPENSIONFront: IndependentRear: IndependentBRAKES (F/R) Disc/discTYRES225/60 R17DIMENSIONSL/W/H (mm): 4726/1842/1427Wheelbase: 2820 mmGround clearance: ~130 mmKerb weight: 1450 kgFuel capacity: 54 litresPRICE` 38.1 to 41.2 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)

A U T O D A T A

that the design picks up the gauntlet where the last one left off. What Audi has offered is a package that is rather irresistible if you are in the market for a premium executive sedan. Even if you do wait a while for the other variants to turn up at dealerships, you will have found a car that’s pretty damn hard to beat. M

indeed on display! Which isn’t a bad thing necessarily since if it ain’t broke, just apply a fresh coat of paint and a few trinkets. It’s hard to believe at times that every single panel on the car is new, but that’s true nonetheless. Spend a lot of time with the car and you will find interesting details like the stepped LED headlamp or the wavy texture on the grille or even the door-mounted mirrors; it’s details like these that slow-ly lift the veil of sameness away.

It’s not that the dynamics have remained the same, though. Despite it being a front-wheel-driven car and running 17-inch tyres, overall grip and poise has shown improvement. The ver-tical oscillations of the suspension have reduced and it now has a nice balance between firmness and suppleness. Only when you tackle ridges at high speed does it transmit judders to the cabin. Otherwise it’s a perfectly well balanced car that feels agile and easy to flick. This is also thanks to the lower kerb weight and the new electric steering that really weighs up well.

Which brings us to the question — does the small engine really matter? It actually doesn’t. Nor does the fact

more knee-room and head-room. The space on offer does feel at par with the C-Class, its main rival, and definitely better than cars like the Jaguar XE. That’s great because the previous car felt like sitting in a concentration camp, if the occupants in front were towering in build.

It’s also a well-loaded car for all in-tents and purposes. The virtual cockpit, as we’ve seen on the TT/R8/Q7 offers you a myriad screens to choose from, making the central MMI redundant if there’s just the driver in the car. New to the A4 is a wireless mobile charging pad, useful for those who have a tendency to forget cables. Even the driver’s key has a memory function to store several details, like the last radio channel you were listening to, your seat preference and so on. Suddenly, the lack of a powerful motor isn’t starting to sound bad at all.

What Audi has done with the exte-rior is more evolutionary in nature. I distinctly remember the new A4 stand-ing at the Auto Expo, and it took not just me, but several Audi fans several retakes and self-pinching situations to convince ourselves that the new car was

Short Shift | Audi A4


short shiftBMW 320i

PetrollerBy RAUNAK AJINKYA Photographs KARTIK SADEKAR

Just something about these petrol bmWs...

Thank you, Government of India. If I may be so bold, your ever-so-rational logic and

sound decisions have always benefitted this thriving country of ours, and it’s evident that the decisions you make on behalf of — and for — the citizens have brought us nothing but contentment and peace. Without you, we’d be a fum-bling excuse of a population, struggling to comprehend the more important issues like which toilet paper would be less abrasive and who really did let the damn dogs out.

Now, kudos to those who picked up on the mordancy of the previous few sentences, but the government has, for once, albeit indirectly, done some good. Thanks to the sound logic of the diesel ban (which has since been lifted, yes, I know), the people who provide us cars to get places have been busy making petrol power a bit more accessible,

which is why I found myself sitting in the confines of a lovely BMW 320i one morning. And man, do these guys know how to make their cars.

It takes a man of special skill to not appreciate a finely balanced pet-rol-powered rear-wheel-drive sedan. I’d assume that man enjoys long barefoot-ed walks on a beach splintered with broken glass and a nice relaxing drive through a war zone. There are very few cars that you feel absolutely content in, ones that don’t make you question whether you’ve simply settled and joined the herd. It’s amazing how the 320i manages to evoke just that.

On the move, it’s as comforting as it is transformative when you switch driving modes and entertain the juve-nile in you by squeezing the accelerator pedal down as hard as a stress ball. The 320i’s 2.0-litre inline-four may not sound like much — and the 181 bhp

and 27.5 kgm figures would attest to that — but it’s about as inadequate as the funds pumped into Thailand by people who ‘just want to have a good time’, which is to say it’s anything but. Its driving modes allow it to really play the part you want it to, because switch to Eco Pro or Comfort and a steady right foot will allow you to drift off and focus on better things, like that upcoming bachelor’s in Thailand. But I hear drifting off while driving is a bit of a no-no, so probably best not to do that. Instead, switch to Sport+, hold down on that traction control button for five seconds and enter a roundabout how you really should — rear tyres lit up, completely sideways, and with you having absolutely no idea of what you’re doing. That said, the 320d does feel a bit more willing to let its tail out thanks to the diesel engine pumping out more torque, but it’s not like the



I'll say it again — there's a case to be made for the simplicity of BMW's interiors. Just fantastic!

Slides like this one is what the 320i loves indulging in. Just be sure to not overcook it, will you?

320i falls short when it comes to driving pleasure. Yep, that’s right. There’s only one place to be in a car like this — the driver’s seat.

I fall hard for cars like this one. Despite what I just said, it’s a forgiving car; one that will allow you to correct your lurid, terribly-executed slides and emerge slightly more alert thinking, ‘I definitely need to do that again.’ And that’s the beauty of it all, isn’t it? It’s just such a good-looking car and it has so much of class on the inside. Some people may call the interior minimalist and not up there with the best, but I’d prefer calling them out for their lack of taste. It’s got character, the 320i, and it loves indulging you in a good time.


How to make a 2.0-litre fun? BMW has the answer

Well, obviously. It won't be 'Poverty Line', right?

What helps is that it rides brilliantly and the ZF 8-speed gearbox gets telepa-thy as a standard fitment. Even the way the steering communicates with you is nothing short of magic. Whether you’re driving around in dense traffic or hur-tling past that heavily modified Swift that had no right going as fast as it did, the 320i feels like it’s in its element. It’s a solid driving machine that’s ready and willing to do as you say.

It’s looking pretty perfect then, eh? Well, no. It could sound better and the mid-range punch thanks to the turbos is addictive, but I’d have liked to have had a naturally-aspirated BMW that screams all the way to the redline like

the older BMWs. It does run on petrol, after all. The rear seat could have been more accommodating as well and a bit of a wider body kit wouldn’t have hurt, either. But, I’m sorry. These just aren’t the kind of things that would make you turn around and call BMW out for wasting your time. I think it’s offering you a pretty sweet deal. So what if it’s priced it at ` 42.7 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the top-spec Luxury trim? That’s not cheaper than the same spec in diesel form, but it’s a fine car to drive nonetheless. Go on, then. Do it. Just be sure to call us if and when you overcook that inevitable slide around a bend and a trash can calls it a day. Fun times! M

BMW 320i POWERTRAINDisplacement: 1997cc, i-4, twin-turbo petrolMax power: 181 bhp@5000 rpmMax torque: 27.5 kgm@1250-4500 rpmTransmission: 8-speed, autoTYRESF/R: 225/50 R17DIMENSIONSL/W/H (mm): 4633/1811/1429Wheelbase: 2810 mmGround clearance: 157 mmKerb weight: 1430 kgFuel capacity: 65 litresPRICE` 42.7 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)

A U T O D ATA


short shiftMahindra daybreak

Crush ‘em!By RAUNAK AJINKYA Photographs KARTIK SADEKAR

Mahindra’s got a new way for you to deal with roadblocks

When I got wind of the fact that the Mahindra Daybreak would be making its way to

me, I was so excited that I had to have a bit of a lie down. Here’s why. The Daybreak is nothing if not achingly and surprisingly rugged and good-looking. Underneath, it’s just a regular Thar, the go-anywhere, s***w-you-I-don’t-need-roads vehicle that off-roading enthusi-asts have adopted as a son. That’s why you won’t have any trouble believing me when I say it’s as capable and effective off the road as a wrecking ball being guided by an enraged, hormonal teenager looking for payback because his girlfriend ‘talks’. About ‘free willy’. Or something to that effect.

Essentially, what you need to know is that the Daybreak is the product of Mahindra’s in-house customisation team, who have been given a free hand

here to compensate for designs as, well, peculiar as the XUV5oo. It’s just such a sweet rethinking of the rugged silhouette we know and love, with cues that have obviously been provided by someone who understands what the word ‘taste’ entails. So what you get is a matte-grey paint job, no roof to speak of, some red inserts splashed around here and there for good effect, and some very cool LED rings and LED tail-lamps. The standout bits, of course, are the immense 37-inch Maxxis Trepador tyres that threaten the very existence of those shady autorickshaw drivers. These things will manhandle just about anything the road throws up, and they give the Daybreak some insane crawl-ing abilities over grounds that look like the remains of a nuclear attack.

To keep things interesting, the Mahindra guys have added a bunch

Crush ‘em!



of little things that make the Daybreak memorable. For instance, the A-pillars can be dropped down to flip the wind-screen on its front — a hat tip to the original Willys, of course. Then there’s a massive, reinforced front bumper that also houses a winch, and a beefed-up rear that houses that immense spare tyre. Speaking of which, if you plan on backing up using the inside rear view mirror, you’d rather rely on an infant to give you directions. And you’ll find a bunch of other changes, too.

What hasn’t been touched at all, however, is the engine. Don’t worry,

that’s a good thing. Good guy Mahin-dra has left the 2.5-litre diesel as is, so it still makes 104 bhp and 25.1 kgm, which are useful numbers to have when you’re stuck in the sticky stuff. Why good guy? It’s simple. Leaving the engine and the mechanicals as is allows Mahindra to skip all the messy, legal

and time-consuming stuff with the RTO and allows you to drive this car legally on the road. Now what you might be thinking is that with the gain in body weight, the Thar’s power output won’t have the same effect in the Daybreak. You’d be wrong in thinking that. The Daybreak is bonkers capable, like I

Muck-strewn, red-highlight-littered, touch-screen-equipped, and barely functional. Just perfect, we say!

Not visible here but the LED lamps are super bright

Ridiculously cool LED rings are ridiculously cool

This is after a typical day of murdering the roads


Mahindra daybreakPOWERTRAINDisplacement: 2498cc, i-4, turbodieselMax power: 104 bhp@3800 rpmMax torque: 25.1 kgm@1800-2000 rpmTransmission: 5-speed, manualTYRESF/R: 37-inch Maxxis TrepadorsDIMENSIONSL/W/H (mm): NAWheelbase: Really shortGround clearance: Enough and moreKerb weight: Heavy enoughFuel capacity: 60 litresPRICE` 19 lAkH (inclusive of the Thar itself)

A U T O D ATAsaid earlier, and it’s almost angry when you’re driving it, as though it has a point to prove. But it proves it, all right. Thanks to the transfer case, there’s an ample amount of driveability to get you out of the silliest of ditches your in-competent behind can manage. It’s just bonkers good at this whole business of going off the road. I wish we’d have been a bit quicker with some of our im-age capturing because the articulation that the Daybreak gives you is quite insane. I even managed to make it dive nose-first into a pond that was decep-tively deep. I swear I checked before-hand with the tried-and-tested ‘Throw a big-a** stone into the pond and wait’ test, but apparently soft mud responds differently to different weights. Who’d have guessed.

Anyway, the point is that this thing is every bit as good as it looks. The bigger point is, would you be willing to cough up the dough for it? If you ask Mahindra to do your Thar up, it’ll need around two months to execute the whole thing, one if you ask nicely. Oh, and there’s also the small matter of coughing up close to ` 19 lakh for the Daybreak, too. That, obviously, is including the cost of a Thar. If you ask me, it’s totally worth it. It will look like nothing else on the road and you won’t tire of how easily it’ll go over anything and everything. Just do yourself a favour, cough up a little more dough and get the optional roof. Stepping out of the Daybreak looking like a drowned rat might ruin the point you’re trying to make. Slightly. M

Short Shift | Mahindra daybreak


short shiftMini Cooper S Convertible

Fun Run

By RAUNAK AJINKYA Photographs KARTIK SADEKAR

The Cooper S, driven The way iT’S meanT To be

Mini’s here to tell you that you can put a price on uninhibited fun. Well, that, and a gener-

ous amount of bird droppings falling on you while you’re having the fun. You see, a few months ago Mini sent us writer folks to Goa for a day of riveting, convoy-led Cooper S Convertible en-joyment. Suffice it to say that it wasn’t fun then. That’s my issue with these media drives. Sure, you’re giving a lot of people the chance to drive your car at the same time, but in the midst of all the rules and limitations (‘It’s best if you stick to the planned route’ and ‘Please don’t drive fast with the top down and have your passenger flash passers-by’), you’re ruining what is an experience, in essence, in an extremely fun car. Well, fun car in this case, at least.

The most loveable trait that the Coo-per S has is its tendency to behave like an absolute child. I loved it so much

that I asked the guys if they could loan me one for a week, just to see what the other side lives like. It’s not bad, let me tell you. Not bad at all. Especially when you give it a retractable soft top and a wonderful sound system, it’s an expe-rience that’s only topped by an activity with a ludicrous amount of nudity involved. Like when you know you’re going to be home alone for a while. Anyway, getting back to it.

The Cooper S Convertible Mini sent over has three driving modes. One’s where everything switches to full attack mode, one’s for the tree huggers, and the last is for the confused lot who don’t know what they want in life. I, for one, prefer the tree huggers mode, because polar bears and the ozone layer are what really matter. That, and the fact that the Cooper S sounds way, way better in that mode. Well, 99 per cent the latter. Confused? Shouldn’t it sound



the best in full attack mode? Well, yes, it does sound pretty good, but you need to get in one and hear the way the Cooper S sounds like Satan’s being tortured by a pack of puppies when you’re in ‘Green’ mode. You don’t get those typical cracks and pops on the overrun, but revving the pants off of it is satisfying nonetheless. Another thing I gathered over the week with it is that you just can’t drive this thing slow. Mini’s packed in a 2.0-litre inline-four that produces close to 190 bhp, and in a car that weighs the equivalent of an anorexic on a carb-free diet, that makes for some pretty entertaining drives, let me tell you.

Bits that I didn’t appreciate? Well, with the top down, it’s almost impossi-ble to see anything at the back through the inside rear view mirror. So you’re

left craning your neck out from the door hoping that you don’t run over a puppy. It’s also not the most, well, spacious of cars. It’s got space for a passenger and a few bags of shopping at the back if you’re lucky, but the way I see it, you’re better off driving alone anyway. This maybe a front-engined, front-wheel drive car that’s not prone to oversteer in the least, but that hardly takes away from the fun. What makes that possible is that it’s compact and has the most deliciously direct steering possible. Even a tiny jink left or right on the steering wheel will have you squealing past a corner. Our car also had a few rattly bits when the top was down, especially from the A-pillars, but that I suppose is thanks to the regular abuse that a media test car is subjected to. Other than that, the only downside

is that the car rides a bit firm, so your back takes a bit of a beating after a while. The solution? Drive faster and get there sooner. Not the most respon-sible bit of advice, but an effective way to go about things, nonetheless.

In short, this car is wonderful. Its spirit animal would be a puppy that’s been unleashed onto an unsuspecting crowd. Its motto would be to drown your sorrows with a hilarious dose of laughter, and its way to achieve that would be by going topless and expos-ing you to the elements (those damn pesky pigeons will have their karma coming their way). Would I advise it? Absolutely. Sell your neighbours’ kids if you have to, but do it. And wear a hat when you’re driving with the top down. M


Odd image for a story that says nothing — check!

Mini Cooper S Convertible POWERTRAINDisplacement: 1998cc, i-4, turbopetrolMax power: 189 bhp@5000-6500 rpmMax torque: 28.5 kgm@1250-4000 rpmTransmission: 7-speed, autoTYRESF/R: 195/55 R16DIMENSIONSL/W/H (mm): 3850/1727/1415Wheelbase: 2495 mmGround clearance: 145 mmKerb weight: 1295 kgFuel capacity: 45 litresPRICE` 34.06 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)

A U T O D ATA

Toggle switches! A huge, circular infotainment screen! Adjustable colours for the lighting! Quirky at its best

Short Shift | Mini Cooper S Convertible


Diving deep into the cultural indulgence called Jaipur

TIME TRAVEL


Motoring World Special


Our self-appointed tour guide walked perhaps a bit too briskly for his girth, racing through airy corridors and dim-lit

tunnels within the Nahargarh Fort, reeling off chunks of history he had memorised only too well. The informative discourse, entirely devoid of passionate interpretation and heart-wrenching storytelling, threw a few things into perspective; driving down to Jaipur had been a good call, and we really didn’t want a self-appointed tour guide ruining the experience for us.

In an instance of clever navigation and some truly crafty footwork, we managed to lose said guide to Nahargarh’s complex architecture, due thanks muttered to Maharaj Sawai Jai Singh II under our collective gasps for signing off on what stands today as an example of visionary

The Nahargarh Fort is a sightseer's paradise

design, especially in the matter of losing unwanted tour guides. Thus, with the place entirely to ourselves, we set about exploring what can be duly credited as one of the early foundations of the city of Jaipur.

While the walkaround, despite the life-threatening heat, was expectedly surreal, what left us perplexed was that we’d been ushered right in – no holds barred – with our Hyundai i20 Active. Caretakers of heritage structures typically keep all things automotive at bay, but not here. For an urban dweller, then, this is quite an out-of-the-world experience, driving through a series of arches over the cobbled driveway, once

the domain of wooden-wheeled chariots which, presumably, may have offered quite a bumpy ride back in the day, far from the plush mannerisms of the i20 Active.

From within the climate-controlled confines of the i20, we stopped intermittently to gape, admire and photograph Nahargarh’s splendid expanse. It’s quite something, looking at a significant chapter of history from within something as contemporary of the Hyundai we happened to be driving – a heady sensory contrast, you could say. The sunlight bouncing off the i20’s roof rails did make it look particularly imposing, though, especially in that earthen shade which complemented the fort’s rustic walls only too well. Unlike the fort, however, the i20 stood undamaged by the explosion of human population, a fragment of which had discovered an inexplicable urge to etch,


in gory detail, a few highly questionable aspects of a certain Sapna’s sensory (for lack of a printable word) appetite.

With us having gone decidedly touristy this time around, we decided it was time to head away from the Aravallis in favour of a ring-side view of where the action really was – Jaipur city. First on our list was the Hawa Mahal – built so royal womenfolk could enjoy an undisturbed spectacle of the many festivities – a hugely popular tourist must-visit, bang in the middle of the city. The demanding drive into the cramped, chaotic lanes within the city was made effortless by the i20’s well-weighted steering wheel and general ease of driving and, in not much time, we had parked right outside the famed structure. Except, we weren’t really sure if we had, indeed, arrived where had intended to. To explain things a bit, the Hawa Mahal, strangely enough, looks only like a facsimile of itself. There’s no explaining it. It’s just not as big or grand as it appears on visual media; just a flat-ish collage of windows, somewhat like a film set.

A bit underwhelmed, partly also due to the utter mayhem the adjoining marketplace brings about, we decided to go not by the guidebook but by instinct. And thus began

Traditional handicrafts are a Jaipur must-buy

Jaipur never runs out of culture and colours


the quest for a sumptuous lunch which ended exactly five minutes later, at the Lakshmi Mishtan Bhandar, a busy, hugely flocked source of traditional meals and desserts. The cuisine in Rajasthan is predominantly vegetarian (although heavily-spiced red meat is a highlight in the state’s culinary acumen) and we dug into a rather elaborate spread, the sort that would be frowned upon by supermodels, for its abundant use of ghee and sugar. While lunch may have been a biological requirement, it also gave us a resplendent view into the people and the city they inhabit. Jaipur, really, is all about colours. It may seem uncomfortably indulgent to the reserved, but it’s definitely a far cry from the dull, unimaginative greys and blacks us city slickers are so accustomed to.

With matters of lunch and introspection duly dealt with, we decided to work off the sensory overload (and bloated tummies) by driving around in the city, without a plan. This turned out to be a good idea, because there is no better place to experience a place in its unadulterated form than on its streets. Okay, this may not be entirely true, but when you get pampered like you do in an i20 Active, it’s easy to resist going anywhere on foot instead. And so, we drove, into claustrophobically narrow bylanes and out of them (thankfully), past traditional homes replete with holy basils in the courtyard, and ones where the sacred plant had been replaced with the ubiquitous white SUV.

Signs of life never really thin out in Jaipur but, a few turns of the wheel brought us on to the absolutely magnificent Jal

The Hawa Mahal looks surreal by night. Chaotic surrounds take away from its charm


Mahal Palace, the preferred retreat of the Rajputs of yore, set amidst the Man Sagar Lake. A masterpiece of art and awe as good as they come, the Jal Mahal Palace was envisioned along the sidelines of the construction of a dam (which still exists), a sort of necessity for the famine prone region of Amer. The palace itself sprung up not long after, around the same time as the three forts (a 10-minute drive away) took shape. While it, and the lake around it, has been under restoration for the better part of a decade, nothing takes away from watching the sunset while the flaming rays of the sun cast their glow over this fascinating piece of history. While not glaringly so, the Jal Mahal Palace is a sort of valiant example of what Jaipur really stands for, amidst experiences and perceptions.

With dusk having turned into night, we walked back towards the i20, looking

forward to watching the city cool its heels from within its swanky, inviting cabin. Nearly-golden street lights bounced off the paintwork as we drove, gently, into the city again, the generous all-round visibility of the car allowing the city, in its cultural glory, to flood into the cabin and our collective psyches. The mercury never really dipped below a still-quite-humid 32 degrees that night, but with the luxury of individual climate control and an infotainment unit that will get the collective approvals of geeks and audiophiles alike, we witnessed Jaipur complete its daily cycle of life until the festive lights finally faded into darkness, one after the other.

Jaipur really is an asymmetrical confluence of traditions, a sort of non-conformist participant in the scheme of evolution. It’s where the new has followed the old, but not replaced it. It’s a city that

takes pride in what it has stood for, while still taking huge strides towards the future. A strange co-existence, especially in times like the ones we live in, where nearly everything is built to a perishable quality. Driving to Jaipur really did turn out to be a good call, then. Just avoid the tour guides and leave it to the i20 to take you places.

Palaces like Amer offer a lot for shutterbugs

Jaipur really is an asymmetrical confluence of traditions


short shiftHYUNDAI ELANTRA


Breathe

easyBy ROHIN NAGRANI Photographs VISHWAJEET CHAVAN

The new elanTra picks up where The lasT one lefT off. BeTTer?

Clinical. It’s not something that one would use to describe a Fer-rari. But a Toyota Corolla? No

second thoughts there. A dominating, everlasting model that continues to be favoured, it’s been in India for the past 12-13 years and despite competition from the likes of the Skoda Octavia/Laura, VW Jetta, Chevrolet Cruze and Honda Civic, it’s managed to keep its head high.

For Hyundai, the Elantra was a bit of a mixed bag. The first one made a fleeting appearance, but never quite managed to wow the Indian audience. The segment, too, was yet to mature and Hyundai of the early 2000s wasn’t the Hyundai of today. What arrived in India in 2012 (the fifth generation)

is what changed the Elantra’s fate. It was a well-thought-out, well-designed automobile that could really take the fight to the established lot, the Corolla included. And let’s face it, it did well for itself, even if the entry D-segment as it was once termed, was shrinking and continues to shrink.

Which brings us to the question — why yet another Elantra? The answer is in three parts. Firstly, with a target of 300-350 units a month, Hyundai’s CKD operation for the Elantra could still make financial sense. Secondly, Hyun-dai desperately needs a flagship saloon that works as a torchbearer because, thirdly, the new Verna that’s arriving in 2017 could do with some inspiration. And a stepping stone.


Cabin looks somewhat familiar? Heavy parts-bin sharing here, but we can't say it looks bad, honestly

Diesel engine's got a very nice spread of torque

You know where we're going with this, right?

From the outside, the Elantra seems to have enhanced the design language, going for sharper lines instead of curves that adorned the fifth-gen. The trapezoidal grille is better defined, while the slimmer headlamps and new foglamp surrounds reduce a fair chunk of bulk from the nose area. A lot of it is down to the adoption of newer pedestrian safety requirements as well as improved aerodynamics. In profile, the gradually rising beltline, combined with a flatter tail-lamp profile makes the car appear less bulky and yet bold-er. Clearly, Hyundai’s ‘fluidic’ design is coming of age with the new Elantra.

On the inside, the Elantra has a flat-ter profile for the dashboard with the same use of lines rather than curves


to accentuate the design. However, some of it does end up looking a touch bulky and bereft of design flourish-es. That doesn’t affect functionality, though. The 8.0-inch HD touch screen has simple functions and incorporates both Android and Apple CarPlay connectivity. The thick-ribbed steering is easy to grip, but I wish the material felt a touch richer than it actually is. The use of high-quality plasto-chrome and leather lifts the overall ambience, even though the interior is an all-black affair. The higher SX(O) variants get aluminium pedals, 10-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, hands-free trunk release, ventilated front seats (only on the auto), electronic stability program and vehicle stability control

as well as six airbags as standard. Space, too, isn’t much of an issue; not

that the last car had much to complain about. The rear seat ditches curvatures for a flatter squab and there’s am-ple knee- and leg-room. Head-room is okay, and unlike the last car, the sharply-raked window line does not make you feel hemmed in, thanks to the addition of a quarter glass.

For India, Hyundai offers two motor options. The tried and tested 126.5-bhp diesel motor with a few software up-dates to improve fuel economy, while a new 2.0-litre petrol motor with 150 bhp rounds off the range. Both motors are offered with the choice of 6-speed trans-missions — manual or torque converter.

We had a brief spell with the petrol

auto and we quite liked what we saw. The motor had a good spread of torque and, we must add, a fruity note from under the hood. The auto ’box shifts reasonably quickly on upshifts, with downshifts slightly on the slower side, although a longer drive might help us to gauge its finer aspects.

It’s the diesel, though, that will drive the bulk of the sales. The 1.6-litre motor does feel slightly out of breath at high speeds, as was the case with the previous car as well, but does a brilliant job of low and mid revs. There is some characteristic turbo lag, but the closely spaced first three ratios and the slick shifting manual gearbox make short work of it, as does the light clutch. Indeed, of all the diesel

Short Shift | hYUNDAi ELANtrA


The gap has been narrowed to make it appealing to both ends of the spectrum


HYUNDAI ELANTRAPOWERTRAINDisplacement: 1582cc, I-4, D/1999cc, I-4, PMax power: 126.5 bhp@4000 rpm/150 bhp@6200 rpmMax torque: 26.5 kgm@1900-2750 rpm/19.6 kgm@4000 rpmTransmission: 6-speed manual/6-speed autoSUSPENSIONFront: McPherson strutRear: Torsion beamBRAKES (F/R): Disc/discTYRES205/60 R16DIMENSIONSL/W/H (mm): 4570/1800/1465Wheelbase: 2700 mmGround clearance: 153 mmKerb weight: 1250-1280 kgFuel capacity: 50 litresPRICE` 12.99 to 19.19 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi

A U T O D A T A

it steers with a fair degree of confidence with better load characteristics.

This really is a car that does justice to its sharp exterior lines and interior treatment, by making it a sharper car to drive. Sure, it’s not entirely in the same league as the Skoda Octavia or VW Jetta, but the gap has been narrowed enough to make it a more appealing package to both ends of the spectrum — those who seek driving finesse and those who want comfort and ease of driving. At a price tag of ` 12.99 lakh to ` 19.19 lakh, ex-Delhi, the Elantra does offer a fair number of trim options (nine!) to choose from. Enough ammo to take the fight to the big T! M

sedans in its segment, this is the best manual-equipped diesel for urban use by a mile. Driveability and NVH have always been strong points of this pow-ertrain and it continues to remain so.

On the move, though, the biggest changes are to the overall dynamic package. The previous Elantra had a soft setup. As a result it would roll, pitch and dive on any stretch of road that offered a set of twisties. That has been put under control with the new one. A stiffer suspension setup, combined with a high-tensile steel shell has made the car more predictable around corners. There is very little of the unnecessary suspension chatter and

Short Shift | hYUNDAi ELANtrA


short shiftFerrari CaliFornia T


Dark HorseBy RAUNAK AJINKYA Photographs KARTIK SADEKAR

Could this ‘t’ off the California for ferrari?

Around 5 am on a sleepy Thurs-day, it began. The scarlet sil-houette was ready and waiting,

looking oddly at home on the cobble-stone street, and yet all I could fathom it doing was screaming down the adjacent road in a fit of uncontained laughter at its self-attested superiority. It’s amazing what the mind allows you to experience when you’re expectant. Even before I could get a grubby thumb over the steering, my mind was speeding. A steady, glowing pulse just waiting to be squeezed into a devastating shriek and a squiggle of glowing, scarlet lines. My mind was all over the place. What I was to step into in moments was a legend. It didn’t matter that this isn’t where it began for Ferrari. At that moment, it mattered more that it began then for me.

And so it did. It’s common knowl-edge that repetition breeds familiarity, and that in turn breeds an easiness that’s hard to put your finger on. Of course, it could also be said that famil-iarity breeds boredom, but I can assure you that a Ferrari would cough up nothing of the sort. Over the past while, I’ve gotten accustomed to a fair bit of extravagance in terms of exotica made from aluminium and steel, and fitted with engines that bellow and bark, and spit fire, even. Getting into this car, however, is different. There’s a wave of familiarity that hits you instantly, and at the same time, you’re in awe at the newness of it all. It’s a strange feeling, really. Strange enough to warrant an unusually long time getting to know your surroundings better. This car is what Ferrari calls the California T.

Let me take you through the bul-let points. To begin with, the original California (sans the ‘T’) had a less-than-ideal start. It was riddled with faults that had the best of the lot cringing at what Ferrari had given birth to. Can you imagine that? A rubbish Ferrari. It’s true, though, and it didn’t go down very well with most. It was almost like Jamie Oliver serving up a roasted turkey with chestnut and sage stuff-ing and flavoured butter… garnished with goat droppings. It somehow just didn’t fit. But it doesn’t take long for Ferrari to understand its folly, and rest assured, the new California T is about as far away from being a polished turd as Mika Hakkinen is from being an aces ballerina instructor. It took me not more than a little while to truly grasp that feeling.



The manettino, currently in the wrong setting

Unbelievably quick is what this gearbox is, really

For when it's not stupidly obvious where you are

That's all you need to focus on while driving

How does an engine bay end up looking like art?!

Pitlane speed limiter. Because let's kid ourselves

This Cali, thankfully, is a true Ferrari. What you should know is that the ‘T’ in the car’s name stands for The-Polar-Bears-Shall-Live. A 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 is what’s responsible for giving you a major case of goosepimples, and as such, it’s almost like it’s tugging at your heartstrings all the way through. Listening to, and feeling this engine waking up is the reason people fall in love with it. Every blip of the accelera-tor is served up to you in a condensed ball of the happiest moments of your life. You’re almost reluctant to shift up, really. What I believe goes on, exactly at the bottom of the ‘V’, is a tiny explosion caused by Ferrari gremlins whose sole purpose is to fire up an everlasting grin on your mug, which is to say that I believe it’s magic. Don’t believe me? Well, how else do you explain the fact that it has two turbos and drives — and, importantly, sounds — exactly like a naturally aspirated engine? You could say that it’s not as strong nearer to the redline as it is anywhere else, but that’s a bit precious coming from you unless your day job involves driving on the weekends throughout the year in cars that make the LaFerrari and 918 Spyder look like pocket-sized radio-controlled cars. Ferrari may have resorted to tur-bocharging after a long time (think F40), and it’s done so not out of choice this time, but what it’s managed is simply astonishing. Trust Ferrari to keep the magic of an N/A engine alive — sort of a finger to the naysayers who predicted the death of speed.

Every fibre of my being wanted to strangle the California T and bring it alive. I wanted it to betray its weakness-es, because on paper, this front-engined, rear-wheel-drive convertible shouldn’t ideally be right up there with the best when you make it dance along the twisties, but it’s just so shockingly good at that, too. Getting the Cali to make quick direction changes is about as cumbersome as asking Usain Bolt to col-lect another medal at an Olympic meet. Driving the Cali as though you’re being chased by a pack of seriously pissed-off



Sort of a finger to the naysayers

who predicted the death of speed

wolves is much too easy, and it’s gen-uinely such a relaxed drive when you bring things down by a few notches as well. How does Ferrari do this? It’s genius.

Ferrari knows that its cars are known to rev their pants off. It knows that we expect that, and so its engineers simply restrict the amount of torque in first, second and third gears to around 60 kgm of its listed 77 kgm. As you go up the gears, that number gradually increases until you reach seventh, which is when all of that torque is readily available. What this allows the Cali to do is feel like a naturally-aspirated car in lower gears, and a regular, relatively lazy GT car in the higher gears. Pardon the nerdy trivia, but to know exactly what I’m talking about, there’s no other

place to be other than the driver’s seat. Each gear is a delirious explosion of all that is right with this world, and that lasts all of a few seconds at best, and then you shift up, and repeat. The V8 lulls you into an all-encompassing trance, and it’s all orchestrated by that twin-clutch transmission. I do believe it’s quicker than it’s legally allowed to be, if there is such a thing. It’s a genuine wonder why Ferrari doesn’t use its powers of telepathy to decimate the war on peace we’re currently having.

At this point, it’s taking a consider-able amount of restraint to not launch off into another paragraph or two to tell you about how well the California T handles the less glamorous stuff. Call me old-fashioned, but that’s not how things are supposed to be. Yes, you absolutely can drive it around like a geriatric in an Alto wondering if he left his glasses at the shops, because


for some reason, Ferrari’s made it ride pretty well and given it enough ground clearance for you to not go past every speedbreaker and pothole with you sobbing uncontrollably and wondering how you’re going to explain this one to daddy dearest. But that isn’t the point of this car. I am under no illusions that this can be passed off as a track car, either, because it can’t, but a Ferrari isn’t meant to be taken down to the shops to refill your heart medication. Use it as the GT car it’s meant to be, and stop droning on about how it can be the ‘best of both worlds’.

You’d be missing out on what the car can be so good at thanks to its exceptional handling balance. Like I mentioned earlier, the Cali’s a front-en-gined, rear-wheel-drive car and that means there’s a slight tendency for it to understeer, but unlike most, the vast reserves of torque and power can have you exiting a corner hilariously side-ways. The limited-slip differential will help you keep things in check, although that ‘ESC off’ setting on the manettino can be a huge invitation for trouble if done wrong. And that’s what I love about this car. Despite being such a new

A Ferrari isn’t meant to be taken down to the shops to refill your heart medication


Ferrari CaliFornia T POWERTRAINDisplacement: 3855cc, V8, twin-scroll turboMax power: 552 bhp@7500 rpmMax torque: 77 kgm@4750 rpmTransmission: 7-speed, autoTYRESF/R: 245/40 R19 / 285/40 R19DIMENSIONSL/W/H (mm): 4569/1910/1321Wheelbase: 2670 mmGround clearance: 109 mmKerb weight: 1730 kgFuel capacity: 78 litresPRICE` 4.5 cRoRe (ex-showroom)

A U T O D A T Aexperience, it somehow lulls you into a strange sense of familiarity, and that’s what gets you so connected to the drive right from the start. It’s as tempting to drive the pants off of it as it is to drive up to your neighbouring coastal town with the top down.

The Ferrari California T, then, is the real deal. So what if Ferrari didn’t exactly nail it with the previous one, and so what if it’s looked at as the baby Ferrari? Yes, it’s true that it’s hack-neyed to say that a Ferrari is great, but like I pointed out earlier, the previous Cali wasn’t, by any yardstick. And if

you look back on Ferrari’s rather long history, it’s made the odd mistake here and there. The way the Cali’s sales have gone so far, it’s become clear that a ma-jority of the people buying it are buying into the Ferrari family for the first time, and it’s a fine way to get in, too. A claimed 0-100 kph time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed in excess of 300 kph are figures even the best of the lot wouldn’t scoff at. And unlike its predecessor, the Cali T will happily take on its rivals. So what if, at the end of it, you have to pay north of ` 5 crore for it? That’s what armed robbery is for, right? M


kitbagbagging it

MotoGP coMes to IndIa (well, In a way)

M otoGP is the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, which makes it next to impossible to get into. However, while you train your five-year old to race, you still need to

look the part. And nothing screams passion like putting on some official licensed MotoGP apparel, and an Indian company has managed to do just that. Achhe din are here, it seems.

Roadster, a brand owned by Myntra, has become India’s first company to enter into an exclusive partnership with MotoGP, and launched what they refer to as an ‘inspirational and func-tional range of jackets, denims and T-shirts.’

The jackets come with well-placed air vents to keep you cool and accordion-stretch panels to facilitate freedom of movement, while adjustable straps ensure a snug custom fit and a remov-able thermal liner keeps you warm in winter. Keeping in line with the biker theme, there are pockets to add elbow, shoulder and back armour which need to be purchased separately. Retail-ing at ` 10,000, this could well be the perfect daily use jacket for you MotoGP fanatics.

The denim riding pants, which retail at ` 3,600, are a bit more universal in use. They are made of handcrafted indigo fabric and incorporate a certain amount of stretch and abrasion resistance into the textile itself. They come with pockets for knee armour inserts and look cool enough to wear on and off the bike.

Besides these, Roadster has also launched cotton T-shirts and shirts, which they claim are specifically designed to absorb mois-ture and increase rider comfort in a hot country like ours. While this claim is yet to be tested, the apparel does look very good. Dyed with glow in the dark paint, there are a bunch of different prints and styles available.

With the interest in MotoGP steadily increasing, and Rossi doing really well (go Vale!), there has never been a better time to wear your passion on your sleeve. Head over to Myntra and give these a good long look. M

Wear your passion. everyWhere



the grapevine in the news

By now, we’re guessing you’ll already know that the Triumph Thruxton R is plenty fast. But

for the Glemseck 101 festival in Germany, Triumph decided to take it up a notch by retrofitting the Thruxton with a bespoke Rotrex supercharger, taking peak power up to 139 bhp and torque to 16 kgm, and lovingly calling it The Bulldog. They gave it a MotoGP braced swingarm, a bunch of accessories to look the part, raced it at the Essenza challenge races and pleased us to no end. Whoever said the British are boring?

Triumph’s ExTra ThruxT

ThE Dark riDE

‘Be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Then always be Batman.’ Yes, step one to being a badass like Bruce Wayne is getting his wheels, and in this case, his Batpod

from The Dark Knight trilogy. Conceived by Nolan, with fibreglass body panels, custom chassis, laser targeting unit

and massive 31-inch Hoosier tires, this unit, one of only six built, is going on auction. Bidding is expected to start north of ` 50 lakh and even though it is only a ‘rolling model’ without a battery, fuel tank and throttle controls, it is as close as you will get to being the caped crusader.


a morEiTalian mV

MV Agusta, being Italian, makes some rather sharp, aggressive and incredibly cool-looking machines. So how do

you top that? By taking the sharpest of the range, the F4RR, and letting design house Zagato have a go at it. The lovechild of this association is the F4Z, a one-off made for a Japanese collector, that looks more ‘bullet’ than ‘motorcycle’. While it is mechanically identical, the F4Z features entirely new bodywork, with healthy use of aluminium and carbon-fibre, and Zagato has once again does what it does best — made us fall in love.

Motorcycle accidents and injuries put the fear of God back into man. But Chris Ganley isn’t just any man. After

losing an arm in a horrific crash, not only did he recover, but in just six months, he is back on a bike. He modified an R1, so both the clutch and front brake lever are on the right side, and he intends to race at the IOMTT next year. Why? Because Chris believes ‘having the freedom of the road — there’s just nothing that compares.’ We couldn’t agree more.

unsToppablE

After the global success of the Multistrada range, it was only a matter of time before Ducati launched the Enduro version here in India. Shod with a 19-inch front tire, semi-active suspension and a 30-litre

fuel tank, this is the most adventurous bike to come out the Ducati stable. Priced at ` 17.44 lakh (ex-showroom), it isn’t cheap, but for those who can afford it, going off-road is suddenly going to get a lot comfier.

EnDuro launchED!

short shiftYamaha RaY ZR

Young,

FreeWild and

By AADIL NAIKPhotographs KARTIK SADEKAR

Taking a boring man for a ride To show him who’s The boss


What is it that we all truly de-sire? What gives us a sense of purpose for our existence and

drives us? Is it fame and attention? Is it power and dominance? Or is it subtlety and maturity? Truth be told, I think it varies with age. Curiosity is what drives us through childhood; I have some experience in this area. But now, at this adolescent chapter of my life, it has taken a different angle. I live a lot more on the edge, permanently high on a strong dose of carefreeness bordering on reckless. I love crowds, and who doesn’t

like being in the spotlight? I live for this now. I really do.

If you haven’t got it by now, it is me, the real hero of this article, speak-ing. No, not the buffoon kitted out in protective clothing, too scared to fall. I don’t know how he enjoys life without risking his life. It is me you can’t take your eyes off, and it isn’t my fault the helmet-wearing guy looks so boring. I am the Yamaha Ray ZR.

I never knew my parents, but Mr Boring tells me they were Japanese. He is a bit creepy by the way; he has in his

possession my birth certificate, which lists my name as just Ray Z. He also has a picture of me as a baby, where I look puny and just as boring as Mr Boring himself. But that was a long time ago, before I hit the gym — just look at these cuts now! Pretty sick, eh? I also seem to have tanned a little, but it just adds to how I look. Then of course, I went and got some new tattoos, which absolutely everyone loves, especially Ms Vespa. And I added an R to my name, because what else will really ‘Rev your Heart’?

Okay, now Mr Boring is getting way


too comfortable. I really do not appreci-ate being touched all over, especially in public. He has found my dual sha-warma holders under the instrument console (they are for shawarmas, not water bottles), and just used up all 21 li-tres of my underseat storage by stuffing his ugly backpack in there. But he has finally clambered on and thumbed the starter; it’s time now to show him who’s

the boss. He won’t know what hit him.You see, all those hours I’ve spent

toiling at the gym haven’t just resulted in strongly accentuated cuts. I have been working on my ‘Blue Core’ 113cc heart, and I am pretty sure I can outrun all of my competition. Clearly, Mr Bor-ing hadn’t done his homework, as he opened the throttle all the way. Off we went, with rapidly building pace at the

first speed breaker, and into the air we sailed, me purring in delight and Mr Boring visually terrified as he strug-gled to land it, but obviously making a mess. I wasn’t bothered though, as my telescopic fork is more than capable of handling this abuse. But I could feel him shaking in the seat, poor fellow.

Slowly but surely, he started getting more comfortable and zipping from corner to corner, as his pace went up. He thinks it is down to his skill, but he couldn’t be more wrong. He doesn’t realise how much of a difference my

He thinks it is down to his skill, but he couldn’t be more wrong

Shawarma holders are always a handy additionLooks nice, this. In a shocking kind of way, maybe Don’t need the stickers to tell you what this is

sticky tyres and 1270-mm wheelbase make, and how hard I have worked on getting my handlebar posture just right. And you see, me being the intelligent thing that I am, I don’t just stop at going fast. I’m pretty fast at stopping, too, with my new front disc brake. Sigh, I wish Mr Boring squeezed them harder so I could catapult him over the bar and laugh as he landed on his oh-so-expen-


Yamaha CYgnus RaY ZRPOWERTRAINDisplacement: 113cc, singleMax power: 7.1 bhp@7500 rpmMax torque: 0.8 kgm@5000 rpmTransmission: CVTCHASSISType: UnderboneSUSPENSION(F/R): Telescopic fork / Unit swingarmBRAKES(F/R): 170 mm single disc / 130 mm drum brakeTYRES(F/R): 90/100 R10 / 90/100 R10DIMENSIONSL/W/H (mm): 1820/700/1115Wheelbase: 1270 mmGround clearance: 130 mmSeat height: 775 mmDry weight: 105 kgFuel capacity: 5.2 litresPRICE` 54,500 (ex-showroom, Delhi)

m o T o D A T A

sive helmet. But I think after that accel-eration test, he had learned his lesson and come to terms with the fact that not respecting me would be fatal for him.

Anyway, I was now getting quite tired of Mr Boring. He was too nice to kill, but too boring to be fun either. So I did the only sensible thing. I dropped him off at a Starbucks and like all boring office-goers, he rushed into that cesspool of corporate-ness with glee as I sneaked away to spend my day in far more entertaining activities. I think I saw Ms Vespa fly past… M

SHOT SHIFT | YamaHa RaY ZR

Attempting, and failing spectacularly, to control a clearly superior species took its toll on this pitiful rider


HEAD TO HEADAPRILIA SR 150 VS SUZUKI GIXXER

Good Sp ortGood Sp ort


By KARTIK WAREPhotographs AVISHAR DUTTA

A floorboArd versus footpegs ApproAch to two-wheeled fun Good Sp ortSGood Sp ortS

October 2016 | MOTORING WORLD | 97October 2016 | MOTORING WORLD | 97

I don’t like scooters. An ominous admission with which to begin this story, perhaps, but one that is

pertinent, too. With their twitchy small wheels, murderously boring CVTs and prayer-inducing flex from their front halves, they’ve always left me with decidedly unpleasant feelings. They are not the most efficient two wheelers around, and they certainly aren’t the most fun, either. Until the Aprilia SR 150

comes along, that is. I suppose being an Aprilia, by defi-

nition, means it has to be fun, even if it happens to be a scooter. Which is why it makes sense to me to not compare it to other scooters, but to the most fun bike of its kind, the Suzuki Gixxer. A scooter and a motorcycle, both pow-ered by 150cc air-cooled motors, and both comfortably being the sportiest of their kind. Given the kind of attention

and demand scooters are garnering in India, the SR 150 is a pretty important step in understanding what Indians want from scooters. And if scooters can indeed be as much fun, if not less, than motorcycles. Right?

Now, then. The SR 150 is an Italian born in India and is probably the least expensive Aprilia in the world. It is also an indicator that Aprilia is not tak-ing the Indian market lightly and, more

98 | MOTORING WORLD | October 2016 98 | MOTORING WORLD | October 2016

importantly, it will not leave its sport-ing heritage behind even if it resorts to producing scooters for a market like India. As far as the Gixxer goes, every-one is familiar with it by now. It was our Bike Of The Year in 2014, and I’ve never met a person who’s ridden the Gixxer and not loved it. It is what all Suzukis are — fun. And the same goes for the Aprilia.

I never thought I’d see the day

when a scooter looked racier standing next to an equivalent motorcycle. Well, not in India, at least, and certainly not next to the Gixxer. It doesn’t help that this particular Gixxer doesn’t come in the shade of typical Suzuki blue that still looks fetching, even two years down the line. However, both companies come with impressive racing heritages, and both compete in the MotoGP champion-ship, too, with Suzuki bettering Aprilia rather easily. But does that happen with these two in the real world, too? Well, the answer is not easy to find, but looking for it is a lot of fun. Even if it proceeds to rain all day.

No thanks to its 0.1cc advantage, the Gixxer makes about 4.2 bhp more than the SR 150, though the latter is lighter by 13 kg. Like me, you might think that just might even things out in a straight line. And, like me, you’d be wrong. You see, the Aprilia does put up a pretty good

fight in a drag race, but it’s not long before it falls a few bike lengths behind. Eventually, the Gixxer keeps pulling away, making the most of its extra power and manual transmission, while the SR 150 is left behind to wonder why manual gearboxes don’t make sense on scooters anymore.

However, this does not mean the SR 150 is slow — far from it. Despite the horsepower deficit, the Aprilia is quite quick on its own, complete with a surprisingly purposeful intake noise. It does take some time to get going, though, and its sweet spot is between an indicated 40-90 kph, but it keeps going beyond that, too. In fact, on one occa-sion, I managed to see the speedometer needle maxxed out at 120 kph — first time that’s happened to me on a scooter!

Given half a chance, the Aprilia can be right on the Suzuki’s tail. And in traffic, with equally determined riders

HEAD TO HEAD | APRILIA SR 150 VS SUZUKI GIXXER


aboard the pair, it’s pretty much impos-sible to tell who’s going to win. Howev-er, as sporty as they are, there are big dif-ferences in the way they go about their businesses, especially when it comes to the most important thing about both of these machines — handling.

The Gixxer’s handling package is a shining one, now neatly tied up with a little bow… er, a disc brake on the rear wheel. Riding one after a few months, I fell in love with the Gixxer all over

again. Thanks to its sticky tyres and sorted suspension, the Gixxer is a com-fortable and fun bike to hustle along, one that inspires a lot of confidence in its rider. What I didn’t expect was the Aprilia to do the same — in a very dif-ferent manner, of course.

The Aprilia’s small wheels and lighter weight make it easier to throw around than a frisbee. What’s more, it’s stable at all the speeds its motor is capable of, which again is surprising for a scooter.

The tyres offer great grip and the overall dynamics of the SR 150 make full use of that grip. The brakes are the best we’ve seen on a scooter yet, too. Sure, there is some of that inevitable ‘scuttle shake’ thanks to its scooter design, but it only became noticeable after a good 100 kph — noticeable, but never a cause for backing off. That’s pretty commend-able. What bothered me more was that for taller riders like me and Ruman, the Aprilia’s seat seems to be a bit mis-


As sporty as they are, there are big differences in the way they go about their businesses


Two years old. Still looks good. Informative, too

Already looks two years old. Tells you the basics


matched to the proportions of our limbs. However, I soon found myself riding

while seated as far forward as pos-sible with my knees wedged against the apron, my legs acting as stressed members of the chassis design. This put my ears in line with the front axle, and though it might have looked funny, I found it to be the best way to get the most out of the SR. I rode like that for around 30 km non-stop and didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. Perhaps it was because I was having too much fun to notice that the Aprilia’s ride quality is a bit on the stiffer side.

I also tried using the pillion footpegs of the Aprilia as auxiliary rearsets, but they seem to be coated with one of the most slipperiest substances known to man, so I gave up on that notion pretty quickly. However, despite the niggles, I cannot help but admire the SR 150. For the first time in my life, I understood the real meaning of point and shoot. Other scooters may well do it, but none do it like this Aprilia. Sure, there’s the ease of just having hand controls and letting your legs do their thing (which is nothing), but it’s how the Aprilia brings a whole lot of fun into the picture that is most refreshing.

Now, as impressive as the SR 150

is, the Gixxer is quicker, faster, likely more efficient and more comfortable. It also helps that overall quality levels are a notch better on the Indo-Jap than the Indo-Italian, not to mention that the Aprilia comes with an instrument cluster that I’d be happy to ignore for the rest of my life. Also, try as I might, I just cannot get accustomed to having nothing but thin air to grip with my knees while riding. All of which makes me certain that the Gixxer would be the one I’d put my money down for if I had to. However, is it more fun? I cannot say that with absolute certainty. That is the biggest surprise for me, that a scooter should be so much fun as to cloud my motorcycle-biased mind.

For me, a scooter doesn’t need to be this fast and fun, but an Aprilia certainly does. It is as imperative as your favour-ite cliché. I must admit that I don’t think I’ll ever bring myself to become fond of stepping through a void where a motor should rightfully reside. But as we call it a day, Ruman says, ‘We’re lucky we like bikes.’ What he means to say is, ‘We’re lucky we don’t like scooters. There’s hardly any choice to have fun with.’ But that isn’t true anymore and I can’t bring myself to tell him that I’ve changed my mind. Well, almost. M

A scooter doesn’t need to be this fast and fun, but an Aprilia certainly does

The seat-of-the-pants feeling of a scooter is unparalleled. The grocery and knick-knack kind, that is


APRILIA SR 150POWERTRAINDisplacement: 154.8cc, singleMax power: 10.4 bhp@6750 rpmMax torque: 1.16 kgm@5000 rpmTransmission: CVTCHASSISType: Steel underbone frameSUSPENSION(F/R): Telescopic fork/monoshockBRAKES(F/R): 220-mm disc with dual-piston calliper / 140-mm drumTYRES(F/R): 120/70 R14 / 120/70 R14DIMENSIONSL/W/H (mm): NA/NA/NAWheelbase: 1365 mmGround clearance: NA mmSeat height: 780 mmKerb weight: 122 kgFuel capacity: 6.5 litresPRICE` 67,396 (ex-showroom, Delhi)

m o To DATASUZUKI GIXXERPOWERTRAINDisplacement: 154.9cc, singleMax power: 14.6 bhp@8000 rpmMax torque: 1.4 kgm@6000 rpmTransmission: 5-speedCHASSISType: Single-downtube frameSUSPENSION(F/R): Telescopic fork/monoshockBRAKES(F/R): 266-mm disc with dual-piston calliper / 240-mm discTYRES(F/R): 100/80 R17 / 140/60 R17DIMENSIONSL/W/H (mm): 2050/785/1030Wheelbase: 1330 mmGround clearance: 160 mmSeat height: 780 mmKerb weight: 135 kgFuel capacity: 12 litresPRICE` 79,726 (ex-showroom, Delhi)

m o To DATA



cover storyBMW G 310 R

On The Beem


By ALAN CATHCART Photographs BMW MOTORRAD

We ride the hotly anticipated indian-made German. and it’s Great!

You just can’t sell more motorcy-cles without having affordable models in your lineup. At least

that’s conventional wisdom in the cur-rent market. And it’s pretty sound, too, seeing as it’s the reason for this particu-lar motorcycle, the all-new BMW G310R, to exist.

Sales of BMW motorcycles and scoot-ers are riding at an all-time high, with 136,963 units delivered to customers around the world in 2015, as it ramps up

annual sales to the 200,000 units by 2020 it’s set itself as a target. A key ingredient in driving this ongoing increase in de-mand for its products via new platforms attracting first-time customers who may then progress up the ownership ladder in terms of price and capacity, is the G 310 R single. Designed and developed in Germany, but entirely manufactured in India by its partner TVS, BMW Motorrad presented this at the EICMA Milan Show last November as its debut

model in the sub-500cc capacity segment. Production already began in July at the

TVS plant in Bangalore of a model that’s aimed as an entry-level bike in developed markets in Europe, Australia and Japan, and as a prestige model in developing markets such as Brazil and Southeast Asia. From 2017 onwards, the G 310 R will also be sold in the USA and perhaps in India, where as a locally made product it’ll be free of the steep taxes affecting imported models there — though BMW

On The Beem


ironically says it won’t start selling the bike locally until it’s established a national motorcycle dealer network in India capable of giving the appropriate level of after-sales support.

TVS is India’s fourth-largest manu-facturer (after Hero, Honda and Bajaj), whose three factories in India plus a fourth in Indonesia manufactured 2.15 million motorcycles in 2015. BMW signed a joint venture agreement back in April 2013 with the company owned by the Srinivasan family to manufacture the G 310 R, with development of the model starting that same year in Munich under the supervision of project leader Jürgen Stoffregen. It’s taken just three years to bring the all-new model to production — a speed of achievement that’s all the more significant given that doing so

entailed sourcing local suppliers capable of producing components to BMW’s standards, as well as educating TVS in German production values.

‘Our key objective was very clear,’ says Stoffregen. ‘We wanted to produce a real grown-up motorcycle, not a toy, but a properly-sized bike with all the attributes and appearance of a normal motorcycle, which can accommodate riders of all heights. It must also be built to a level of quality in keeping with the customer’s expectations from BMW in terms of styling, engineering, manufac-turing quality and individuality. It was for us very important that this should be a true BMW, even though built in India by our partners TVS.’

Achieving an acceptable quality level for the finished product entailed a close

collaboration with TVS, according to BMW Motorrad CEO Stephan Schaller. ‘We did the important part of the project in engineering and developing the bike in Germany to the stage that it was production ready,’ he says. ‘But we also had many engineers from purchasing working with TVS in establishing a supply network in India to make sure that the standards of BMW are applied in sourcing components. We have some-thing like 80 per cent of local content in the bike — but all components are made to German standards. I think our intensive search a couple of years ago to find the right partner overseas gave us a very good result. They say that TVS stands for ‘trust, value and service’, and in my opinion this is a valid claim. It’s a third-generation family-owned compa-


The G 310 R’s liquid-cooled Euro 4-compliant four-valve wet sump engine with chain-driven dohc, 6-speed gearbox, oil-bath clutch and a single gear-driven counterbalancer in front of the crankshaft displaces 313cc, and in aiming to offer compatibility with vary-ing fuel qualities, has a relatively mod-erate 10.6:1 compression ratio. It delivers 34 bhp at 9500 rpm, with a 10,500-rpm limiter, maximum torque of 2.85 kgm at 7500 rpm, and a weight of 158.5 kg fully loaded with 11 litres of fuel — figure 150 kg dry, or 11 kg more than a KTM 390

Duke. But unlike conventional sin-gle-cylinder engines, the G 310 R motor features a backwards-tilted cylinder, a format pioneered by Cannondale on its MX bikes 15 years ago, then copied by Yamaha on its 2010 YZ450 dirt bike, and now brought to the street for the first time here by BMW.

This sees the cylinder head with its Nikasil bore rotated by 180 degrees so that the 42-mm throttle body faces forwards for optimum ram air cylinder filling, as well as an advantageous layout to the bike with the exhaust running directly backwards. Ac-cording to Jürgen Stoffregen, it was an architectural reason that drove this layout. ‘We wanted to be able to have

good stability and easy handling, but also extra weight on the front tyre for increased safety in cornering via better grip,’ he says. ‘So for this reason we decided it would be good to position the engine a little bit forward, because then you can also make a longer swingarm which is good for stability. By rotating the cylinder head to allow you to do this you also have the spinoff bonus of a cooler, straighter charge going to the airbox, and an extra benefit was that for Euro 4 you need a short length for the exhaust pipe, which this layout permits. It’s also nice for BMW to do something different when we are new to this sector, and can find a proper solution which is also individual.’

The G 310 R engine is thus positioned further forward than is conventional in its tubular steel chassis with a bolt-on subframe for the seat, a cast aluminium swingarm and 17-inch five-spoke cast aluminium wheels at each end, shod with Michelin rubber made in Thailand, the front a 110/70 tyre, the rear a 150/60. This offers a 1374-mm wheelbase, with a non-adjustable 41-mm upside down fork sourced from KYB/Kayaba’s factory in China. This offers a rangy 140 mm of front wheel travel that’s welcome in cop-ing with rough road surfaces, coupled with the 131-mm wheel travel from the direct-action KYB cantilever rear mono-shock, also non-adjustable. The single 300-mm front brake disc is gripped by a radially mounted four-piston ByBre (Brembo’s Indian subsidiary) caliper via

steel hoses, with a floating twin-piston calliper grabbing the 240-mm rear

disc. Continental ABS is fitted as standard.

The G 310 R’s only major components

COVER STORY | BMW G 310 R

ny, with the owners working every day in the company. They have the same long-term vision for this collaboration as we do at BMW, and I am very satisfied with the way they have adopted Euro-pean standards for their manufacturing process in creating the G 310 R. TVS understands the BMW spirit.’ Quite a compliment, that.

‘They have the same long-term vision for this collaboration as we do at BMW [...] TVS under-stands the BMW spirit’


The BMW exudes a visual level of qualitythat’s frankly unexpected in such a low-cost product...



sourced from European suppliers are the F1-style finger-type cam-followers shared with the S1000RR sportbike, whose cylinder head design the G 310 R largely copies, the Magneti Marelli engine management system, and the 2-channel ABS fitted as standard that’s supplied by Continental, who are also responsible for the very comprehensive LCD dash. The displays on this include engine rpm, road speed, gear selected (hooray!), total mileage plus twin trips, engine temperature, fuel level, DTE, av-erage fuel consumption, average speed and a clock. That’s a lot of info for an entry-level product!

The invitation to join a select group of 30 journalists at BMW’s home city of Munich for an advance ride on the company’s Indian-made Futurebike delivered much more than just an hour or two of running round the streets of the city, with a brief venture out into the surrounding countryside. Instead, the 220-km route took us south of Munich into the foothills of the Bavarian Alps and comprised a broad range of riding conditions, including a brief spell of freeway travel when the homologated top speed of 143 kph showed up on the BMW’s digital Conti dash, with the tacho reading just nudging the five-digit segment as the small shifter light started flashing. Yet at that engine speed — and all others — the 313cc single motor felt completely unstressed and, more to the point, totally vibe-free. The single coun-terbalancer does its job to perfection.

Just seeing the G 310 R awaiting me in the courtyard of BMW’s original 1922 factory that’s been redeveloped as its Group Classic HQ elicited a quite dif-ferent reaction than seeing it indoors in a showroom or at a show. Especially in the Motorsport livery, it has a real sense of substance, a classy sense of presence that conveys a different first impression than its brasher-looking European rival that’s also made in India, the lighter, bigger-engined and so slightly more powerful KTM 390 Duke. The BMW exudes a visual level of quality that’s frankly unexpected in such a low-cost product manufactured offshore. Only the plastic switchgear looks cut-price —

Comprehensive meter console. Though bar counters are best left in pubs than used as rev counters

Reverse cylinder continues BMW’s oddball lore

The G 310 R doesn’t spring any surprises. Heh


the rest of the G 310 R components look very BMW, with high-quality alloy cast-ings and forged triple clamps, an LED tail-light, an exceptionally lustrous paint job, and on this early production model at least, build quality looks good. This is an inexpensive BMW, not a cheap one.

Those favourable first impressions extend to hopping aboard the relative-ly comfortable 785-mm high seat, and finding plenty of space for a 5’10” rider, with my knees tucked in nicely to the in-dentations in the plastic shroud housing the 11-litre steel fuel tank beneath it. The seat still needs a little more padding just where it meets the tank to be properly comfortable on a full day’s ride, though. Thumb the starter button and the engine catches instantly from cold on the auto-choke, then settles to a quite high 1500-rpm idle — perhaps chosen to rule

out any rear wheel chatter on the over-run in the absence of a slipper clutch. The large exhaust canister containing the Euro 4-compliant 3-way catalyst whis-pers rather than booms, though above 5000 rpm there’s a pleasant rasp from the intake which gives you the impres-sion you’re going somewhere.

The oil-bath clutch action is light and untiring, making riding the BMW in city streets a pleasure — your hand won’t cramp up doing so, although bottom gear is very low and obviously chosen for when a passenger is carried (make that plural in India!). You soon find it’s better to start from a stop on level ground in second gear if you’re on your own, without any need to slip the clutch unduly. But shifting gears is really a delight and though you must use the clutch for the bottom two upward shifts to do so smoothly every time, you don’t need to do so in the higher ratios, and

... it totally conforms to BMW’s brand identity in terms of performance, manufacturing quality and styling

indeed so precise and clean is the shift action that you can drop from top gear to fifth without using the clutch, as well.

The G 310 R is indeed a great traffic tool, thanks also to the wide spread of torque peaking at 7500 revs, just three-quarters of the way to the 10,500-rpm rev limiter. The 310cc twincam single pulls wide open in top gear from as low as 3200 rpm without any hesita-tion or transmission snatch, thanks to its good low-down fuelling. Then there’s an extra kick of acceleration around 7000 rpm, and another one at nine grand, so it pays to rev it out. That’s not to say that the power delivery is layered, just that it becomes more urgent the harder you rev the motor. Nice. It’s also pretty econom-ical, with a claimed consumption of 3.33 lt/100km. I saw 3.7 lt/100km (27 kpl) overall on the on-board computer, riding

hard, which isn’t bad.The G 310 R’s tubular steel frame

more than lives up to the job of harness-ing this power delivery well, and the non-adjustable KYB/Kayaba suspension plays a key role in this. Its fixed settings at both ends are extremely well chosen, with much better compliance than you have any right to expect for such budget hardware. Ride quality is high espe-cially at the rear and damping so well chosen that I ended up looking for the rare patches of rough tarmac on German B-roads to give it a workout.

Compression damping on the fork could possibly be a little stiffer, because when you lean on the front brake for maximum stopping power there is some nose dive, but it’s not excessive. The sin-gle front 300-mm disc and its four-piston radial calliper are just about up to the job of stopping the BMW and its solo rider hard from speed, but you must use the

rear brake hard as well for panic stops, and you don’t get the feeling there’s much in reserve. It’s exactly the same brake package as on the KTM 390 Duke, where I think it works a little better. Pads, maybe?

The BMW feels planted in a straight line — it gives no impression of being a skitzy lightweight package, in spite of which it changes direction very easily, aided by the good leverage from the black-painted handlebar whose grips are pulled back and slightly dropped. My only criticism is that there wasn’t much feedback from the front Michelin tyre, which gripped okay at the speeds I was prepared to trust it at leaned over in turns, but seemed to have an unduly stiff structure for a small, lightweight bike like this. Apparently BMW has also homologated Metzeler tyres for the G 310 R as well, and I’d like to try it again with these fitted — I suspect their lighter construction would deliver better feel, and thus increased turn speed from the KYB front end.

No doubt about it, BMW and TVS have joined forces to produce a motorcy-cle that’s self-evidently a BMW. There’s an honest sense of manufacturing quality about the G 310 R, coupled with dynamic refinement in use — the engine is beautifully fuelled, seems strong for its capacity level and feels essentially unburstable. While keenly priced, it to-tally conforms to BMW’s brand identity in terms of performance, manufacturing quality, and styling.

Its rivals such as KTM’s 390 Duke, Kawasaki’s Ninja 300 and Yamaha’s MT-03 — oh, and not forgetting the excellent Benelli TNT 300, the sleeper of the class — have all got trouble on their hands. Because this is only the start — Stephan Schaller promises more different models yet to come on this same 313cc platform. As with all BMW platforms, the G 310 R is merely the first roll of the dice for the German manufacturer, with Schaller admitting to ‘at least three’ different variants under development of the com-pany’s new Indian-built single-cylinder 313cc platform. G 310 GS, anyone? M


bmw g 310 rPOWERTRAINDisplacement: 313cc, singleMax power: 34 bhp@9500 rpmMax torque: 2.85 kgm@7500 rpmTransmission: 6-speedCHASSISType: Tubular steel frameSUSPENSION (F/R): 41-mm telescopic fork/monoshockBRAKES(F/R): 300-mm disc/240-mm disc, ABS standard TYRES(F/R): 110/70 R17 / 150/60 R17DIMENSIONS L/W/H (mm): 2005/849/NAWheelbase: 1374 mmSeat height: 785 mmKerb weight: 158.5 kg Fuel tank: 11 litres PRICE` 1.6 LAKH (Expected ex-showroom price)

m o T o D A T A



By AADIL NAIK Photographs TVS TYRES

TVS TyreS inViTeS uS To ViSiT Their Madurai faciliTy

ExpEriEncETVS TYRES

Tyres are the final contact patch between a motorcycle and the ground. All the power in the

world amounts to nothing without enough traction to put it down, and when you are leaned over in the middle of a curve, it is this rubber that will ensure your protective gear isn’t put to test. To delve deeper into what tyres are and how they are designed, TVS Tyres invited us to their manufacturing facili-ty in Madurai, for an insider’s perspec-tive on tyres.

The day started with a presentation by TVS Tyres director, P Vijayaraghavan, where he took us through the history of the tyre industry. Did you know the tyre industry in India has been around since 1911? And that even though TVS Tyres has been around for just 30 years, it still has a 25-30 per cent market share? Yes, me neither. Next, TVS Tyres president P Srinivasavaradhan briefed us on what TVS Tyres is currently involved in. For the domestic market, TVS Tyres only manufactures two- and three-wheeler tyres, but internationally they make off-road tyres for agricultural and industrial

How rubber is really put down


vehicles, which are exported to over 70 countries.

Making a tyre is a complex process and it all starts with the R&D depart-ment, which is based out of the Madurai facility. While TVS Tyres were kind enough to show us all their machinery and processes deployed, we were asked to keep that information to ourselves. What I can tell you, though, is that it is immensely impressive. It involves a lot of meetings to understand client requirements, then a lot of modelling

and prototyping using some fancy equipment, and finally, a lot of testing under various conditions, actual and simulated. Once a product is finalised for development, the main manufactur-ing commences and the smell of fresh hot rubber is everywhere.

TVS Tyres also has a test track where further development and R&D takes place. It consists of a long straight, a sweeping fast corner and a chicane, where three motorcycles with different TVS Tyres were waiting for us. We rode

a Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS with Eurogrip tyres, a Honda CBR250R with Protorq radials and a TVS Apache RTR 180 with Remora tyres. The Eurogrips weren’t too impressive, but the Protorq and Rem-ora were brilliant. The stability under hard braking and the confidence they inspired in corners was something that every biker would immediately notice and appreciate. Of course, some part of this could be attributed to the chassis/suspension of the bikes themselves, so we hope TVS Tyres send us a couple of these to put on our long-term test bikes for a more comprehensive review. But first impressions were pretty good.

TVS Tyres appears to be very focussed on not just making products that sell, but products that are actually advanced from a technology standpoint. A conversation with their head of R&D revealed how concerned they are about being at the forefront of innovation and with the way they are headed, I am quite sure they can do it. Moreover, with TVS Tyres finally getting into the radial tyres market, suffice to say that there are good days ahead, for both its customers as well as TVS. M

Huge and filled with complex machinery, this is where the magic takes place

Protorqs offer plenty of grip and confidence under hard braking. Impressive


Track record Shutter Speed

Compiled byKartik Ware and Raunak Ajinkya

The 2017 F1 season will be missing Two very big TalenTs

Men Down


It’s true that the old chargers can’t stay on forever. It’s true that youngsters need to step in to keep the show alive, to keep the enthusiasm intact. And of that, there isn’t a shortage in

F1. One needs only to look at the likes of Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz Jr, the upcoming Stoffel Vandoorne, and even Pascal Weh-rlein and Jolyon Palmer. How many of them will go on to be greats isn’t known, but spare a thought for the supposed has-beens of F1. Jenson Button and Felipe Massa have decided to call it quits at the end of the 2016 season, and that’s a pretty big blow, honestly. Be-tween them, they have close to 500 F1 starts, and that’s huge. They have such terrific knowledge about the sport and if you ask anyone down the pitlane, they’ll tell you that they’re two of the finest gen-tlemen around. It’s sad that they’re not going to be seen racing next year onwards — in F1, at least. They’ve been around for more than a decade each and have been at the centre of a fair few memorable moments that make up what’s great about F1. To them, all we have to say is: thank you. You’ve made an indelible mark and you shall be missed. Carry on, and keep stunning the world. M


Good way for him to kick off after the summer break, then

track recordF1 – 2016 Belgian gP

RosbeRg ends spa dRought


Nico Rosberg clinched his first Belgian Grand Prix victory as Mercedes Formula 1 team-mate

Lewis Hamilton claimed a podium from 21st on the grid in a chaotic race at Spa. Rosberg has now closed the gap to Hamilton in the F1 title race to nine points, but would have been hoping for more given the reigning champion’s back-row start due to numerous penal-ties accrued for three power unit changes.

The field was reduced to 17 cars within just five laps and was red-flagged on lap nine for barrier repairs after a frightening crash that sent Renault’s Kevin Magnussen to the hospital. At the start, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was slow away from second and swallowed up on the short run down to the La Source hairpin by both

Raikkonen and Vettel. As Vettel dived down the inside of Raikkonen and Vettel turned in, Raikkonen was left with nowhere to go in the middle and the trio made contact. Vettel spun to the back, while Verstappen and Raik-konen were forced to pit due to damage sustained, with the Ferrari developing a small underside fire to add to the dra-ma. Later on the opening lap Manor’s Pascal Wehrlein ran into the back of Jenson Button’s McLaren coming out of Les Combes, with both retiring.

Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz Jr was next out on lap two after sustaining a punc-ture along the Kemmel straight, and

although the Spaniard tried to continue, he only succeeded in further damaging the car before pulling off track. Penalised tail-end starters Fernando Alonso and Hamilton had reached 10th and 11th by lap six, when Magnussen ploughed into the Raidillon barrier. Hurtling up through Eau Rouge, Magnussen ap-peared to take too much kerb on the exit, sending the Dane into a high-speed spin across the track before ramming into the wall, resulting in a safety car period. A flurry of stops for fresh tyres followed over the first two laps under yellow, promoting Alonso and Hamilton up to fourth and fifth as they had no need to change rubber given they had started on the mediums at the back.

But with the barriers severely dam-aged, FIA race director Charlie Whiting took the decision to red flag the race for 17 minutes to allow repairs to be carried out. The running order at that stage was Rosberg ahead of Ricciardo, Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg, Alonso and Hamilton, with Vettel 11th, Verstappen 16th and Raikkonen 17th. Raikkonen and Verstappen would make contact again soon after the restart. When Verstappen blocked Raikkonen on the following lap at high speed down the Kemmel straight, the Finn again expressed much exple-tive-laden anger.

Up front, Hamilton moved up to third on lap 18 of the 44 by passing Hulkenberg into Les Combes. A slow pitstop three laps later dropped Ham-ilton to ninth, but as those ahead made their stops soon afterwards he rose back into the top three behind Rosberg and Ricciardo. The out-of-sequence champi-onship leader then had to overtake Force India’s Sergio Perez and Hulkenberg again after his third stop to clinch the fi-nal podium position, as Rosberg took the chequered flag by 14.1s from Ricciardo. Hulkenberg and Perez finished fourth and fifth, bringing Force India ahead of Williams to fourth in the construc-tors’ championship by two points. The recovering Vettel and Alonso were sixth and seventh, with Williams pair Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa eighth and 10th either side of Raikkonen..M


track recordF1 – 2016 ItalIan GP

Nico domiNates italy

Nico Rosberg took a comfortable Italian Grand Prix victory as Mercedes Formula 1 team-mate

and title rival Lewis Hamilton recov-ered from a bad start to finish second at Monza. Rosberg took the lead when polesitter Hamilton bogged down at the start and remained unthreatened throughout the 53-lap race to cross the line 15 seconds ahead for Mercedes’ fourth one-two of the season. It means

Rosberg, who secured his seventh win of the season and 21st of his career, now trails Hamilton by just two points in the drivers’ championship with seven races remaining. Sebastian Vettel gave the Tifosi something to cheer about by finishing third, 20.9s adrift, with Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen fourth. While Hamilton was swallowed up by the pack and dropped to sixth at the start, Rosberg held off a chal-lenge from Vettel to take the lead

into Turn 1.The Mercedes driver set a series

of fastest laps to build a gap as Vettel and Raikkonen struggled to keep pace. Hamilton, meanwhile, passed Daniel Ricciardo through Curve Grande to

move into fifth and then got a good run out of Parabolica to slingshot

past Valtteri Bottas for fourth. The reigning world champion

inherited second when the Ferraris pitted for fresh


sets of super-soft tyres. Hamilton began closing the gap to Rosberg before both Mercedes pitted for the first and only time, taking the mediums. He dropped back to fourth but reclaimed second when the Ferraris pitted for the second time. Though Hamilton pushed to catch his title rival, he locked up at the first chicane, bouncing across the speed bumps in the middle before rejoining. He was then warned by his team to build a gap to the Ferraris behind and his challenge faded.

Ricciardo, on fresh super-soft tyres, launched an attack from a long way back to pass Bottas into the first chicane to take fifth. Max Verstappen got a good run through Curva Grande and then passed Sergio Perez into the second chi-cane for seventh. Felipe Massa and Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10. The result means Williams moves back ahead of Force India into fourth place in the constructors’ championship with a three-point lead. In a race of little incident, Jolyon Palmer and Felipe Nasr collided on lap two with the Sauber driver being handed a 10s penalty by the stewards. Both retired with damage.M


Maverick flies to the top step of the podiuM

track recordMOTOGP: SILVERSTONE CIRCUIT, GREAT BRITAIN

It was only a matter of time before Maverick Vinales won a MotoGP race. Everyone could say that with

some degree of confidence. After all, the young Spaniard has been impressive on a bike that is not quite up there with the best just yet. However, no one could’ve predicted what happened at Silverstone. The sheer display of domination that Vinales was as impressive as it was shocking. And the rest of the MotoGP grid just didn’t have an answer to the questions he asked of them.

Before the race, it had looked like the usual suspects would fight it out at the

Top Gun AT Ltop, with the exception of Jorge Lorenzo who seemed to never come to grips with the combination of his Yamaha and the Michelin tyres. However, Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi looked set for yet another dogfight — and they didn’t disappoint. At all.

Even though it was last-time win-ner, Cal Crutchlow, on pole position, Vinales was in the lead right from the first corner, though the race was red-flagged and restarted after a huge crash for Pol Espargaro and Loris Baz, though both riders escaped without any great damage. At the second start, it was

again Vinales who didn’t waste much time getting to the front and establishing a huge lead over the others.

Behind them, however, Rossi and Marquez proved that their hackles are still raised because of each other. Anyone who saw the brutal duel would agree. Overtaking manoeuvres were merciless and close, barely any daylight separat-ing the two. And although Marquez did seem to get the better of the Rossi, and started to close down Crutchlow, he made a mistake under braking and ran off the track, hitting Crutchlow with his knee on his way out. That handed third spot to a relieved Rossi, something that will not have sat well with the champi-onship leader.

However, the day belonged to Suzuki and the guy who gets his name from the movie Top Gun. It was Maverick’s first win in MotoGP, Suzuki’s first win since a wet race at Le Mans in 2007 and its first dry win since 2000. That’s a long time to be away from the top step, all right. Oh, and in what appears to be a most irregular season, Vinales’s win made him the seventh different winner in as many races. What’s going on, we say! M

Vale’s immense popularity extends to local karaoke events

Maverick suggesting a new riding position. Bit of a stretch, we say

The illusion of peace is being shattered, one corner, one overtake at a time


LAsT


Eight racEs, Eight diffErEnt winnErs. Much to thE doctor’s disappointMEnt

track recordMOTOGP: MISANO WORLD CIRCUIT MARCO SIMONCELLI, SAN MARINO

Figure oF eight


RIDERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP

Honda 266

Yamaha 258

Ducati 182

Marc Marquez 223

Valentino Rossi 180

Jorge Lorenzo 162

1

1

2

2

3

3

CONSTRUCTORS’ CHAMPIONSHIP

Valentino Rossi racing in Italy is a national event. Yes, San Ma-rino might be a microstate, but

it is still very much Italian and as such, it was almost as if the entire country had descended upon the Misano cir-cuit to watch what was surely going to be a famous Rossi victory.

Indeed, all throughout the week-end, Rossi had looked the business, though team-mate and arch rival Jorge Lorenzo appeared to be back in om-inous form. However, a racing Rossi always manages to pull out something extra on Sundays and there was little doubt that we were going to witness a fantastic Lorenzo-Rossi battle, with perhaps Marc Marquez somewhat in the mix.

However, even as the two Yamahas shot off the grid and away from the rest and Rossi snatched the lead from Lorenzo early on in the race, it was a surprising Dani Pedrosa who emerged as the biggest threat to the chances of a Rossi victory. And he made good on that threat, too, first picking off Mar-quez, then Lorenzo and finally Rossi to win the race.

This sudden change in fortunes for Pedrosa was due to him choosing the softer option front tyre which gave

him more grip than the others, which enables him to lap at record-breaking pace around the Misano circuit. After a run of extremely forgettable races, Pedrosa’s win must be a huge relief for the Spanish rider who has never gone without a win in every year he’s been in MotoGP. Perhaps this will spur him on for the rest of the season, too, even as Rossi chases down a 43-point lead to Marquez in the championship. Eight different winners in eight races — the usual suspects must be hoping this run ends soon. M

Rossi has been known to put his foot in his mouth, but this is ridiculous

‘I’m sorry I won the race. Please don’t kill me.’


Step one for IndIa’S MotoGp dreaMS

Track recordRed Bull Road to Rookies Cup

Rossi made it to the podium again at Misano. He drank champagne out of his boot

(ugh) and the fans went wild. Cheering him on from the comfort of my home, a part of me wished I had what those Italians had - an icon of MotoGP. Some-one whom an entire country got behind, watched drink champagne out of a boot

Professional

and cheer instead of getting grossed out. And thanks to Red Bull, that dream just got a shot in the arm.

This year saw Red Bull team up with Suzuki to carry out the first Indian edition of the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup. Seven riders were handpicked from across the country, ranging from 13 to 17 years of age, to participate in

this event. They were then trained by professionals, and participated in six races held alongside the Suzuki Gixxer Cup, the finale of which was held on the 4th of September at the MMRT in Chennai.

Sixteen-year-old Sachin Chaudhary was declared the winner in an exciting race that saw him stand tall among

rookie


Suzuki Gixxer Cup riders more expe-rienced than him. Speaking about the Road to Rookies Cup, Suresh Babu, head of marketing and product plan-ning for Suzuki India, said that lap times and pace weren’t the only factor considered when declaring a winner. The Road to Rookies Cup is a platform to nurture talent and thus the gradient of improvement was strongly consid-ered. The potential of each rider was evaluated and after considering a lot of factors, Chaudhary was selected as the winner.

What’s next? Well, Chaudhary will travel to Spain in November for further training before participating in the qual-ifiers for the Road to Rookies Cup. If he qualifies, he will be on the grid with some of the most talented youngsters from across the world, battling it out for glory at the Road to Rookies Cup. The winner of this gets a sponsored ride, courtesy of KTM, straight into Moto3!

It may be a long shot, but it is a shot nonetheless. Red Bull and Suzuki are seeking to bring about a change at the grassroot level here in India, and

this seems to be a massive step forward in terms of exposure. Racing infrastructure in India is still not up to the level it should be at, but now that the Road to Rookies Cup is here, we can only expect better when it returns

Sachin all set to take India to the next step

‘Start young’ is the mantra here for Suzuki

again in 2017. Till then, we can all just imagine an ecstatic Chaudhary standing on the Road to Rookies po-dium, draped in the Indian tricolour, drinking nimbu paani (no champagne, he’s seventeen) out of his boot. M


LOGGING IT OUT : MAHINDRA MOJO l Lightens you by: ` 1.88 LAkH (OTR, Mumbai) l Lived with: Rumanl Odometer reads: 7345 km l Drinking habits: 28 kpl l @M2WMotorcycles l #MotoringMojo

SURVIVORSLiving Life on two wheeLs,

month after month. after month

OUR MOJO GETS INTO ITS RhYThM

at ease

The last month was a particularly difficult one for our Mojo, but a little TLC has

gone a long way into bringing it back to good form. The assumed dead battery turned out, in fact, to be a switchgear issue (blame our Slush Fest shenanigans) and took no more than a screwdriver and some WD40 to fix. The motor’s running a lot smoother since its return and it’s also nice to see it get its sheen back, after all the ravaging monsoon mayhem we put it through.

The service experience was encouragingly good — a huge step-

Twin golden tubes really catch your attention

up from M2W’s early scooter days — and the only bitter aftertaste is the headlight, which still refuses to fire up (I found out on the return leg of my commute, at night — scary!), thereby limiting saddle time to daylight only. I hope this is down to an errant switch and not something major.

On another note, ever since I stopped trying to hunt down Dukes and went a bit easy on the Mojo, its core has come to the front and it seems to work really well as a highway hauler and also a commuter. It’s roomy dimensions and ample grunt mean strapping on a large tail-bag (I’m not

a fan of packing light) takes nothing away from its performance or comfort and I’m quite enjoying the commute, perhaps a bit more than on its lighter, quicker contemporaries. Let’s hope the good run continues!

at ease


Lazy reLiabiLityONcE a favOURITE, NOw JUST a bEGINNERS’ dElIGhT

The first bike I ever owned was the Yamaha FZ-16. I learned to ride on it, and have been

an absolute fan ever since. Japanese reliability is hard to fault, and the Yammie was just so easy to ride. Fast forward all these years, and the bike has barely changed. It still has all its old qualities that I loved, plus the added refinement of fuel injection. But it doesn’t feel as sporty as I found it. Maybe it is due to bikes like the Gixxer, but today, the FZ-S is the bike I would

I’ve barely ridden the Apache this month. I just haven’t had the need to. If you’d like to know, I’ve added

around 500 km, but in terms of time spent on the bike, it’s hardly anything. I can put this down to the fact that my stupidity and childish exuberance has led me to trying to lower the time spent ‘commuting’. The Apache’s been good. Very good. Keep things in the middle of the rev range in every gear and you’ll be flying past everything on the road.

What makes it easier is that it’s very flickable. It’s just a thoroughly enjoyable bike overall. The only time I felt less than confident was when the sky opened up. The front loses that enviable grip and the brakes feel a bit soggy. Sadly, the one we have isn’t the ABS-equipped Apache, and that does make it slightly less enjoyable, especially in the wet. Still, a solid effort nonetheless. It makes the run to and fro highly enjoyable, and that’s all that matters in the end.

Still the most comfy seat in the segment

TIME<MIlEaGE fOR ThIS ONE

road runner

LOGGING IT OUT : YAMAHA FZ-S FI l Lightens you by: ` 95,000 (on-road, Mumbai) l Lived with: Aadil l Odometer reads: 9105 km l Drinking habits: 39 kpl l @india_yamaha l #MotoringFZS

recommend every single learner to start with. Open the throttle all the way and it still wont surge. Slam on the brakes and it still wont slide. And after all you can throw at it, (including delaying regular services by months at a time), it will still never fail you. This bike has been lying in the rain for an extended period of time, and it still starts impeccably. Of course, this means it isn’t as exciting to ride anymore, but hey, some of us just want a bike to get us from point A to point B, right?

LOGGING IT OUT : TVS ApAcHe RTR 200 l Lightens you by: ` 98,497 (on-road, Mumbai)l Lived with: Raunakl Odometer reads: 1600 km l Drinking habits: 35 kpl l @TVSMotor l #MotoringApache


Come rain, Come shine

smaLL wonder

ThE ShINE SOldIERS ON UNpERTURbEd

I am convinced that if somebody starts a magazine or a website

in India whose sole purpose would be to conduct fuel efficiency tests for cars and bikes, it would make big money. Because that is all what the general Indian population wants to know! I was riding back home one day and was on the Eastern Express Highway in Mumbai. A fellow driving a car crossed three lanes and then followed me, with lights flashing, gesticulating wildly to pull over. I am sure you must have guessed why. To enquire about the Navi’s fuel efficiency.

We’re victims of luxury in that we get a few options

to choose from when it comes to vehicles. It would be a surprising thing to hear if you picked the Shine instead of the lovely Apache standing next to it, which is what’s been happening for the past month or so.

Despite how much fun the Apache is, the Shine still manages to surprise me whenever I take it out. I was expecting to be all over the road because of the incessant

People can't get enough of the Navi. But if you happen to own one, the novelty factor will wear off very fast. But I don't mean that in a bad way. What I mean is, it makes you think after a while, why hadn't anyone launched something like this before? It is not an exotic toy, but a perfectly good daily commuter which can easily be used in place of a scooter. In fact, after riding the Navi for a while, a scooter feels ponderous and lethargic. The Navi’s only drawbacks are the lack of enough storage spaces and a fuel indicator. Other than that, it's a brilliant, cheap, fun runabout to own.

downpour, but it wasn’t, really. I mean, sure, fatter, grippier tyres would be a welcome addition, but it’s not so bad on those skinny tyres, either. You start focusing on other things like how on Earth you managed to squeeze past that milkman and the bus, and how long it’s been since you bothered with filling the tank.

All in, I’m glad that I have these two in my garage. It’s a nice balance of power and efficiency. Still can’t get over how wheelie-friendly the Shine is, though. Whee!

whY hadN'T aNYONE ThOUGhT Up SOMEThING lIkE ThIS bEfORE?

LOGGING IT OUT : HONDA NAVI l Lightens you by: ` 53,478 (on-road, Mumbai) l Lived with: Avisharl Odometer reads: 1291 km l Drinking habits: 40 kpl l @honda2wheelerin l #MotoringNavi

LOGGING IT OUT : HONDA cB SHINe Sp 125 l Lightens you by: ` 70,036 (on-road, Mumbai)l Lived with: Raunak l Odometer reads: 2268 km l Drinking habits: 42 kpl l @Honda2WheelerIn l#MotoringShine


baCk gainsThE hORNET pROvES IT'S NOT JUST a RIdER'S dEal

a word about it. I’ve ridden motorcycles that, according to the passengers I have chaperoned, have seats that are 'too tall', or 'too hard', or just plain uncomfortable. With the Hornet, thought, the pillion riders seem to be happy, and it’s good to talk about other things at the coffee shop than the seat 'being a pain in the butt'.

LOGGING IT OUT : HONDA cB HORNeT 160R l Lightens you by: ` 93,082 (on-road, Mumbai) l Lived with: Sachin Maddipatlal Odometer reads: 3200 km l Drinking habits: 40 kpl l @honda2wheelerin l #MotoringHornet

Motorcycles are supposedly made for a single rider. But, in the real world, we all have

companions or passengers — unless, of course, you are a curmedgeon. I am not, and the last three individuals who have travelled with me on the Honda CB Hornet 160R have all passed judgement on the pillion comfort without speaking

Well, hello, there. Kind of makes sense that my next new ride is another TVS.

I've had stints with the Jupiter and the Scooty, and now it's time to welcome the Victor into the garage.

The trouble so far has been the fact that the heavens won't stop pouring down everytime I even consider taking the Victor out for a spin. Nevertheless, I have taken a few spins, and it seems to be quite the easy motorcycle to live with, just like Raunak's been reporting all this while. Whatever mileage I have managed to put on it, the Victor has given me some very impressive efficiency. I'm not one to experiment with tricks like wheelies and the like so soon, but I'll give it a shot.

The rains have made this update rather meek, I'm afraid, but rest assured that I'll be back on it the moment there's a breather from the rains. Stay tuned.

... aNd IT’S a MOTORcYclE

number three...

LOGGING IT OUT : TVS VIcTOR l Lightens you by: ` 60,399 (on-road, Mumbai)l Lived with: Amitl Odometer reads: 1090 km l Drinking habits: 50 kpl l @TVSMotor l #MotoringVictor


Mercedes sends us a looker

Unlike most long termers I have had, this one is not a

brand-new car. It is about 15 months old and had done about 30,000 km when it came to me. No, I am not complaining because finally I have a petrol long termer and a really good-looking one at that. I have been a fan of its looks since the Beijing Motor Show in 2012, when

To go sipping around town? Sure thing!

EyE CatChEr

it was still a concept, and to be living with it every day is, well, a happy feeling. The aerodynamic shape with a sloping roofline and those gorgeous swoooping LED tail-lamps are stand-out features for me. The motor has enough grunt for city driving and I have been winning all traffic light grands prix, and this is when I have been driving it mostly

in Eco mode. The Sport mode is better, naturally, with the throttle response improving and the gear shifts becoming quicker. Some people have been unhappy with the rear-seat space, but it hasn’t been of any use for me till now. The boot is sufficient for daily needs, if you don’t block it with the space saver. Oh, and the boys in Mumbai are as green as this car is red!

LOGGING IT OUT: Mercedes BeNz cLA 200 l Lightens you by: ` 38.70 LAkh (on-road, Delhi) l Lived with: Anubhav l Odometer reads: 30,965 km l drinking habits: 11 kpl l @MercedesBenzIndia l #MotoringCLA

CoCoonEd and shEltErEd, this is thE four-whEElEd dEal

SURVIVORS


Many happy rEturns

turbokiCkEd in yo!

The creTa coMes back To us afTer geTTing soMe Tlc

LOGGING IT OUT : hyUNdAI creTA l Lightens you by: ` 15.03 LAkh (on-road, Mumbai) l Lived with: Rajshekhar Rao l Odometer reads: 21,330 km l drinking habits: 14 kpl l @HyundaiIndia l #MotoringCreta

needs soMe work, buT soldiers on noneTheless

In our earlier update we had mentioned that our Creta Survivor and an autorickshaw

shared a carnal union, even though it was unlawful. (It's okay, Creta, all is forgiven.)

However, this resulted in the Creta's bumper and tailgate wearing visible scars of the encounter. And it was due for a service anyway. So off it went to one of Hyundai Motor India's service centres, where it was repaired. The bumper was replaced, so was the tail-gate. Other than that, all the fluids were replaced and so were the filters. Now the Creta is as good as new — even though the 21,000-plus kilometres it

Every car I get seems to go back to the manufacturer in a month. This time my garage hosts the

Brezza, and before anything, let me tell you it has seen better days. The hatchback, coupled with the ground clearance, makes it perfect for all our tracking shots, which means it has been present on most of the shoots you see in this issue. And then mistakes happen. The driver door has an ugly dent on it and the car is super muddy (can’t just call it dirty) inside. That being said, the suspension remains as pliant as ever, and it handles very well for a car with that ground clearance. My favourite bit though? The surge of power post the turbo lag once you cross 2300rpm. It has mostly been my daily for these rains, and only been used for city jaunts, but I intend to stretch its legs on the highway this month. That door needs replacement though. Sooner than later.

has so far done have been nothing less than extreme.

The SUV still feels tightly put together and there are no rattles or knocks to indicate that it has been to the Motoring World School of Hard Knocks. The NVH levels inside are quite good and the cabin is a good place to live in. However one would appreciate that the controls on the door panels, like the mirror adjustments, would be illuminated. You end up groping the armrest at night. The rear view camera could easily be of better resolution — felt even more in the dark. Don't want any carnal unions while reversing.

LOGGING IT OUT :MArUTI sUzUkI VITArA BrezzA l Lightens you by: ` 10.11 LAkh (on-road, Mumbai) l Lived with: Aadil l Odometer reads: 9123 km l drinking habits: 16 kpl l @Maruti_Corp l #MotoringBrezza


This month, I’d gone back home to Kolkata for a few days and that gave me a

chance to drive around our Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 (the first version of the K10). You cannot make me say anything bad about it because being my own car, I am heavily biased towards it. But what struck me is, the advantages of starting of a clean sheet design and the ability of modern engineering to make a car lighter and more spacious than before, but without any measurable increase in size. It was only after driving a much older car that I could appreciate the space the Kwid offers inside. This includes the size of footwell, front

I used to ride a Duke 200 before upgrading to the 390. You would think the power bump would overwhelm

you, but you would be wrong. Getting used to power and speed takes no time, and the Punto Abarth is no different. I constantly find myself doing… um, speeds in places where I'd normally be much slower. So the engine is great. It doesn’t have the bark to go with the bite, though, and I wish Fiat had put a louder exhaust on it. Also, the long throws on the gearshift are getting increasingly more annoying as I get comfortable with putting down all that power, and the suspension bushings are pretty much done for, too. That’s a major let down, as an engine like this deserves the rest of the backup. And shouldn’t basic things like parking sensors and electronic mirrors be standard on a car like this? And what’s the deal with that super short and snappy clutch? And no telescopic adjustment on the steering? A hot hatch is about all round usability and that clutch makes city-driving not easy. Okay, I’m done ranting. Need to go burn some rubber.

thE frEnCh ConnECtion

not so hot a hatCh

new reasons To appreciaTe The kwid

LOGGING IT OUT: FIAT ABArTh PUNTO l Lightens you by: ` 11.89 LAkh (on-road, Mumbai) l Lived with: Aadill Odometer reads: 18,823 km l drinking habits: 8.2 kpl l @FiatIndia l #MotoringAbarth

LOGGING IT OUT : reNAULT kwId l Lightens you by: ` 4.65 LAkh (on-road, Mumbai) l Lived with: Avishar l Odometer reads: 4500 km l drinking habits: 13 kpl l @RenaultIndia l #MotoringKwid

knee room, shoulder room, rear knee room and the boot space, even though both cars share almost the same wheelbase length. The amount of luggage which I had struggled to fit in the boot of the Alto was gobbled up easily by the Kwid. Other than that, with the odometer climbing past the 4500-km mark, engine vibrations have reduced a lot and the gearbox has smoothened out, too. The jerky nature of the throttle which was quite irksome initially has reduced, too, which has made driving the Kwid is slow-moving traffic less of an irritant than before. It is all grown up now, the Kwid.

The engine is perfecT, buT liTTle else is


frEakin’ fun!

LOGGING IT OUT: MArUTI sUzUkI BALeNO l Lightens you by: ` 8.3 LAkh (on-road, Mumbai) l Lived with: Kartik l Odometer reads: 18, 053 km l drinking habits: 15 kpl l @Maruti_Corp l #MotoringBaleno

Actually, it left rather quietly, though its departure was a

bit sudden. One fine day, I was told that Tata had asked us to return the Tiago, so I had no option but to hand over its key. Not nice, since I always like taking some time saying goodbye to whatever machines come to me. Plus I might have forgotten to remove a motorcycle mudguard from the Tiago’s boot, but I can’t be sure.

In any case, the Tiago’s possible involuntary theft of a motorcycle part in no way changes the fact that

it’s a commendable effort from Tata — that’s the overall sense it’s left me with, and I had no problem recommending it to a friend who was on the lookout for a hatchback. What’s more, he bought it, too, which is a surprise because no one really listens to me.

In its time with us (me), the Tiago impressed with its build quality, finish and features, exasperated with its hopeless addiction to revs to get going, surprised with its rather nice-sounding motor and satisfied with its decent fuel efficiency. As far as

niggles go, the music system would restart itself without permission once in a while, the rear wiper would start functioning out of turn once in a while, and the rubber on the clutch pedal would come off once in a while. Minor niggles in what is otherwise quite a satisfying experience;

survived

GonE too soonThe Tiago zooMs ouT of our garage

pedal To The MeTal in This suzuki haTchback

not a deal breaker, certainly not for me, though some might think otherwise. I’m going to miss the little Tata, though. Good thing I still have the spare key. Maybe I’ll find out where it’s parked these days. Just to say goodbye, you know.

The headline says it all, really. I haven’t paid much attention

to how premium the Baleno feels on the inside. If you asked me about its ride quality, I wouldn’t be able to tell you much other than I’m still intact. The music system? Well, it plays songs, but don’t expect me to tell you how it sounds. The reason for this ignorance is the Baleno’s motor. I spend almost all of my time in the Baleno trying to keep those neat power and torque graphic readouts in the instrument console at their maximum. And it’s a lot of fun.

There is one annoyance,

though; the shift from first to second after a short visit to the redline sees the Baleno baulk a bit before picking up its skirt and scampering away. Don’t know why it should do that, but it’s probably a mapping issue. That’s about the only chink in the Baleno’s performance. Only one thing beats revving a willing petrol engine to work in the mornings — revving a motorcycle to work in the mornings. Anyway, I will eventually get around to measuring everyday fuel consumption and the like, but for now, I shall continue to try to kick a hole through that footwell.

LOGGING IT OUT: TATA TIAGO l Lightens you by: ` 5.25 LAkh (on-road, Mumbai) l Lived with: Kartik l Odometer reads: 5147 km l drinking habits: 13 kpl l @tatamotors l #MotoringTiago


a long-TiMe faVouriTe is back, and how!

Even though there are a handful of better cars this kind of money

can buy, I am a huge fan of the Tata Safari Storme. It’s not just down to nostalgia (remember how outlandish and cool the first-ever Safaris looked?) but also persistent improvisation over the years, which gave us, finally, a car that performed as well as it looked.

It was this latest-gen Safari — the Varicor400, 2.2-litre, 32.6 kgm number — that also won our 2015 SUV Slush Fest and it was unbelievable how effortless and capable it felt, even against far better-equipped

What EVERYONE looks at. No kidding

Knobs and buttons are easy to use

hEaVy MEtal

(and pricier) machinery. This obviously slotted it into a prime spot on my radar and the chase has finally ended in this rather purposefully-equipped Storme. While most press cars stay away from add-ons, this one’s been to Leh not long ago, the results of which are that impressive Rhino rack (and a military green cop-magnet in the form of a jerry can) and two very bright foglights which boost the Safari’s already very remarkable ability to bully auto-rickshaws.

While the engine and 4WD unit work admirably well despite 40-hard-thousand clicks on the odo,

the clutch definitely has seen better days and so have the (now-)creaking doors. Unfortunately, I also discovered that the loving enthusiasts (not!) who took it to Leh returned it with a spare wheel with a huge gash on the sidewall, therefore putting out-of-town trips on standby until a replacement tyre is sourced. That aside, driving the Storme even just within the city is quite an experience thanks to all that torque and its imposing presence. Let’s just say Tata’s going to have to put up a fight to take it back, when the time comes. Who’s coming along to flatten some hills, then?

LOGGING IT OUT: TATA sAFArI sTOrMe 2.2 VX 4X4 l Lightens you by: ` 18.45 LAkh (OTR, Mumbai) l Lived with: Ruman l Odometer reads: 41,996 km l drinking habits: 11 kpl l @tatamotors l #MotoringStorme



WHICHCAR?

BROUGHT TO YOU BY


L: 4701mm, H: 1427mm, W: 2040mm WB: 2808mm, KW: 1545(TFSI)/1595(TDI), Tyres: 225/55 R16, TC (dia): 11.5m, GC: NA TV: 480 litres, FT: 63 litres

L: 4629mm, H: 1653mm, W: 1880mm, WB: 2807mm, KW: 1740kg(TFSI), 1865kg (TDI), Tyres: 235/65 R17, TC (dia): 11.6m, TV: 540 litres, FT: 75 litres

Slots perfectly between the A5 and the RS5, this is the most practical of the lot.

Audi's most powerful production car, nonetheless, the RS7 is fast, sporty and a gorgeous sight to behold

Audi's most powerful production car, nonetheless, the RS7 is fast, sporty and a gorgeous sight to behold

s5

L: 4718mm H: 1382mm W: 1854mm WB: 2811mm KW: 1820 kg Tyres: 245/40 R18 TC (dia): 11.6 m GC: NA,TV: NA FT: 61 litres

L: 5012 mm H: 1419 mm W: 1911 mm WB: 2915 mm KW: 1995 kg Tyres: 275/35 R20 TC (dia): 11.9 m GC: NA FT: 75 litres

L: 4979 mm H: 1461 mm W: 1936 mm WB: 2915 mm KW: 2025 kg Tyres: 275/35 R20 TC (dia): 11.9 m GC: NA FT: 65 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransCoupe 62.5 62.5* 62.5* 62.5* 2995, V6 328 44.8 7AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransSportback 136 143 139 139 3993, V8 553 71.38 8AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransSportback 141 147 143 137 3993, V8 553 71.38 8AT

L: 5019mm, H: 1360mm, W: 2140mm, WB: 2989mm, KW: 1950 kg, Tyres: 245/40 R20 (f), 295/35 R20 (r), GC: NA, TV: NA, FT: 90.5 litres

The baby Aston still boasts brilliant style and a choice of explosive powerplants

You probably can't tell this one from the Vantage, but we assure you, it's worth the increased price

The Merc CLS may have started this class, but the Rapide is, hands down, the sportiest four-door

Aston-Martin's new flagship has great style, a brilliant V12 engine and the ability to cross countries

The newest Audi on the block, the A3 is all set to give the A-Class and 1 Series a tough time

The current A4 is a very competent luxury sedan

New version is lighter, more fuel efficient and offers first-in-class LED headlampsVANTAGE

L: 4385mm, H: 1608mm, W: 1831m, WB: 2603mm, KW: 1520kg (30TDI), 1660kg (35TDI) Tyres: 215/65 R16, TC (dia): 11.8 m, GC: NA,TV: 460 litres, FT: 64 litres

This 'baby' Audi still makes you feel special when you drive it. Just don't expect to go off-roading in it

q3

The Q5 provides a good blend of comfort as well as sportiness. Facelift has improved kit levels and steering feel

q5

A large, imposing SUV that’s probably too large for our crowded streets. Available only in 35 TDI Quattro guise

q7

With the Porsche 911, the R8 is the only other everyday supercar on the market

r8

DB9

rAPIDE s

VANqUIsH

A3

A6

The last word in luxury, the A8 L really does pamper you

A8 L

ASTON MARTIN

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans2.0 TFSI 46.7 45.57 45.85 46.2 1984, I4 221 35.6 7AT2.0 TDI 47.1 50.49 47.12 47.32 1968, I4 170 35.7 7AT3.0 TDI 52.47 58.35 53.09 53.52 2967, V6 245 59 7AT

L: 4933mm, H: 1455mm, W: 1874mm, WB: 2912mm, KW: 1660kg (35TDI), 1585kg (35TFSI),1970kg (S6) Tyres: 225/55 R17 (TFSI/TDI), 255/40 R19 (S6) TC (dia): 11.8m, GC: NA, TV: 530 litres, FT: 75 (S6: 65) litres

AudI beNTley

Available as a coupe, convertible and a saloon, the Continental range can be whatever you want it to be

CoNTINENTAL GT

Might not be as exotic as some of the other coupes, but it still packs quite a punch

TT

The super luxury saloon gets bigger, smarter and is surprisingly well-priced

fLyING sPUr

L: 4380mm, H: 1255/1265(Roadster)/1241(V12)mm, W: 2025mm, WB: 2600mm, KW: 1610/1690(Roadster)/1680(V12) kg, Tyres: 235/40 R19(f), 275/35 R19(r) (V8), 245/40 R19(f), 255/35 R19(f), 295/30R19(r) (V12), TV: 300/144(Roadster), FT: 80 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransV8 Roadster 145 145 145 145 4735, V8 313 47.92 6ATV8 Coupe 195 195 195 195 4735, V8 313 47.92 6ATV8 S Coupe 214 214 214 214 4735, V8 430 49.96 6ATV12 Coupe 280 280 280 280 5935, V12 380 58.12 6AT

L: 4710mm, H: 1300mm, W: 1875mm, WB: 2740mm, KW: 1760 kg,Tyres: 235/40 R19(f), 275 /35 R19(r), GC: NA, TV: NA, FT: 80 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransCoupe 190 190 190 190 5935, V12 470 61.18 6ATVolante 205 205 205 205 5935, V12 470 61.18 6AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLUXE 445 445 445 445 5935, V12 550 69.3 6AT

L: 4456 mm, H: 1416 mm, W: 1796 mm, WB: 2637 mm, KW: 1315 kg, Tyres: 205/55 R16 GC: NA, FT: 50 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans35TDI Attraction 22.95 23.98 23.59 22.95 1968, i4 141 32.6 6AT35TDI Premium 25.95 27.11 26.64 25.95 1968, i4 141 32.6 6AT35TDI Premium+ 29.95 31.29 30.72 29.95 1968, i4 141 32.6 6AT35TDI Technology 32.66 34.12 33.46 32.66 1968, i4 141 32.6 6AT40TFSI Premium+ 28.95 30.25 29.70 29.95 1798, i4 177 25.4 7AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans35TDI Prem. 32.83 33.95 29.06 32.25 1968, I4 174 39 7AT35TFSI Prem. 28.99 32.54 31.2 34.15 1798, I4 167 33 7AT35TDIPremSport35.86 37.09 35.92 36.59 1968, I4 174 39 7AT35TDI Tech Edit 54.71 39.71 41.3 48.35 1968, I4 174 39 7AT

L: 4720mm, H: 1294mm, W: 2067mm, WB: 2740mm, KW: 1739 kg, Tyres: 255/35 R20(f), 305/30 R20 (r) TC (dia): NA, GC: NA, TV: NA, FT: 78 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransV12 380 380 380 380 5935, v12 565 63.2 6AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans35 TDI 57.84 60.65 NA NA 1968, I4 188 40.8 7AT35 TFSI 52.51 55.30 NA NA 1798, i4 188 32.6 7AT S6 105.8 125.1 122.9 116.3 3993, V8 414 56.1 7AT

L: 5265mm, H: 1471mm, W: 1949mm, WB: 3122mm, KW: 2050kg (60TFSI), 2010kg (50TDI), 2170kg (60TDI), 2150kg (W12) Tyres: 235/55 R19 (W12), 235/55 R18 (rest) TC (dia): 12.7 m, GC: NA, TV: 460 litres, FT: 82 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans60 TFSI Quattro 125 103 102 NA 3993, V8 429 61.2 8AT50 TDI Quattro 117 122 119 120 2967, V6 247 59.1 8AT60 TDI Quattro 133 140 136 136 4134, V8 380 86.7 8ATW12 187 197 185 185 6300, W12 493 63.7 8AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans30TDI S Edition 27.83 29.26 28.56 28.56 1968. I4 138 32.6 6MT35TDI Premium 34.12 35.87 35.46 34.96 1968, I4 174 38.8 7AT35TDI Premi. + 38.59 40.57 39.51 39.51 1968, I4 174 38.8 7AT

L: 4431mm, H: 1252mm, W: 1904mm, WB: 2650mm, KW: 1565kg, Tyres: 235/35 R19(f), 295/30 R19(r) , TC (dia): 5.9m, GC: NA, Trunk Volume:100 litres, FT: 75litres (V8 coupe, V10 plus, LMX), 90 litres (V10 coupe), 80 litres (V10 Spyder)

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransV8 Coupe 171 180 174 174 4163, V8 423 43 7ATV10 Coupe 200 210 204 204 5204, V10 518 54 7ATV10 Spyder 198 181 198 198 5204, V10 518 54 7ATV10 Plus 220 231 224 224 5204, V10 541 55 7ATLMX 297 297 297 297 5204, V10 562 55 7AT

L: 4178mm H: 1842mm W: 1353mm WB: 2468mm KW: 1435kgTyres: 245/45 R17, TC (dia): 10.96 m, GC: NA, FT: 60 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans2.0TFSI NA NA NA NA 1984, I4 208 35.7 6AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransFlying Spur V8 321 335 NA NA 3993, V8 500 60.3 8ATFlying Spur W12 340 354 NA NA 5998, W12 616 74.3 8AT

L: 5307mm, H: 1479mm, W: 2118mm, WB: 3116mm, KW: 2475kg, Tyres: 275/40 R19, TC (dia): NA, GC: NA, TV: NA, FT: 90 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransGT V8 328 342 NA NA 3993, V8 500 60.3 8ATGT V8 S 354 368 NA NA 3993, V8 521 65.0 8ATGT Coupe 357 371 NA NA 5998, W12 626 76.3 8ATGT Speed 403 422 NA NA 5998, W12 567 70.2 8AT

A4L: 5089mm, H: 1737mm, W: 1983mm, WB: 3002mm, KW: 2345kg, Tyres: 255/55 R18, TC (dia): 16.5m, GC: 165-240mm, TV: 775 litres, FT: 100 litres

rs7

rs6 AVANT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransPremium 64.35 67.66 66.17 65.81 2967, V6 241 56 8ATPremium Plus 69.84 73.42 71.79 71.41 2967, V6 241 56 8ATTechnology 79.71 83.80 86.68 81.44 2967, V6 241 56 8AT

L: 5295mm, H: 1488mm, W: 1976mm, WB: 3065mm, KW: 2475kg, Tyres: 275/40 R20, TC (dia): 5.85 m, GC: NA, TV: NA

which car?prices


L: 4520, H: 1817mm, W: 1421mm, WB: 2760mm, KW: 1520-1585kg, Tyres: 225/45 R17, TC (dia): 11m, GC: NA, TV:NA, FT: 63 litres

L: 4239mm, H: 1291mm, W: 1790mm, WB: 2496mm, KW: 1525 kg,Tyres: 225/40 R18 (f), 255/35 R18 (r), TC (dia): NA, GC: NA, TV: 180 litres, FT: 55 litres

The Mulsanne takes the fight to Rolls-Royce's doorstep. This is what people talk about when they mean luxury

Regular Musanne too slow for you? Go get some Speed

Every Super Luxury Limo deserves some extra legroom doesnt it? Well this has quite a lot of it

Always dreamt of a a super limo that could off road? Well here is the Bentayga

MULsANNE

MULsANNE sPEED

MULsANNE ExTENDED wHEELBAsE

BENTAyGA

L:5575mm, H: 1521mm, W: 1926mm, WB: 3266mm, KW: 2711kg, Tyres: 265/45 R20, TC (dia): NA, GC: NA,TV: 443 litres, FT: 96 litres



L:5140mm, H: 1742mm, W: 1998mm, WB: 2995mm, KW: 2440kg, Tyres: 275/50 R20, TC (dia): NA, GC: 245,TV: 443 litres, FT: 85 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransMulsanne 555 572 NA NA 6752, V8 505 104 8AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransMulsanne TBA TBA NA NA 6752, V8 505 104 8AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransMulsanne 385 385* NA NA 6000, W12 600 91.7 8AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransMulsanne 777 777* NA NA 6752, V8 530 112 8AT

The new 3 Series offers the best driving experience in its segment, but sadly no petrol engines are on offer any more

The new 1 Series is quite pricey for a luxury hatch, but the driving experience is unparalleled

3-sErIEs

1-sErIEsbMw

L: 4324, H: 1421mm, W: 1765mm, WB: 2690mm, KW: 1375-1395kg, Tyres: 205/55 R16, TC (dia): NA, GC: NA, TV:NA, FT: 63 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans118d 23.02 24.05 23.31 23.30 1995, I4 143 32.6 8AT118d Sport L 26.04 27.21 26.37 26.36 1995, I4 143 32.6 8AT

Though it's a little softer than the previous generation car, it's now a much better all-rounder

5-sErIEs

L: 4899mm, H: 1464mm, W: 1860mm, WB: 2968mm, KW: 1685kg, Tyres: 225/55 R17, TC (dia): NA, GC: NA, TV: 520 litres, FT: NA

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans320d 31.41 31.41 31.41 31.41 1995, I4 181 38.7 8ATSport Line 35.61 35.61 35.61 35.61 1995, I4 181 38.7 8ATLuxury Line 35.61 35.61 35.61 35.61 1995, I4 181 38.7 8ATSport Line 41.49 41.49 41.49 41.49 1997, I4 241 35.6 8ATLuxury Line 41.49 41.49 41.49 41.49 1997, I4 241 35.6 8AT3GT 320d 45.90 48.22 45.90 45.90 1997, I4 241 35.6 8AT

Now available as both a two-door and four-door, the 6 Series almost makes the 5 Series redundant

6-sErIEs

L: 4894-5007mm, H: 1369-1392mm, W: 1894mm, WB: 2855-2968mm, KW: 1845-2015kg, Tyres: 245/40 R19 (f), 275/35 R19 (r), TV: 450 litres, FT: 70 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans640d GranCoupe 90.28 91.3 89.9 89.8 2993, I6 309 64.2 8AT

The sportiest of the luxo-barges, the recent update makes it a brilliant buy

7-sErIEs

L : 5212mm, H: 1478mm, W: 1902mm, WB: 3210mm, KW: 1980kg, Tyres: 245/45 R19 (f), 275/40 R19 (r), TC (dia): 12.7 m, GC: NA, TV: 500 litres, FT:82 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans740Li 86.4 90.7 86.4 86.4 2979, I6 321 45.9 8AT750Li 98.6 103 98.6 98.6 4395, V8 450 66.3 8AT760Li 131 138 131 131 5972, V12 544 76.5 8AT730Ld 83.4 87.62 83.4 83.4 2993, I6 255 57 8AT

L: 4454mm, H: 1545mm, W: 1798mm, WB: 2760mm, KW: 1455 kg, Tyres: 225/50 R17, TC (dia): 11.2 m, GC: 194mm, TV: 420-1350 litres, FT: 63 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransssDrive20d 24.4 25.63 24.4 24.4 1995, I4 181 38.7 8ATsDrive20d xLine 30.4 31.94 30.4 30.4 1995, I4 181 38.7 8ATsDrive20d Sport Line 30.4 31.94 30.4 30.4 1995, I4 181 38.7 8AT

x1More a raised wagon than an SUV, the X1 has cramped rear quarters but is a proper hoot to drive

L: 4648mm, H: 1881mm, W: 1661mm, WB: 2810mm, KW: 1790/2290(30d)kg, Tyres: 225/60 R17, TC (dia): 11.9m, GC: NA, TV: 550-1600 litres, FT: NA

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransxDrive20d 41.2 43.05 41.2 41.2 1995, I4 184 38.7 8AT

Not the class leader, but with good engines and nice ride quality, you can't go wrong with the X3

x3

L: 4886mm, H: 1762mm, W: 2184mm, WB: 2933mm, KW: 2145 kgs, Tyres: 275/55 R18/ 315/50 R18, TC (dia): 12.8, GC: NA, TV: NA, FT: 85 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransxDrive30d Exp. 64.9 64.9 NA NA 2993, i6 255 57 8ATxDrive30d 70.9 70.9 NA 72.1 2993, i6 255 57 8ATX5M 161.5 161.5 NA NA 4395, V8 575 76.5 8AT

The new X5 is here and it is a significant jump over the previous model. Jumps pretty well, too!

x5

L: 4877mm, H: 1690mm, W: 2195mm, WB: 2933mm, KW: 2190kg (50i), 2075kg (30d), Tyres: 275/40 R20 (f), 315/35 R20 (r), TC (dia):NA, GC: NA, TV: NA , FT: 85 litres

L: 4671mm, H: 1393mm, W: 1870mm, WB: 2812mm, KW: 1653kg Tyres: 255/35 R19 (f), 275/35 R19 (r), TC (dia):NA, GC: 122, FT: 60

It's got the road presence and goes like stink, but it's not really an SUV, nor is it particularly practical

BMW's most driver focused car goes turbo-charged

x6

M4

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransxDrive50i 85.5 89.83 85.5 85.5 4395, V8 407 62 8ATxDrive40d 68.7 72.17 68.7 68.7 2993, I6 306 64.2 8ATX6M 166.5 166.5 NA NA 4395, V8 575 76.5 8AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransCoupe 127.7 127.7 NA NA 2979, i6 431 56 7AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TranssDrive35i 65.9 65.9 65.9 65.9 2979, V6 302 40.8 6AT

Goes from coupe to convertible faster than you can say 'Paparazzi'

Z4

L : 4462mm, H: 1204mm, W: 1998mm, WB: 2710mm, KW: 1888kg, Tyres: 265/680 R20 (f), 365/710 R21 (r), TC (dia): NA, GC: NA, TV: NA, FT: 100 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransVeyron 16.4 1600 1600 1600 1600 7993, W16 1200 153 7AT

The most expensive car sold in the country, it's the stuff legends are made of

VEyroN GrAND sPorTbuGATTI

Boasts quirky styling that still manages to turn heads, this is also quite a practical hatch

BEATCHeVROleT

L: 3640mm, H: 1520mm, W: 1595mm, WB: 2375mm, KW: 965kg, Tyres: 155/70 R14, TC (dia): 9.4m, GC: 175mm, TV: 170 litres, FT: 43 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransPS 3.73 3.91 3.76 3.79 1199, I4 79 10.9 5MLS 3.99 4.18 4.02 4.05 1199, I4 79 10.9 5MLT 4.44 4.65 4.48 4.52 1199, I4 79 10.9 5MLT(O) 4.92 5.17 4.97 5.01 1199, I4 79 10.9 5MLS LPG 4.48 4.7 4.52 4.56 1199, I4 79 10.9 5MLT LPG 4.8 4.75 4.65 4.73 1199, I4 79 10.9 5MPS Diesel 4.73 4.97 4.77 4.82 1199, I4 79 10.9 5MLS Diesel 4.73 4.97 4.77 4.82 936, I3 58.5 15.2 5MLT Diesel 5.14 5.39 5.16 5.23 936, I3 58.5 15.2 5MLT(O) Diesel 5.69 5.89 5.66 5.71 936, I3 58.5 15.2 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLT 12.54 13.15 12.64 12.75 1998, I4 164 38.7 6MLTZ 14.17 14.87 14.29 14.41 1998, I4 164 38.7 6MLTZ AT 15.25 16.95 16.43 16.44 1998, I4 164 38.7 6AT

It's got a powerhouse of an engine and is a very relaxed cruiser as well. Rear seat is a little cramped

CrUZE

L:4597mm, H: 1477mm, W: 1788mm, WB: 2685mm, KW: 1520kg,Tyres: NA, TC (dia)1:0 .8m, GC: 165mm, FT: 60 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans520d 47.16 49.27 42.65 46.9 1995, I4 184 38.7 8AT525d 49.67 54.52 50.28 51.9 2993, I6 202 45.9 8AT530d 56.81 60.83 57.51 57.9 2993, I6 243 55.1 8AT520i 54 54* NA NA 1997,i4 184 27.5 8AT M5 99.9 99.9 99.9 99.9 4395, V8 552 69.3 8AT


Like the hatchback, it's got value for money and space on its side. Not the most exciting to drive though

sAIL

L: 4249mm H: 1503mm W: 1690mm WB: 2465mm KW: 1124 kg, Tyres: 175/70 R14, TC(dia): 10.3m, GC: 168mm, TV: 370 litres, FT: 45 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransPS 5.12 4.99 4.98 4.98 1199, I4 85 11.52 5MLS 5.68 5.57 5.5 5.5 1199, I4 85 11.52 5MLS ABS 5.97 5.88 5.84 5.84 1199, I4 85 11.52 5MLT 6.42 6.29 6.25 6.25 1199, I4 85 11.52 5MPS Diesel 6.59 6.43 6.4 6.4 1248, I4 77 20.9 5MLS Diesel 6.8 6.61 6.58 6.58 1248, I4 77 20.9 5MLS ABS Diesel 7.06 6.92 6.87 6.87 1248, I4 77 20.9 5MLT Diesel 7.6 7.53 7.49 7.49 1248, I4 77 20.9 5M

L: 3946mm, H: 1503mm, W: 1690mm, WB: 2465mm, KW: 1124 kg, Tyres: 175/70 R14, TC (dia): 12.7 m, GC: NA, TV: 500 litres, FT: 82 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransPS 4.44 4.65 4.52 4.51 1199, I4 85 11.52 5MLS 4.83 5.07 4.93 4.92 1199, I4 85 11.52 5MLS ABS 5.18 5.43 5.28 5.27 1199, I4 85 11.52 5MLT 5.57 5.85 5.68 5.67 1199, I4 85 11.52 5MPS Diesel 5.78 6.1 5.9 5.9 1248, I4 77 20.9 5MLS Diesel 5.87 6.16 5.98 5.97 1248, I4 77 20.9 5MLS ABS Diesel 6.19 6.49 6.31 6.3 1248, I4 77 20.9 5MLT Diesel 6.62 6.94 6.74 6.73 1248, I4 77 20.9 5M

It may seem a little plain, but it has a lot of space and is great value for money

sAIL U-VA

L: 4305mm, H: 1750mm, W: 1680mm, WB: 2720mm, KW: 1345 kg, Tyres: 175/70 R14, TC(dia): 10.9m, GC: 195mm, TV: 630 litres, FT: 50 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLS 5.12 5 5 5 1399, I4 102.5 13.3 5MLT 5.56 5.49 5.4 5.4 1399, I4 102.5 13.3 5MLTZ 5.68 5.54 5.48 5.48 1399, I4 102.5 13.3 5MLS Diesel 6.45 6.31 6.27 6.27 1248, I4 76.44 19.1 5MLT Diesel 6.9 6.75 6.69 6.69 1248, I4 76.44 19.1 5MLTZ Diesel 6.98 6.81 6.7 6.7 1248, I4 76.44 19.1 5M

Compact and spacious. It may not dethrone the Ertiga, but it'll make for a very good buy for sure

ENJoy

It's pretty old; there are better options if you want a family car. Hard to beat the value proposition, though

TAVErA

Recent facelift gives it aggressive looks, nice chassis. Might want to be careful when going off road, though

TrAILBLAZEr

L: 4878mm, H: 1851mm, W: 2132mm, WB: 2845mm, KW: 2068kg, Tyres: 265/60 R18 tubeless, TC (dia): 11.6m, GC: 253,TV: 465-930 litres, FT: 65 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans LTZ 26.99 27.82 27.49 27.49 2776, i4 197 51 6AT

L: 4435mm, H: 1765mm, W: 1680mm, WB: 2685mm, KW: 1660 kg, Tyres: 175/70 R14 TC(dia): 10.9m GC: 174mm TV: NA FT: 55 litres

Devastating performance, brilliant handling and GT capabilities. The ultimate supercar? You bet!

f12

L:4665mm, H:1336mm, W:1962mm, WB:2750mm, KW:1688 kg, Tyres:235/35 R20(f), 295/30 R20(r) TC(dia):11.9m, GC: NA, TV: 230 litres, FT: 80 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransFiorano Coupe 550 550 550 550 6262, V12 720 70 7AT

The first of the modern turbo Fezzas is... quicker than an Enzo. 'Nuff said. Deliveries to begin in 2016

488 GTB

L: 4568mm, H: 1213mm, W: 1952mm, WB: 2650mm, KW: 1370 kg, Tyres:245/35 R20, 305/30 R20, GC: NA, TV:229 litres FT: 78 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransCoupe 280 480 NA NA 4499, V8 620 77.5 7AT

feRRARI

dATSuNFour-wheel-drive makes its way into Ferraris and the FF flaunts that with pride

ff

L: 4907mm, H: 1379mm, W: 1953mm, WB: 2989mm, KW: 1880 kg,Tyres: 245/35 R20(f),295/35 R20(r), GC: NA, TV: 450 litres , FT: 90.8 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransCoupe 340 340 340 340 6262, V12 651 69.9 6AT

The new Punto Evo is here with updates and new styling. Wish the front stayed the same, though

The new Punto Evo gets a raised suspension, and some funky adventure bits

The Abarth Punto is India's first proper hot hatch, and it does have the performance to match

PUNTo EVo

PUNTo AVVENTUrA

ABArTH PUNTo

fIAT

The new Linea's now even more of a looker, and it gets a much-improved interior to boot!

LINEA

L: 4560mm, H: 1494mm, W: 1730mm, WB: 2603mm, KW: 1180 kg, Tyres: 195/60 R15, 205/55 R16 (T-Jet petrol), Turning circledia: 11.1m, GC: 16mm, TC (dia): 11.1m, GC: 165mm, TV: 500 litres, FT: 45 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransActive 1.4 Petrol 7.00 7.22 7.17 7.19 1368, I4 88 11.7 5MDynamic 1.4 Petrol 8.54 8.77 8.69 8.70 1368, I4 88 11.7 5MActive 1.3 Diesel 8.16 8.35 8.29 8.32 1248, I4 92 21.3 5MDynamic 1.3 Diesel 9.29 9.50 9.43 9.46 1248, I4 92 21.3 5MEmotion 1.3 Diesel 9.74 9.96 9.89 9.92 1248, I4 92 21.3 5MActive 1.4 T-Jet 7.45 7.65 7.58 7.59 1368, I4 112 21.1 5MEmotion 1.4 T-Jet 9.02 9.27 9.18 9.19 1368, I4 112 21.1 5M1.4 LP Classic 5.99 6.16 6.09 6.09 1368, I4 88 11.7 5M1.3 D Classic 7.02 7.16 7.08 7.08 1248, I4 75 20 5M1.3 D Classic+ 7.58 7.70 7.64 7.64 1248, I4 75 20 5M

L: 3989mm, H: 1525mm, W: 1687mm, WB: 2510mm, KW: 1190-1198kg Tyres: 165/80 R14 (Active/Dynamic), 175/70 R14 (Emotion), 195/60 R15 (Emotion Pack), TC (dia): 10.5m, GC: 185-195mm, FT: 45 litres

L: 3989mm, H: 1542mm, W: 1706mm, WB: 2510mm, KW: 1190-1255kg Tyres: 165/80 R14 (Active/Dynamic),

L: 3989mm, H: 1505mm, W: 1687mm, WB: 2510mm, KW: 1198kg Tyres: 195/55 R16

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransActive 1.2Petrol 4.55 4.71 4.65 4.67 1172, I4 67 9.76 5MDynamic 1.2 Petrol 5.12 5.28 5.22 5.24 1172, I4 67 9.76 5MEmotion 1.4 Petrol 6.65 6.86 6.78 6.80 1172, I4 67 9.76 5MActive 1.3 Diesel 5.27 5.44 5.37 5.40 1248, I4 75 20.8 5MDynamic 1.3 Diesel 6.21 6.40 6.33 6.35 1248, I4 75 20.8 5MEmotion 1.3 Diesel 6.83 7.04 6.96 6.98 1248, I4 75 20.8 5M90-HP Diesel 7.19 7.42 7.33 7.35 1248, I4 92 21.3 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans1.3 Multijet Active 7.87 8.03 8 8.03 1248, i4 91.7 21.3 5M1.3 Multijet Dynamic 8.69 8.95 8.84 8.87 1248, i4 91.7 21.3 5M1.3 Multijet Emotion9.28 9.65 9.44 9.47 1248, i4 91.7 21.3 5M1.4 T-Jet Abarth 10.36 10.78 10.55 10.57 1368, i4 140 21.4 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransAcbarth 10.3 10.6 10.49 10.5 1368, I4 145 21.6 5M

The brand returns after a three decade hiatus with a car that takes on Maruti Suzuki's bread and butter - the Alto

Datsun aims for the people carrier segment with the Go+

The brand returns after a three decade hiatus with a car that takes on Maruti Suzuki's bread and butter - the Alto

DATsUN Go

DATsUN Go+

DATsUN rEDI Go

L: 3785mm, H: 1635mm, W: 1485mm, WB: 2450mm, KW: 769 kg,Tyres: 155/70 R13, TC(dia): 9.2m, GC: 180mm, TV: 256 litres, FT: 35 litres DATSUN GO+

L: 3785mm, H: 1635mm, W: 1485mm, WB: 2450mm, KW: 769 kg,Tyres: 155/70 R13, TC(dia): 9.2m, GC: 180mm, TV: 256 litres, FT: 35 litres

L: 3785mm, H: 1635mm, W: 1485mm, WB: 2450mm, KW: 769 kg,Tyres: 155/70 R13, TC(dia): 9.2m, GC: 180mm, TV: 256 litres, FT: 35 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransD 3.12 3.26 3.17 3.12 1198, I3 67 10.8 5MD1 3.15 3.28 3.19 3.14 1198, I3 67 10.8 5MA 3.46 3.62 3.52 3.46 1198, I3 67 10.8 5MT 3.69 3.86 3.76 3.69 1198, I3 67 10.8 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransD 3.85 4.01 3.92 3.94 1198, I3 67 10.8 5MA 4.05 4.23 4.12 4.05 1198, I3 67 10.8 5MA EPS 4.48 4.67 4.56 4.48 1198, I3 67 10.8 5MT 4.72 4.92 4.80 4.72 1198, I3 67 10.8 5MT (O) 4.92 5.13 5.01 4.92 1198, I3 67 10.8 5MStyle 4.77 4.98 4.86 4.77 1198, I3 67 10.8 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransD 2.38 2.49 2.43 2.38 799, I3 53.2 7.3 5MA 2.82 2.94 2.87 2.82 799, I3 53.2 7.3 5MT 3.09 3.22 3.14 3.09 799, I3 53.2 7.3 5MT (O) 3.19 3.33 3.25 3.19 799, I3 53.2 7.3 5MS 3.34 3.48 3.40 3.34 799, I3 53.2 7.3 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransNeo 3 7.94 8.33 8.12 8.1 1994, I4 105.3 26.8 5MNeo 3 Max 8.59 9.02 8.78 8.76 1994, I4 105.3 26.8 5MNeo 3 LS 10.42 10.94 10.64 10.63 1994, I4 105.3 26.8 5MNeo 3 LT 11.28 11.85 11.53 11.52 1994, I4 105.3 26.8 5M

Turbocharging has given the California a new, more eco-friendly avatar. Helps that it has better looks, too

fErrArI CALIforNIA T

L: 4570mm, W: 1910mm, H: 1321mm, WB: 2670mm, KW: 1730kg, Tyres: 245/40ZR19 (front) 285/40 ZR19 (rear), TC (dia): NA, GC: 119mm, TV: 241-340 litres, FT: 78 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Transconvertible 250 427 NA NA 3855, V8T 552 77 7AT


fORCe MOTORS

fORd

The legend has returned with more power, better creature comforts. Some build quality issues though

It's got presence, but build quality could be better though. The Mercedes-Benz sourced engine performs well

GUrKHA

forCE oNE

L: 3992mm, H: 2055mm, W: 1820mm, WB: 2400mm, KW:1410 kg, Tyres: 245/70 R16, TC(dia): 11.2 m, GC: 210mm, TV: NA, FT: 63 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransSoft top (4x2) 6.25 6.25 6.25 6.25 2596, I5 80 23.4 5MSoft top (4x4) 8.35 8.35 8.35 8.35 2596, I5 80 23.4 5MHard top (4x4) 8.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 2596, I5 80 23.4 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans6+D 10.56 10.56 10.66 10.76 2149, I4 139 32.7 5M7+D 11.26 11.26 11.36 11.46 2149, I4 139 32.7 5ML: 4860mm, H: 1885mm, W: 1780mm, WB: 3025mm, KW: NA,Tyres: 235/70 R16, TC (dia): 12m, GC: 205mm, TV: NA,FT: 70 litres

The last of the Ford hydraulic steering systems is on its way out. Soon to be replaced by the new Figo

The modern exteriors belie its roots. It is a very capable off-roader though. A replacement is due soon

fIGo

ENDEAVoUr

L: 4998, H: 1836mm, W: 1789mm, WB: 2860mm, KW: 1875- 1995kg, Tyres: 245/70 R16, TC (dia): NA, GC: 210mm, TV: NA, FT: 71 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans1.2 DuratecLXI 3.84 4.04 3.92 3.92 1196, I4 70 10.4 5MEXI 4.22 4.44 4.31 4.3 1196, I4 70 10.4 5MZXI 4.52 4.75 4.61 4.61 1196, I4 70 10.4 5MTitanium 5.11 5.26 5.11 5.05 1196, I4 70 10.4 5M1.4 Duratorq LXI 4.91 5.05 4.91 4.88 1399, I4 68 16.3 5MEXI 5.2 5.46 5.31 5.27 1399, I4 68 16.3 5MZXI 5.5 5.78 5.61 5.61 1399, I4 68 16.3 5MTitanium 5.99 6.21 6.11 6.11 1399, I4 68 16.3 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans3.0 4x4 AT 19.14 21.78 20.96 21.14 2953, I4 153 38.7 5AT3.0 4x2 AT 17.44 20.09 19.33 19.5 2953, I4 153 38.7 5AT2.5 4x2 MT 15.07 18.73 18.02 18.18 2499, I4 143 33.7 5M

L: 3795mm, H: 1427mm, W: 1680mm, WB: 2489mm, KW: 1040 - 1130 kg Tyres: 175/65 R14, TC (dia): 9.8m, GC: 168mm, TV: 284 litres, FT: 45 litres

Ford's sub-4m sedan is an accomplished one and should be on your radar if you're considering something in the segment

fIGo AsPIrE

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransAmbiente Ti-VCT 5.37 5.95 5.99 5.71 1196, I4 87 11.4 5MTrend Ti-VCT 6.30 6.98 7.10 6.72 1196, I4 87 11.4 5MAmbiente TDCI 6.50 7.26 7.25 6.87 1495, I4 99 21.9 5MTitanium Ti-VCT 7.49 8.08 8.22 7.79 1196, I4 87 11.4 5MTrend TDCi 7.69 8.31 8.31 7.91 1495, I4 99 21.9 5MTitanium+ Ti-VCT 8.10 8.73 8.89 8.43 1196, I4 87 11.4 5MTitanium TDCI 8.73 9.43 9.44 8.99 1495, I4 99 21.9 5MTitanium 1.5 Ti-VCT 8.70 9.38 9.56 9.07 1499, I4 108.5 13.9 6ATTitanium+ TDCI 9.34 10.09 10.10 9.63 1495, I4 99 21.9 5ML: 3995mm, H: 1525mm, W: 1695mm, WB: 2491mm, KW: 995-1048 kg Tyres: 175/65 R14, TC (dia): 9.8m, GC: 174mm, TV: 359 litres, FT: 40 litres

Brilliant pricing and bold design means the EcoSport is a hot commodity in the market now

ECosPorT

L: 3999mm, H: 1708mm, W: 1765mm, WB: 2520mm, KW: 1259-1290 kg, Tyres: 205/60 R16 TC (dia): 10.6 m, GC: 200mm, TV: 362 litres, FT: 52 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransEcoSport 1.5TiVCTPetrol Ambiente 5.59 5.8 5.62 5.62 1499, I4 107 14.28 5MPetrol Trend 6.49 6.79 6.52 6.52 1499, I4 107 14.28 5MPetrol Titanium 7.5 7.9 7.6 7.6 1499, I4 107 14.28 5MPetrol Titanium AT 8.44 8.88 8.49 8.49 1499, I4 107 14.28 6AT1.0L Petrol Ecoboost Titanium 7.89 8.2 7.96 7.96 999, I3 123 17.3 5MTitanium (O) 8.28 8.4 8.32 8.32 999, I3 123 17.3 5M1.5 TDCi DieselAmbiente 6.69 6.79 6.75 6.75 1498, I4 88.7 20.7 5MTrend 7.6 7.8 7.7 7.7 1498, I4 88.7 20.7 5MTitanium 8.61 8.8 8.69 8.69 1498, I4 88.7 20.7 5MTitanium(O) 8.99 9.2 9.02 9.02 1498, I4 88.7 20.7 5M

HONdA

Zippy little runabout in the city. This lightweight offering is fun to drive and gets great fuel economy as well

BrIo

L: 3610mm, H: 1500mm, W: 1680mm, WB: 2345mm, KW: 930 kg (avg), Tyres: 175/65 R14, TC (dia): 9.2 m, GC: 150mm, TV: NA, FT: 55 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransE 4.06 4.3 4.15 4.15 1198, I4 86.8 11.1 5MEX 4.26 4.52 4.35 4.35 1198, I4 86.8 11.1 5MS 4.55 4.83 4.65 4.65 1198, I4 86.8 11.1 5MV 4.95 5.3 5 5.05 1198, I4 86.8 11.1 5MVX 5.24 5.56 5.34 5.36 1198, I4 86.8 11.1 5MVX AT 5.74 6.09 5.84 5.85 1198, I4 86.8 11.1 5AT

The new CR-V is still one of the best soft-roaders here, rev-happy petrol engines only add to the fun

Cr-V

Honda’s answer to the Maruti Ertiga is the rather stylish, seven-seat Mobilio. And it’s pretty competitive with pricing as well

L: 4386, H:1603, W: 1683, WB: 2652, KW: 1131-1246 kg, Tyres: 185/65R16, GC: 189 mm, FT: 42 litres

MoBILIo

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransE 6.49 NA NA NA 1498, i4 117 14.7 5MS 7.50 NA NA NA 1498, i4 117 14.7 5MV 8.76 NA NA NA 1498, i4 117 14.7 5ME (D) 7.89 NA NA NA 1498, i4 98.6 20.3 5MS (D) 8.60 NA NA NA 1498, i4 98.6 20.3 5MV (D) 10.86 NA NA NA 1498, i4 98.6 20.3 5M

L: 4565mm, H: 1685mm, W: 1820mm, WB: 2620mm, KW: 1470kg (MT), 1600kg (AT), Tyres: 225/65 R17, TC (dia): 11.08m, GC: 170mm,TV: 589 litres, FT: 58litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans2.0 MT 20.05 21.23 20.8 20.72 1997, I4 154 19.3 6M2.0 AT 20.3 21.5 21.1 21.06 1997, I4 154 19.3 6AT2.4 AT 20.95 22.17 21.72 21.64 2354, I4 187 23.04 6AT2.4 AT AVN 22.6 24.8 23.31 23.22 2354, I4 187 23.04 6AT

The fourth-gen may be an evolution, but it makes a good car even better. Best interior in class by-far!

CITy

The first Honda to come with a diesel engine in India, it lives up to the high expectations we have of it

AMAZE

L: 3990mm, H: 1475mm, W: 1680mm, WB: 2800mm, KW: 965-1075 kg, Tyres: 175/65 R14 TC (dia): 9.4 m, GC: 155mm, TV: 400 litres, FT: 35 litres

L: 4420mm, H: 1480mm, W: 1695mm, WB: 2550mm, KW: 1100kg (MT), 1155kg (AT), Tyres: 175/65 R15 , TC (dia): 10.6m, GC: 160mm, TV:506 litres, FT: 42 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransE 7.42 7.78 7.53 7.52 1497, I4 116 14.9 5MS 8.04 8.43 8.17 8.17 1497, I4 116 14.9 5MSV 8.49 8.90 8.63 8.64 1497, I4 116 14.9 5ME Diesel 8.62 9.04 8.77 8.78 1498, I4 98.6 20.4 6MV 8.99 9.42 9.13 9.14 1497, I4 116 14.9 6ATS Diesel 9.24 9.69 9.40 9.42 1498, I4 98.6 20.4 6MSV AT 9.49 9.95 9.63 9.65 1497, I4 116 14.9 CVTSV Diesel 9.66 10.13 9.83 9.85 1498, I4 98.6 20.4 6MVX 9.93 10.41 10.08 10.10 1497, I4 116 14.9 5MV Diesel 10.16 10.65 10.34 10.37 1498, I4 98.6 20.4 6MVX AT 10.98 11.51 11.14 11.17 1497, I4 116 14.9 CVTVX Diesel 11.10 11.65 11.29 11.33 1498, I4 98.6 20.4 6M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransE 4.99 5.35 5.09 5.04 1198, I4 86.8 11.1 5MEX 5.27 5.64 5.37 5.32 1198, I4 86.8 11.1 5MS 5.68 6.09 5.79 5.74 1198, I4 86.8 11.1 5MS AT 6.69 7.16 6.8 6.75 1198, I4 86.8 11.1 5ATVX 6.66 7.12 6.76 6.71 1198, I4 86.8 11.1 5MVX AT 7.52 8.08 7.72 7.64 1198, I4 86.8 11.1 5ME Diesel 6.02 6.52 6.23 6.18 1498, I4 98.6 20.4 5MEX Diesel 6.3 6.8 6.51 6.45 1498, I4 98.6 20.4 5MS Diesel 6.73 7.13 6.86 6.8 1498, I4 98.6 20.4 5MVX Diesel 7.66 8.08 7.79 7.74 1498, I4 98.6 20.4 5M

The Jazz is back in the lineup, and this time around with a diesel and an auto 'box. Oh, and 'only' nine cup holders

JAZZ

L: 3955mm, H: 1544mm, W: 1694mm, WB: 2530mm, KW: 1007-1066kg, Tyres: 175/70 R14, TC (dia): 10.2m, GC: 165mm, TV:354 litres, FT: 40 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransE 5.77 6.39 6.55 6.25 1198, I4 87 11.2 5MS 6.40 7.09 7.27 6.94 1198, I4 87 11.2 5MSV 7.18 7.73 7.91 7.55 1198, I4 87 11.2 5ME Diesel 7.35 7.93 7.99 7.63 1498, I4 98 20.4 6MV 7.56 8.14 8.35 7.97 1198, I4 87 11.2 5MS AT 7.77 8.37 8.56 8.16 1198, I4 87 11.2 CVTS Diesel 8.06 8.70 8.77 8.37 1498, I4 98 20.4 6MVX 8.10 8.72 8.93 8.53 1198, I4 87 11.2 5MSV diesel 8.63 9.30 9.37 8.95 1498, I4 98 20.4 6MV AT 8.71 9.38 9.60 9.16 1198, I4 87 11.2 CVTV Diesel 9.13 9.84 9.93 9.48 1498, I4 98 20.4 6MVX Diesel 9.67 10.43 10.51 10.03 1498, I4 98 20.4 6M

The all new BR-V is a worthy alternative to very expensive Innova

Br-V

L: 4453mm, H: 1666mm, W: 1735mm, WB: 2662mm, KW: 1199-1235 kg, Tyres:195/60 R16, GC: 210, TV:NA , FT: 42 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransPetrol E 8.75 9.18 8.86 8.91 1497, i4 117 14.8 6MTPetrol S 9.90 10.38 9.99 10.10 1497, i4 117 14.8 6MTPetrol V 10.90 11.43 11.05 11.10 1497, i4 117 14.8 6MTPetrol VX 11.84 12.42 11.99 12.04 1497, i4 117 14.8 6MTPetrol V CVT 11.99 12.58 12.14 12.19 1497, i4 117 14.8 CVTDiesel E 9.90 10.38 9.99 9.99 1498, i4 98.6 20.4 6MTDiesel S 10.99 11.53 11.13 11.18 1498, i4 98.6 20.4 6MTDiesel V 11.85 12.43 12.01 12.06 1498, i4 98.6 20.4 6MTDiesel VX 12.90 12.58 13.08 13.13 1498, i4 98.6 20.4 6MT


A more mature i10 that's larger, loaded and comes with a frugal diesel option

HyuNdAI

GrAND i10

L: 3565mm, H: 1550mm, W: 1595mm, WB: 2380mm, KW: NA , Tyres: 155/80 R13, TC(dia): NA, GC: NA, TV: NA, FT: 35 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransEra 1.2 4.79 5.13 4.37 4.37 1197, I4 81 11.5 5MMagna 1.2 5.00 5.36 4.57 4.57 1197, I4 81 11.5 5MSportz 1.2 5.43 5.82 4.95 4.97 1197, I4 81 11.5 5MAsta 1.2 5.66 6.14 5.57 5.25 1197, I4 81 11.5 5MEra 1.1 CRDi 5.87 6.34 5.33 5.33 1120, I4 70 16.3 5MAsta 1.2 6.08 6.52 5.57 5.57 1197, I4 79 11.4 5MMagna 1.1 6.08 6.58 5.53 5.53 1120, I4 70 16.3 5MSportz AT 6.24 6.69 5.73 5.73 1197, I4 81 11.5 4ATSportz 1.1 6.51 7.05 5.93 5.94 1120, I4 70 16.3 5MAsta AT 6.53 7.01 6.00 6.00 1197, I4 81 11.5 4ATAsta 1.1. 6.96 7.37 6.20 6.20 1120, I4 70 16.3 5MAsta 1.1 (O) 7.39 7.75 6.53 6.53 1120, I4 70 16.3 5M

A stylish alternative to the Alto. The engine isn't too eager to move the car, thoughA versatile car that's perfect for city

use. Easy controls make it perfect for beginners too

EoNi10

L: 3495mm, H: 1500mm, W: 1550mm, WB: 2380mm, KW: 795kg, Tyres: 145/80 R12, 155/70 R13, TC (dia): NA, GC: 170mm, TV: NA, FT: 32 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans1.0 litreD-Lite 2.75 2.88 2.77 2.8 814, I3 55 7.6 5MD-Lite + 3.04 3.22 3.06 3.09 814, I3 55 7.6 5MEra + 3.18 3.33 3.21 3.24 814, I3 55 7.6 5MD-Lite + LPG 3.56 3.84 3.76 3.83 814, I3 55 7.6 5MEra + LPG 3.3 3.59 3.48 3.5 814, I3 55 7.6 5MMagna + 3.48 3.65 3.51 3.55 814, I3 55 7.6 5MMagna + LPG 3.84 4.1 4.03 4.05 814, I3 55 7.6 5MSportz 3.76 3.95 3.8 3.83 814, I3 55 7.6 5M

L: 3565mm, H: 1550mm, W: 1595mm, WB: 2380mm, KW: NA , Tyres: 155/80 R13, TC(dia): NA, GC: NA, TV: NA, FT: 35 litres

L: 3940mm, H: 1505mm, W: 1710mm, WB: 2525mm, KW: 1066kg, Tyres: 175/70 R14 (Magna), 185/65 R14 (Asta), TV: 285 litres, FT: 45 litres

Large hatch filled with features. With a choice of three engines, you're bound to find what you're looking for

Elite i20

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans1.1 D-Lite 3.65 3.83 3.69 3.72 1086, I4 68 10.1 5M1.1 Era 4 4.19 4.03 4.04 1086, I4 68 10.1 5M1.1 Magna 4.14 4.34 4.18 4.22 1086, I4 68 10.1 5M1.1 Era LPG 4.28 4.48 4.32 4.32 1086, I4 68 10.1 5M1.1 Magna LPG 4.43 4.64 4.46 4.51 1086, I4 68 10.1 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans1.2 Era 4.73 4.96 4.77 4.82 1197, I4 83 11.6 5M1.2 Magna 4.97 5.21 5.02 5.06 1197, I4 83 11.6 5M1.2 Magna (O) 5.36 5.68 5.39 5.4 1197, I4 83 11.6 5M1.2 Sportz 5.75 6.02 5.8 5.85 1197, I4 83 11.6 5M1.2 Asta 6.21 6.51 6.27 6.32 1197, I4 83 11.6 5M1.2Asta with sunroof 6.66 6.98 6.28 6.78 1197, I4 83 11.6 5M1.4 Sportz AT 7.67 8.04 7.74 6.78 1396, I4 98.6 13.9 5AT1.4 Era 5.95 6.23 6 6.06 1396, I4 88.7 22.4 6M1.4 Magna 6.2 6.5 6.26 6.31 1396, I4 88.7 22.4 6M1.4 Magna (O) 6.6 6.96 6.68 6.7 1396, I4 88.7 22.4 6M1.4 Sportz 6.9 7.2 7 7.02 1396, I4 88.7 22.4 6M1.4 Asta 7.44 7.8 7.51 7.57 1396, I4 88.7 22.4 6M

The first of the new generation of premium Maruti Suzukis, the S-Cross does a good job of making the occupants feel a step up from the competition.

There's a lot of features and quality in spades, plus a gem of a 1.6-litre diesel engine.

i20 ACTIVE

L: 3995mm, H: 1555mm, W: 1760mm, WB: 2570mm, KW: 1213kg, Tyres: 185/65 R16, TC (dia): 10.4 m, GC: 190mm, TV: 285litres, FT: 45 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans1.2 7.24 7.68 7.85 7.52 1197, I4 82 11.7 5MT1.2 S 8.03 8.52 8.72 8.34 1197, I4 82 11.7 5MT1.2 SX 8.85 9.43 9.68 9.23 1197, I4 82 11.7 5MT1.4 8.76 9.35 9.36 8.96 1396, I4 88.8 22.4 6MT1.4 S 9.58 10.20 10.23 9.81 1396, I4 88.8 22.4 6MT1.4 SX 10.20 10.86 10.89 10.45 1396, I4 88.8 22.4 6MT1.4 SX Opt 10.41 11.09 11.19 10.67 1396, I4 88.8 22.4 6MT

L: 4315mm, H: 1490mm, W:1695mm, WB: 2500mm, KW: 1100-1152kg, Tyres: 185/65 R14, TC (dia): 10.1m, GC: 170mm, TV: NA, FT: NA

Lots of equipment, powerful engines and spacious interiors pretty much seal this deal

VErNA

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransVTVT 1.4 7.11 7.45 7.17 7.23 1396, I4 105.5 13.8 5MEX 1.6 7.85 8.23 7.92 8 1591, I4 121.3 15.8 5MEX AT 1.6 8.06 8.46 8.16 8.23 1591, I4 121.3 15.8 6ATSX 1.6 9.18 9.62 8.56 8.64 1591, I4 121.3 15.8 5MSX (O) 1.6 9.21 8.89 9.29 9.38 1591, I4 121.3 15.8 5MSX (O) AT 1.6 9.94 10.42 10.03 10.12 1591, I4 121.3 15.8 5MCRDi 1.4 8.33 8.74 8.41 8.48 1396, I4 88.7 22.4 6MEX 1.4 8.5 8.96 8.54 8.63 1396, I4 88.7 22.4 6MEX 1.6 9.17 9.63 9.26 9.34 1582, I4 126.2 26.5 6MEX AT 1.6 9.36 9.86 9.48 9.56 1582, I4 126.2 26.5 6ATSX 1.6 9.8 10.28 9.89 9.99 1582, I4 126.2 26.5 6MSX (O) 1.6 10.53 11.05 10.62 10.73 1582, I4 126.2 26.5 6MSX (O) AT1.6 11.28 111.81 11.32 11.47 1582, I4 126.2 26.5 6AT

Plenty of space, seven seats and a powerful and fuel efficient diesel engine makes the Santa Fe a great buy

With stunning looks and a new assembled-in-India model, the XF is an irresistible buy

With sharp handling, and a lovely engine, the XE is taking the fight to the germans.

Now comes with a much better price tag thanks to local assembly and a few more features as well! Neat car, this

sANTA fE

xf

xE

xJ

L: 4961 mm, H: 1460 mm, W: 2053 mm, WB: 2909 mm, KW: 1780kg(XF),1891kg(XFR) Tyres:T C, (dia): 11.48 m, GC:NA, TV: 500 litres, FT: 69.5 litres

L: 4795 mm, H: 1416 mm, W: 2075 mm, WB: 2835 mm, KW: 2120kgTyres: 205/55 R17 T C (dia): 11.7 m, GC:NA, TV: 500 litres, FT: 63 litres

L: 5247mm, H: 1448mm, W: 2110mm, WB: 3157mm, KW: 1773-1813kg,Tyres: 245/40 R20, R20 TC (dia): NA, GC: NA, TV: 520 litres, FT: 83 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLuxury 47.72 46.63 46.6 46.72 2179, I4 187 45.8 6ATPetrol 2.0 48.3 50.62 NA NA 1999, I4 236 34.5 8ATPremium Lux. 66.18 62.05 66.18 66.18 2993, V6 271 61.2 6ATXF-R 78.8 77.3 78.8 78.8 5000, V8 503 63.7 6AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransPure 40.29 39.90 41.01 41.01 1999, I4 237 34.6 8ATPrestige 43.69 43.69 NA NA 1999, I4 237 34.6 8ATPortfolio. 48.46 47.99 49.32 49.32 1999, I4 237 34.6 8AT

jAGuAR

L : 4660mm, H: 1760mm, W: 1890mm, WB: 2700mm, KW: 1868kg, Tyres: 235/60 R18, TC (dia): 10.8m, GC: 200mm, TV: NA FT: 70 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans2WD MT 22.35 23.44 22.55 22.76 2199, I4 194 42.9 6M2WD AT 24.3 25.61 24.65 24.88 2199, I4 194 42.9 6AT4WD AT 25.37 26.61 25.6 25.83 2199, I4 194 42.9 6AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransPremium Luxury NA 92.1 NA NA 3000, V6 271 61.2 8ATPortfolio NA 98.6 NA NA 3000, V6 271 61.2 8AT

With great pricing and a choice of two engines and transmissions, the Elantra is a great car to buy

ELANTrA

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransVTVT 1.8 S 12.51 13.12 12.85 12.73 1797, I4 148 18.2 6MVTVT 1.8 SX 13.74 14.41 14.12 13.98 1797, I4 148 18.2 6MVTVT1.8 SX AT 14.74 15.46 15.15 15 1797, I4 148 18.2 6ATCRDi 1.6 12.91 13.55 13.27 13.14 1582, I4 126 26.5 6MCRDi 1.6 S 13.64 14.31 14.02 13.88 1582, I4 126 26.5 6MCRDi 1.6 SX 14.85 15.58 15.26 15.11 1582, I4 126 26.5 6MCRDi1.6 SX AT 15.85 16.63 16.29 16.13 1582, I4 126 26.5 6ATL: 4530mm, H: 1470mm, W: 1775mm, WB: 2700mm, KW: 1329 kg, Tyres: 205/60 R16, TC(dia): 10.6m, GC: 167mm, TV: NA, FT: 45 litres

Hyundai's biggest spelling mistake, the Xcent is a return of a nameplate that is synonymous with entry C-seg saloons

xCENT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransBase 1.2 4.66 4.86 4.72 4.66 1197, I4 81 11.5 5MS 5.32 5.55 5.39 5.33 1197, I4 81 11.5 5MS (O) 5.57 5.81 5.64 5.59 1197, I4 81 11.5 5MSX 6.22 6.50 6.30 6.25 1197, I4 81 11.5 5MSX (O) 6.47 6.76 6.56 6.51 1197, I4 81 11.5 5MS AT (O) 6.29 6.56 6.37 6.32 1197, I4 81 11.5 4ATSX AT (O) 7.19 7.51 7.29 7.27 1197, I4 81 11.5 4ATBase CRDi 5.57 5.81 5.67 5.61 1120, I3 70 16.3 5MS CRDi 6.23 6.51 6.34 6.29 1120, I3 70 16.3 5MS CRDi (O) 6.48 6.77 6.59 6.54 1120, I3 70 16.3 5MSX CRDi 7.13 7.45 7.26 7.21 1120, I3 70 16.3 5MSX CRDi (O) 7.38 7.72 7.52 7.48 1120, I3 70 16.3 5ML: 3995mm, H: 1520mm, W: 1660mm, WB: 2425mm, KW: NA, Tyres: 165/65 R14, TC (dia): 9.4m, GC: 165mm,TV: 407 litres, FT: 43 litres

L: 4270mm, H: 1630mm, W: 1780mm, WB: 2590mm, KW: 1180kg, Tyres: 205/65 R16, TV: 400 litres, FT: 60 litres

This mini-Santa Fe is comfortable, well-equipped and spacious. The bonus: a diesel engine with an auto 'box

CrETA

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans1.6 VTVT 9.66 10.31 10.52 10.07 1591, I4 121 15.4 6M1.4 CRDI 10.76 11.48 11.53 11.03 1396, I4 89 22.4 6M1.6 S VTVT 10.74 11.56 11.71 11.20 1591, I4 121 15.4 6M1.4 S CRDI 12.22 12.73 13.04 12.66 1396, I4 89 22.4 6M1.6 SX+ VTVT 12.88 13.49 14.06 13.64 1591, I4 121 15.4 6M1.4 S+ CRDI 13.41 13.97 14.32 13.89 1396, I4 89 22.4 6M1.6 SX CRDI 13.62 14.21 14.56 14.13 1582, I4 126 26.5 6M1.6 SX+ CRDI 14.88 15.52 15.91 15.43 1582, I4 126 26.5 6M1.6 SX+ CRDI AT 15.92 16.60 17.03 16.51 1582, I4 126 26.5 6AT1.6 SX (O) CRDI 15.95 16.63 17.06 16.54 1582, I4 126 26.5 6M


Successor to the fabled E-Type, the F drives well and sounds like the Gods gargling. Epic!

f-TyPE

L: 4470 mm, H: 1296 mm, W: 1923 mm, WB: 2622 mm, KW: 1665 kg,Tyres: 255/35R20 (f), 295/30R20 (r), TC (dia): 10.66 m, GC: NA,TV: 201 litres, FT: 72

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransV6 S 137 143 137 140 2995, V6 375 47 8ATV8 S 162 168 162 160 5000, V8 488 63.7 8AT

This is the supercar to have if you want both striking looks and blistering performance

Successor to the Gallardo, the Huracan is one neat looking supercar. Some quarters think it looks too timid, though

The Freelander replacement doesn't share much with its namesake but it still has the off-road cred a Land Rover requires

The Discovery has all the features you'll need and a capable 4x4 system to complement those looks

AVENTADor

HUrACAN

DIsCoVEry sPorT

DIsCoVEry 4

L: 4500mm, H: 1740mm, W: 2195mm, WB: 2660mm, KW: 1880 kg, Tyres: 235/65, TC (dia): 11.3m, GC: NA, TV:NA, FT:NA

L: 4838 mm, H: 1837 mm, W: 2176 mm, WB: 2885mm, KW: 1780kg, Tyres: NA , TC (dia): NA, GC:NA, TV: NA, FT: NA litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLP 700-4 369 369 369 369 6498, V12 690 70.3 7ATRoadster 477 477 477 477 6498, V12 690 70.3 7AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans3.0 TDV6 63.74 63.74 63.74 63.74 2993, V6 241 61.2 6AT

lAMbORGHINI

lANd ROVeR

L: 4780mm, H:1136mm, W: 2265mm, WB: 2700mm, KW (Dry): 1575kg, Tyre:255/ 35 R19(f), 335/30 R19(r), TC (dia):NA, GC:NA, TV: NA, FT: 90 litres

The Evoque represents a new design direction for Range Rover, that is sleek and modern. Stunning we say!

The Sport is everything the Range Rover stands for, but in a lighter, lower body

rANGE roVEr EVoqUE

rANGE roVEr sPorT

L: 4465mm, H: 1635mm, W: 2120mm, WB: 2660mm, KW: 1715 kg,Tyres: 225/65 R18, TC (dia): 11.3 m, GC: 255mm, TV:NA, Fuel tank: 57 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransSD4 Pure 47.10 47.10 48.40 47.93 2179, I4 187 34.6 9ATSD4 SE 52.90 52.90 54.37 53.84 2179, I4 187 42.8 9ATSD4 HSE 57.70 57.70 59.30 58.72 2179, I4 187 42.8 9ATSD4 Dynamic 63.20 63.20 64.95 64.32 2179, I4 187 42.8 9AT

L: 4783 mm, H: 1789mm, W: 2158 mm, WB:2745mm, KW: 2535kg, Tyres: 255/50 R19 , TC (dia): 11.5 m, GC:NA, TV: 958 litres, FT: 84 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransSDV6 S 109 115 110 106 2993, V6 288 61.2 8ATSDV6 SE 124 130 130 127 2993, V6 288 61.2 8AT SDV6 HSE 143 150 151 146 2993, V6 288 61.2 8AT Supercharged 165 173 183 169 5000, V8 510 63.7 8AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans3.0 V6 Diesel 208 NA NA NA 2993, V6 245 61.2 7AT4.4 V8 Vogue SE 244 NA NA NA 4367, V6 334 70.3 7ATV8 Autobiography 263 NA NA NA 4367, V6 334 70.3 7AT5.0SuperchargedV8 275 NA NA NA 5000, V8 503 63.7 7AT

L: 4972 mm, H: 1877 mm, W: 2216 mm, WB: 2880 mm, KW: 2717kg(D), 2687kg( P), Tyres:NA , TC (dia): NA, GC:225mm, TV: NA litres, FT:104.5 litres

L: 4972 mm, H: 1877 mm, W: 2216 mm, WB: 3066 mm, KW: 2717kg(D), 2687kg( P), Tyres:NA , TC (dia): NA, GC:225mm, TV: NA litres, FT:104.5 litres

A proper luxury car that can also get you to the top of mountains. A little on the expensive side, though

Because lots of customers complained that the RR didn't have enough legroom.

rANGE roVEr

rANGE roVEr LwB

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransS 52.74 53.61 NA NA 2179, I4 148 40.8 9ATSE 58.32 59.29 NA NA 2179, I4 148 40.8 9ATSE 7-seat 60.02 61.01 NA NA 2179, I4 187 40.8 9ATHSE 60.97 61.99 NA NA 2179, I4 187 40.8 9ATHSE 7-seat 62.66 63.71 NA NA 2179, I4 187 40.8 9ATHSE Luxury 69.34 70.50 NA NA 2179, I4 188 42.8 9ATHSE Luxury 7-seat 71.02 72.21 NA NA 2179, I4 188 42.8 9AT

L: 4459mm, H:1165mm, W: 2236mm, WB: 2620mm, KW (Dry): 1422kg, Tyre:245/ 30 R20(f), 305/30 R20(r), TC (dia):NA, GC:NA, TV: NA, FT: 80

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransCoupe 343 NA 429 NA 5148, V10 602 57.09 7ATLP 580-2 299 357 381 NA 5204, V10 571 55 7AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans3.0 V6 Diesel 184 184 184 184 2993, V6 245 61.2 7AT4.4 V8 Autobiogrphy 204 204 204 204 4367, V6 334 70.3 7AT4.4 V8 Vogue 206 206 206 206 4367, V6 334 70.3 7AT5.0SuperchargedV8 220 220 220 220 5000, V8 503 63.7 7AT

Excellent interior space and a decent amount of kit as well

The Verito has a lot of space and is very reliable. Oh, and it's also great value for money, too

VErITo VIBE

VErITo

L: 3991mm, H: 1540mm, W: 1740mm, WB: 2630mm, KW: 1155 kg, Tyres: 185/70 R14, TC (dia): 10.5m, GC: 172mm, TV: 330 litres, FT: 50 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransVerito Vibe1.5 D2 5.6 5.63 5.75 5.72 1461, I4 65 16.3 5M1.5 D4 5.78 5.89 6.02 5.99 1461, I4 65 16.3 5M1.5 D6 6.5 6.49 6.65 6.6 1461, I4 65 16.3 5M

It's pretty dated, but reliable as day and with good capabilities, the Bolero remains a good buy

BoLEro

L: 4260mm, H: 1810mm, W: 1815mm, WB: 2680mm, KW: 1615kg (2WD) R16 (Invader DI), TC (dia): 10.8m, GC: 200mm, Tyres: 215/75 R15, FT: 60litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransSLE 5.86 5.91 5.96 5.84 2523, I4 63 19.8 5MSLX 6.06 6.07 6.06 6.01 2523, I4 63 19.8 5MZLX 6.65 6.52 6.7 6.63 2523, I4 63 19.8 5M

MAHINdRA & MAHINdRA

The Quanto isn't the most refined of cars out there, but there's nothing in its price range to beat its versatility

A very spacious people mover that's value for money as well

qUANTo

xyLo

L: 4520 mm, H: 1970 mm, W: 1850 mm, WB: 2760 mm, KW: 1830kg,Tyres: 215/75 R15, TC (dia): 10.8 m, GC: 206 mm, TV: NA, FT: 55 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransD2 6.89 6.65 6.92 6.81 2489, I4 95 22 5MD4 7.5 7.25 7.54 7.42 2489, I4 95 22 5MH4 8.06 7.79 8.1 7.96 2179, I4 120 28 5MH8 8.6 8.31 8.61 8.5 2179, I4 120 28 5MH9 8.79 8.41 8.79 8.69 2179, I4 120 28 5M

L: 4247mm, H: 1534mm, W: 1740mm, WB: 2630mm, KW: 1080kg, 1140kg (diesel), Tyres:185/65 R14, TC (dia): 10.5m, GC: 172mm, TV: 510 litres, FT: 50 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransVeritoD2 6.26 6.21 6.3 6.3 1461, I4 65 16.3 5MD4 6.48 6.44 6.52 6.52 1461, I4 65 16.3 5MD6 7.14 7.1 7.21 7.2 1461, I4 65 16.3 5M


DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransC2 5.99 6.11 6.23 6.11 1493, I3 98.6 24.5 5MC4 6.53 6.67 6.77 6.66 1493, I3 98.6 24.5 5MC6 7.05 7.2 7.3 7.11 1493, I3 98.6 24.5 5MC8 7.57 7.74 7.83 7.72 1493, I3 98.6 24.5 5M

The Scorpio still holds its own and remains a viable choice in its segment

sCorPIo

L: 4430 mm, H: 1975 mm, W: 1817 mm, WB: 2680 mm, KW: 2510 kg (2WD), 2610 kg (4WD), Tyres: 235/70 R16, TC (dia):11.2,180mm, Trunk Volume: 820 litres, FT: 60 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransEX 7.88 7.48 7.64 7.69 2523, I4 75 20 5MLX 9.01 8.48 8.82 8.76 2179, I4 120 28 5MSLE 10.24 9.78 10.01 10.09 2179, I4 120 28 5MVLX 11.8 11.5 11.9 11.85 2179, I4 120 28 5MGetaway 9.18 8.75 8.94 9.08 2609, I4 115 28.3 5M

The XUV 5oo is a value for money offering that doesn't skimp anywhere

xUV 5oo

L: 4585mm, H: 1785mm, W: 1890mm, WB: 2700mm, KW: NA,Tyres: 235/65 R17, TC (dia): 11.2 m, GC: 200 mm, TV: NA, FT: 70 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransW4 10.95 11.40 11.06 11.06 2179, I4 140 33 6MW6 12.17 12.61 12.21 12.24 2179, I4 140 33 6MW8 13.76 14.28 13.85 13.85 2179, I4 140 33 6MW8 AWD 14.80 15.40 14.94 14.95 2179, I4 140 33 6M

The TUV takes the Quanto to another level - there's a lot to like here, and not just the space. Our crossover pick for bad roads

TUV 3oo

L: 3995mm, H: 1839mm, W: 1839mm, WB: 2680mm, KW: NA, Tyres: 215/75 R15, TC(dia): 10.7m, GC: 191mm, TV: 384 litres, FT: 60 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransT4 7.94 8.42 8.59 8.16 1493, I3 84 23.5 5MT4 Plus 8.33 8.84 9.01 8.57 1493, I3 84 23.5 5MT6 8.67 9.20 9.38 8.92 1493, I3 84 23.5 5MT6 Plus 8.95 9.50 9.68 9.23 1493, I3 84 23.5 5MT8 9.65 10.22 10.41 9.93 1493, I3 84 23.5 5MT6 Plus AMT 9.79 10.37 10.55 10.07 1493, I3 84 23.5 5ATT8 AMT 10.46 11.09 11.28 10.76 1493, I3 84 23.5 5AT


L: 3657mm, H: 1635mm, W: 1715mm, WB: 2385mm, KW: 1875kg, Tyres: 185/65 R14, TC (dia): 10.1 m, GC: 170 mm, TV: NA, Fuel tank: 35 litres

L: 3715 mm, H: 1620 mm, W: 1680 mm, WB: 2360 mm, KW: 1005 - 1110 kg, Tyres:165/80 R14, 185/70 R14 (Zxi), TC (dia): 9.4 m, GC: 170 mm, TV: NA, FT: 43 litres

MARuTI SuzukI

India's first EV gets a comprehensive upgrade. For a city based commute, it's actually quite practical to use imp anywhere. Be weary of faulty transmissions though.

e2o

L: 3280mm, H: 1560mm, W: 1514mm, WB: 1958mm, KW: 830kg Tyres: 155/70 R13, TC(dia): 7.8m, GC: 180mm, TV: NA, FT: NA

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransT0 6.44 7.32 7.05 7.06 Electric 25.5 5.4 ATT2 6.75 7.68 7.2 7.25 Electric 25.5 5.4 AT

The Alto 800 comes with an all new design but retains all the things that make it so popular skimp anywhere. Be weary of faulty transmissions though.

ALTo 800

L: 3395mm, H: 1475mm, W: 1490mm, WB: 2360mm, KW: 725 kg, Tyres: 145/80 R12, TC(dia): 8.2 m, GC: 160mm, TV: NA, FT: 35 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransBase 2.4 2.57 2.52 2.47 796.I3 47 7.03 5MLX 2.73 2.91 2.85 2.8 796.I3 47 7.03 5MLXi 2.95 3.13 3.08 3.03 796.I3 47 7.03 5M

A major refresh both inside and out has now made the K10 feel contemporary, and the AMT is a fun city runabout

Another premium offering from Suzuki, and amply justifies the price

L : 3495mm, H: 1460mm, W: 1475mm, WB: 2360mm, KW: 690kg, 705kg (LX, LXiT) Tyres: 145/80 R12, TC (dia): 9.2 m, GC: 160 mm, FT: 35 litres

L : 3995mm, H: 1500mm, W: 1745mm, WB: 2520mm, KW:890-985kg, Tyres: 185/65 R16, TC (dia): 9.8 m, GC: 170 mm, FT: 37 litres

It's like a Swift, only in a different looking, more affordable package

rITZ

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLXi 4.17 4.39 4.26 4.27 1197, I4 86 11.6 5MVXi 4.54 4.73 4.6 4.61 1197, I4 86 11.6 5MZxi 5.16 5.43 5.25 5.26 1197, I4 86 11.6 5MLdi 5.18 5.39 5.26 5.28 1248, I4 74 19.3 5MVdi 5.55 5.77 5.64 5.66 1248, I4 74 19.3 5MZdi 6.19 6.51 6.38 6.35 1248, I4 74 19.3 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLX 3.47 3.9 4.02 3.83 998, I3 67 9.18 5MLXi 3.65 4.09 4.21 4.02 998, I3 67 9.18 5MVXi 3.83 4.28 4.41 4.21 998, I3 67 9.18 5MVXi (O) 4.04 4.52 4.65 4.44 998, I3 67 9.18 5MVXi AMT 4.36 4.86 5.00 4.78 998, I3 67 9.18 5AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power TorqueTransSigma P 5.25 5.49 5.44 5.43 1197, i4 83 11.7 5MTDelta P 5.90 6.17 6.11 6.10 1197, i4 83 11.7 5MT Zeta P 6.51 6.81 6.72 6.71 1197, i4 83 11.7 5MTAlpha P 7.21 7.55 7.44 7.43 1197, i4 83 11.7 5MTDelta P AT 6.96 7.29 7.18 7.17 1197, i4 83 11.7 5MTZeta P AT 7.57 7.93 7.81 7.80 1197, i4 83 11.7 5MTSigma D 6.36 6.66 6.57 6.56 1248, i4 74 19.3 5MTDelta D 7.03 7.35 7.25 7.24 1248, i4 74 19.3 5MTZeta D 7.64 7.99 7.87 7.86 1248, i4 74 19.3 5MTAlpha D 8.35 8.74 8.60 8.59 1248, i4 74 19.3 5MT

ALTo K10

BALENo

Brilliantly packaged, and with the option of an AMT, the Celerio now gives a nod to safety as well as a diesel engine. It may be small capacity, but the diesel is

probably the most frugal city car we've driven so far.

CELErIo

L: 3600mm, H: 1560mm, W: 1600mm, WB: 2425mm, KW: 810-900 kg, Tyres: 165/70 R14, TC (dia): 9.4m, GC: 165mm, TV: 235 litres, FT: 35 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLXi 4.27 4.71 4.84 4.68 998,I3 67 9.2 5MTVXi 4.60 5.06 5.19 4.97 998,I3 67 9.2 5MTLXi AMT 4.81 5.30 5.44 5.25 998,I3 67 9.2 5ATZXi 4.92 5.41 5.55 5.32 998,I3 67 9.2 5MTLDI 5.12 5.72 5.54 5.54 793, I2 47 12.7 5MTVXi AMT 5.13 5.65 5.78 5.55 998,I3 67 9.2 5ATVDI 5.45 6.09 5.85 5.85 793, I2 47 12.7 5MTZXi (O) 5.41 5.96 6.16 5.87 998,I3 67 9.2 5MTZXI AMT 5.46 6.04 6.25 6.25 998,I3 67 9.2 5ATZDI 5.79 6.45 6.19 6.19 793, I2 47 12.7 5MTZDI Opt 6.29 7.00 6.73 6.73 793, I2 47 12.7 5MT

The Ciaz has managed to capture our hearts. 'SHVS' diesel with its start/stop tech and lower pricing is pick of the litter. Dual airbags now available across range

CIAZ

L: 4490 mm, H: 1485 mm, W: 1730 mm, WB: 2650mm, KW:1010-1105kg, Tyres: 195/55 R16, Turning circle: 10.8 m, GC: 170 mm, FT: 43 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransVXi 8.06 8.66 9.04 8.75 1373, I4 91 13.2 5MVXi+ 8.69 9.33 9.73 9.44 1373, I4 91 13.2 5MVDi 9.21 10.13 10.36 9.93 1248, I4 89 20.4 5MVDi (O) 9.38 10.30 10.34 10.10 1248, I4 89 20.4 5MZXi 9.39 10.12 10.58 10.26 1373, I4 91 13.2 5MVDi+ 9.87 10.83 11.07 10.60 1248, I4 89 20.4 5MVXi+ AT 9.93 10.66 11.09 10.75 1373, I4 91 13.2 5MZXi+ 9.99 10.80 11.28 10.93 1373, I4 91 13.2 5MZDi 10.66 11.36 11.93 11.19 1248, I4 89 20.4 5MZXi AT 10.63 11.55 11.86 11.44 1373, I4 91 13.2 5MZDi+ 11.77 12.72 13.07 12.71 1248, I4 89 20.4 5M

It may be long in the tooth but there's no denying that the Swift still is relevant - and is the most fun in the segment

swIfT

L:3850mm, H: 1530mm, W: 1695mm, WB: 2430mm, KW: 960-1080kg, Tyres: 165/80 R14, 185/65 R15 (ZXi, ZDi), TC (dia): 9.6m, GC: 170mm, TV: NA, FT:42litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLXi 4.44 4.26 4.52 4.53 1197, I4 86 11.6 5MVXi 4.91 4.6 4.93 4.94 1197, I4 86 11.6 5MZxi 5.68 5.25 5.78 5.8 1197, I4 86 11.6 5MLdi 5.54 5.26 5.62 5.63 1248, I4 74 19.3 5MVdi 5.98 5.63 6.05 6.08 1248, I4 74 19.3 5MZdi 6.92 7.17 6.98 7.03 1248, I4 74 19.3 5M

Not the first sub-four-metre sedan, but by the looks of it, it is still king of the entry-sedan hill

Maruti's mini-SUV is quite fun to drive and has what it takes to take on the competition

DZIrE

VITArA BrEZZA

L:4160mm, H: 1530mm, W: 1690mm, WB: 2390mm, KW: 1090/ 1115/1105/ 1010/1035/1025 kg, Tyres: 165/80 R 14 (Lxi, Vxi, Ldi, Vdi), 185/70 R 14 (Zxi,Zdi),TC (dia): 9.4m, GC: 170mm, TV:440 (Zxi & ZDI), FT: 45 litres

L:3995mm, H: 1640mm, W: 1790mm, WB: 2500mm, KW: 1080kg, Tyres: 205-215/60 R 16,TC (dia): 10.4m, GC: 198 mm, TV:NA, FT: 48 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLXi 4.88 5.13 4.96 4.86 1197, I4 86 11.6 5MVXi 5.66 5.91 5.74 5.64 1197, I4 86 11.6 5M/5ATZxi 6.60 6.87 6.69 6.6 1197, I4 86 11.6 5MLdi 5.91 6.16 5.99 5.9 1248, I4 74 19.3 5MVdi 6.67 6.92 6.76 6.67 1248, I4 74 19.3 5MZdi 7.52 7.78 7.62 7.54 1248, I4 74 19.3 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLDI 7.19 7.56 7.37 7.43 1248, i4 88 20.3 5MTLDI (O) 7.32 7.70 7.51 7.56 1248, i4 88 20.3 5MTVDI 7.74 8.27 8.10 8.12 1248, i4 88 20.3 5MTVDI (O) 7.87 8.40 8.23 8,25 1248, i4 88 20.3 5MTZDI 8.67 9.07 8.92 8.91 1248, i4 88 20.3 5MTZDI+ 9.66 10.10 9.92 9.91 1248, i4 88 20.3 5MT

The first in Maruti's latest push to be premium, the S-Cross looks and feels great - but the price for the 1.6 lets it down

s-Cross

L: 4300 mm, H: 1590 mm, W: 1765 mm, WB: 2600mm, KW:1180-1275kg, Tyres: 205/60 R16, Turning circle: 10.4 m, GC: 180 mm, FT: 48 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransSigma 1.3 9.34 10.08 10.37 9.50 1248, I4 89 20.4 5MDelta 1.3 10.33 11.04 11.34 10.41 1248, I4 89 20.4 5MZeta 1.3 11.18 12.15 11.85 11.35 1248, I4 89 20.4 5MAlpha 1.3 12.42 13.07 13.64 12.61 1248, I4 89 20.4 5MDelta 1.6 13.92 14.62 15.23 14.10 1598, I4 118 32.6 6MZeta 1.6 15.07 15.83 16.47 15.26 1598, I4 118 32.6 6MAlpha 1.6 15.94 16.74 17.40 16.13 1598, I4 118 32.6 6M

The original 'van' in India, it's not exactly safe for your family, but it is spacious and fuel efficient

oMNI

L : 3370mm, H: 1640mm, W: 1410mm, WB: 1840mm, KW: 750kg, Tyres: 145 R12 LT 6PR radial, TC (dia): NA, GC: 165mm,TV: NA, FT: 36 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransSTD BS3 2.38 2.56 2.52 2.58 796, I3 35 6.1 5MSTD BS4 2.36 2.55 2.6 2.59 796, I3 35 6.1 5ME BS4 2.47 2.66 2.68 2.68 796, I3 35 6.1 5M

The return of the MM550 in a softer, more comfortable guise. But boy, can it off-road with panache!

THAr

L: 3920mm, H: 1930mm, W: 1710mm, WB: 2430mm, KW: kg, Tyres: 235/70 R16, TC (dia): 11.5 m, GC: 200 mm, TV: NA, Fuel tank: 60 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransThar CRDe 5.59 6.28 5.99 5.58 2498, I4 130.5 25.2 5M

The return of the MM550 in a softer, more comfortable guise. But boy, can it off-road with panache!

KUV 100

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransK2 Petrol 4.57 4.54 4.65 4.67 1198, I4 82 11.7 5MK4 Petrol 4.99 4.96 5.07 5.09 1198, I4 82 11.7 5MK6 Petrol 5.58 5.55 5.68 5.69 1198, I4 82 11.7 5MK8 Petrol 6.14 6.11 6.24 6.26 1198, I4 82 11.7 5MK2 Diesel 5.49 5.46 5.59 5.60 1198, I4 77 19.3 5MK4 Diesel 5.90 5.81 5.94 5.95 1198, I4 77 19.3 5MK6 Diesel 6.49 6.46 6.60 6.62 1198, I4 77 19.3 5MK8 Diesel 7.05 7.02 7.17 7.18 1198, I4 77 19.3 5M


Unlike all the other MUVs, this one is quite friendly to use and is prefect for a family

ErTIGA

L: 4265mm, H: 1685mm, W: 1695mm, WB: 2740mm, KW: 1160-1235 kg, Tyres: 185/65 R15, TC (dia): 10.4m, GC: 185mm, TV: NA FT: 45litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLXi 5.89 6.23 6.15 6.17 1373, I4 93.7 13.2 5MVXi 6.6 6.98 6.87 6.9 1373, I4 93.7 13.2 5MZxi 7.3 7.68 7.59 7.61 1373, I4 93.7 13.2 5MLdi 7.3 7.72 7.59 7.61 1248, I4 88.7 20.4 5MVdi 7.9 8.35 8.2 8.22 1248, I4 88.7 20.4 5MZdi 8.45 8.89 8.76 8.78 1248, I4 88.7 20.4 5M

The WagonR remains ever-popular, but needs better highway manners. ABS, airbags and AMT are welcome additions.

wAGoN r

L: 3595mm, H: 1700mm, W: 1495mm, WB: 2400mm, KW: 860kg (LX), 870kg (Lx8i8)5, kg (VXi), Tyres: 145/80 R13 (LX, Lxi), 155/65 R14 (VXi), Turning circle dia: 9.2 m GC: 165 mm, TV: NA, FT: 35 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLX 3.61 3.78 3.76 3.78 998, I3 67 9.18 5MLXi 3.92 4.09 4.06 4.03 998, I3 67 9.18 5MVXi 4.17 4.35 4.32 4.25 998, I3 67 9.18 5MVXi Opt 5.02 5.49 5.62 5.37 998, I3 67 9.18 5M

The Eeco has brilliant value for money on its side, and a lot of interior space as well

EECo

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans5 seater - std 3.57 3.8 3.76 3.81 1196, I4 73 10.3 5M5 seater - AC 3.86 4.1 4.06 4.1 1196, I4 73 10.3 5M7 seater - std 3.93 4.16 4.13 4.18 1196, I4 73 10.3 5ML: 3675mm, H: 1800mm, W: 1475mm, WB: 2350mm, KW: 908 kg,Tyres: 155 R13, TC (dia): NA,GC: NA, TV: NA, FT: 40 litres

Everything the GranCabrio offers in coupe guise - so better handling is a given

Brilliant sounding engine and useable space for four, the GranCabrio is actually quite practical

GrANTUrIsMo

GrANCABrIo

L: 4881 mm, H: 1353 mm, W: 2056 mm, WB: 2942 mm, KW: 1980 kg, Tyres: NA, GC: NA, TV: NA, FT: 75 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans 4.7 S 176 176 176 176 4691, V8 440 49.9 6AT

MASeRATI

L: 4881 mm, H: 1353 mm, W: 2056 mm, WB: 2942 mm, KW: 1880 kg, Tyres: NA, GC: NA, TV: 260 litres , FT: 86 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans4.7 S 169 169 169 169 4691, V8 440 49.9 6AT

This is more or less a four-door Ferrari. Need we say more?

qUATTroPorTE

L: 5097 mm, H: 1438 mm, W: 1991 mm, WB: 3064 mm, KW: 1990 kg, Tyres: NA, GC: NA, TV: 450 litres , FT: 90 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans4.7 S 176 176 176 176 4691, V8 440 49.9 6AT

Maserati's entry level offering. Lots of style, but only available in Diesel so far.

GHIBLI

L: 4971 mm, H: 1461 mm, W: 2100 mm, WB: 2998 mm, KW: 1835 kg, Tyres: 235/50 R18, GC: NA, TV: NA , FT: 70 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransDiesel 112 114 NA NA 2987, V6 270 58 8AT

The smallest and most stylish car in M-Bs range, the A-Class is great fun to drive

A-CLAssMeRCedeS-beNz

L: 4292 mm, H: 1433 mm, W: 1780 mm, WB: 2699 mm, KW: 1395-1505 kg, Tyres: 195/65 R15, TC (dia): 11 m, GC: NA, TV: 341 litres, FT: 50 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans180 Sport 27.45 27.52 27.93 27.93 1595, I4 121 20.4 7AT200 CDI Sport 28.45 28.16 28.96 28.96 2143, I4 134 30.6 7AT

Like a mini R-Class, the B-Class is actually quite practical, but for the price, there are better options out there

B-CLAss

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans180 Sport 29.45 29.20 29.97 29.97 1595, I4 120 20.4 7AT200 CDI 30.45 30.26 30.99 35.62 2143, I4 134 30.6 7AT

The new C-Class takes a quantum leap ahead of its rivals on every front - including price. But you get what you pay for.

The original four-door-coupe, the CLS-Class still turns heads where ever it goes. Now available in diesel as well!

C-CLAss

CLs-CLAss

L: 4686mm, H: 1442mm, W: 1810mm, WB: 2840mm, KW: 1545kg, Tyres: 225/50 R17, TC (dia): 11.2m, GC: NA, TV: 480 litres, FT: 41 litres

L: 4940mm, H: 1416mm, W: 1881mm, WB: 2874mm, KW: 1735-1850 kg, Tyres: 245/45 R17, TC (dia): 11.18 m, GC: 120 mm, TV: 520 litres, FT: 80litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans250 CDI 76.50 79.94 77.86 NA 2143, I4 204 50.1 7AT S350 93.53 93.95 93.53 96.84 3498, V6 306 37 7AT

L: 4359 mm, H: 1557mm, W: 1786 mm, WB: 2699 mm, KW: 1425-1565 kg Tyres: 225/40 R18, TC (dia): 11 m, GC: 134 mm, TV: 486 litres, FT: 50 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans200CDI Style 40.61 38.76 43.66 40.60 2143, I4 168 40.8 7AT200 Av 41.63 42.17 42.44 42.44 1991, I4 181 30.6 7AT220CDI Sport 43.66 41.92 40.61 43.66 2143, I4 168 40.8 7ATC250 CDI

With the facelift, the E-Class looks fresh again. It competes favourably with the others in its segment

E-CLAss

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans200 48.24 48.88 48.24 48.24 1991, I4 184 30.1 7AT250 CDI Av 50.48 51.15 50.48 50.48 2143, I4 203 50.1 7AT350 CDI Av 60.96 61.77 60.96 60.96 2987, V6 265 63.2 7AT400 Cabrio 78.50 82.03 NA NA 3498, V6 333 49 7AT L: 4856mm, H: 1483mm, W: 1822mm, WB: 2854mm, KW: 1680 kg (E230), 1640 kg (E220 CDI), Tyres: 225/55 R16, TC (dia): 11.4m GC: NA, TV: 540 litres, FT: 73 litres

L: 5246mm, H: 1464mm, W: 1899mm, WB: 3165mm, KW: 2132 kg, Tyres: 245/40 R18/R19(F) 275/84 R18/R19(R) TC (dia): 11.7m, GC: 150mm,TV: 500 litres, FT: 88 litres

Potent saloon with a penchant for corner. Easily the most fun super saloon out there!

E63 AMG

L: 4856mm, H: 1483mm, W: 1822mm, WB: 2854mm, KW: 1680 kg (E230), 1640 kg (E220 CDI), Tyres: 225/55 R16, TC (dia): 11.4m GC: NA, TV: 540 litres, FT: 73 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransE63 AMG 129 127 131 131 5461, V8 550 73.4 7AT

The new S-Class was, until now, available only with a petrol engine here. Now there's a diesel, too.

s-CLAss

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans350 CDI 113 111 115 115 2987, V6 255 63.2 7ATS400 S500 MaybachS63 AMGS600 Maybach

L: 4134mm, H: 1301mm, W: 2006mm, WB: 2430mm, KW: 1540kg, Tyres: 225/45 R17(f)/245/40 R17(r), TC (dia): 10.5m, GC: NA, TV: 225-335 litres, FT: 60litres

A fun roadster, but not as much fun as some of its rivals

sLC43 AMG

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans350 73 72 74 74 3498, V6 306 37.7 7AT55 AMG 126 124 128 128 5461, V8 421 55.1 7AT

Say hello to the new entry-level sedan from Stuttgart!

Super SUV meets super power, thanks to those nice folks over at AMG

Best way to transport a family and scare them senseless? Possibly

CLA

G 63 AMG

GL 63

L:4630mm, H: 1432mm, W: 1777mm, KW: 1510-1570kg, Tyres: 225/45 R17, TC (dia): 11.04 m, GC: NA, TV: 470 litres, FT: NA

L:4662mm, H: 1951mm, W: 1760mm, KW: 2550kg, Tyres: 275/50 R20, TC (dia): 13.6 m, GC: NA, TV: 480 litres, FT: 96 litres

L:5146mm, H: 1850mm, W: 1982mm, KW: 2580kg, WB: 3075 mmTyres: 295/40 R21, TV: NA, FT: 100 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans200 Sport 35 32.75 35.62 35.62 1991, I4 181 30.6 7AT200 CDI Style 31.5 30.91 32.06 32.06 2143,I4 134 30.6 7AT200 CDI Sport 35.9 33.5 36.54 36.53 2143,I4 134 30.6 7AT45 AMG 69.50 68.22 70.74 70.73 1948, i4 355 45.9 7AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans63 AMG 191 188 194 194 5461, V8 536 77.5 7AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans63 AMG 175 172 178 178 5461, V8 550 77.5 7AT

Even ze Germans aren't immune to the crossover hatch/SUV bug. Enter the GLA, Merc's smallest SUV

GLA

L:4417mm, H: 1494mm, W: 1804mm, KW: 1585kg, Tyres: 235/50 R18, TC (dia): 11.8 m, GC: NA, TV: NA, FT: 50 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans200 Sport 35 33.5 36.64 36.64 1991, I4 181 30.6 7AT200 CDI Style 31.5 32.14 33.33 33.33 2143, I4 134 30.6 7AT200 CDI Sport 35.9 34.5 37.56 37.56 2143, I4 134 30.6 7AT45 AMG 4MATIC 71.9 70.58 73.18 73.18 1991, I4 355 45.9 7AT

Great interiors and bold styling, but it's simply too large to take into a crowded city

GL-CLAss

L: 5099mm, H: 1840mm, W: 1920mm, WB: 3075mm, KW: 2480-2505 kg, Tyres: 275/55 R19, TC (dia): 12.1m, GC: NA, TV: 620 litres, FT: 100 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransGL350 CDI 77.5 76.06 78.88 78.88 2987, V6 258 63.2 7AT


Go-kart handling. Practical – not like a normal hatchback, but makes up for that in terms of fun

The old ML-Class is now the GLE. An E-Class on stilts if you may.

Not as nimble as the Cooper S, but it's just as fun to drive. Drop-top adds to the fun factor

CooPEr

CoNVErTIBLE

GLE-CLAss

s-CLAss

GLC

L: 3821mm, H: 1414mm, W: 1727mm, WB: 2495mm, KW: 1220-1280 kg Tyres: 195/55 R17 GC: NA, TV: 160-680 litres, FT: 44 litres

L: 4819mm, H: 1796mm, W: 2141mm, WB: 2915mm, KW: 2150-2175kg, Tyres: 255/55 R19, TC (dia): 11.8m, GC: 210mm, TV: NA, FT: 93 litres

L: 5246-5453mm, H: 1498mm, W: 1899mm, WB: 3165-3365mm, KW: 2113-2815kg, Tyres: 245/45 R19, TC (dia): 12.3m, GC: 140mm, TV: NA, FT: 70 -80litres

L: 4656mm, H: 1639mm, W: 1890mm, WB: 2873mm, KW: 1871-1974kg, Tyres: 235/60 R18, TC (dia): 11.6m, GC: 210mm, TV: NA, FT: 66 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransD 5-door 31.90 31.90 35.64 NA 1496, i3 114 27.5 6ATD 3-door 28.50 28.50 31.84 NA 1496, i3 114 27.5 6ATS 31.50 31.50 32.20 NA 1998, i4 189 28.5 6AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans250 CDI 61.90 60.73 63 63 2143, I4 204 51 7AT350 CDI 72.90 72.07 74.19 74.19 2987, V6 258 63.2 7AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransT350 CDI 113 111 118 118 2987, V6 242 63.2 7ATS400 131 135 NA NA 2996, V6 328 48.9 7ATS500 Maybach 177 169 180 173 4663, V8 459 71.3 7ATS600 Maybach 265 264 273 265 5980, V12 530 84.6 7ATS63 AMG 266 243 252 252 5461, V8 585 91.7 7AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans300 4MATIC 51.87 53.86 56.89 56.89 1991cc, i4 245 37.5 7AT 220d 4MATIC 50.70 53.45 56.69 56.69 2143, i4 170 40.8 7AT

MINI

L: 3723mm, H: 1407mm, W: 1683mm, WB: 2467mm, KW: 1240 kg,Tyres: 205/45 R17 TC (dia): 10.7 m, GC: NA, TV: 125-660 litres, FT: 50 litres

A more practical Mini, but not nearly as much fun. And a little on the expensive side, too makes up for that in terms of fun

CoUNTryMAN

L: 3723mm, H: 1407mm, W: 1683mm, WB: 2467mm, KW: 1240 kg,Tyres: 205/45 R17 TC (dia): 10.7 m, GC: NA, TV: 125-660 litres, FT: 50 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransCooper Conver 30.7 30.7 30.7 30.7 1598, I4 122 16.3 6AT

Might look modern, but the Pajero Sport is still the same old-school, capable SUV

Not as good off-road as the Pajero Sport, but will keep up

PAJEro sPorT

MoNTEro

MITSubISHI

L: 4730mm, H: 1890mm, W: 1695mm, WB: 2725mm, KW: 2060kg, Tyres: 235/75 R15, TC (dia): 10.82m,GC: 190mm, TV: NA, FT: 92 litres

L: 4900mm, H: 1870mm, W: 1875mm, WB: 2780mm, KW: 2310kg, Tyres: 265/60 R18, TC (dia): 11.4m,GC: 225mm, TV: NA, FT: 88 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans2.5 MT 22.56 23.51 23.12 22.6 2477, I4 176 40.8 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans3.2 AT TBA TBA TBA TBA 3200, i4 189 45 5AT

Premium small-hatch, the Micra is feature rich. Plus, the new facelift gives it great presence

MICrANISSAN

L: 3780 mm, H: 1530 mm, W: 1665 mm, WB: 2450 mm, KW: 930kg,Tyres:165/70 R14, TC (dia): 9.3 m, GC: NA, TV: NA, FT: 41 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransXL 5.2 5.27 5.24 5.23 1198, I3 75 10.6 5MXL (O) 5.9 5.96 5.63 5.92 1198, I3 75 10.6 5MXV CVT 6.94 7.01 6.95 6.95 1198, I3 75 10.6 5MXV 7.48 7.56 7.5 7.5 1461, I4 63 16.3 5MXV (P) 7.75 7.83 7.78 7.76 1461, I4 63 16.3 5M

The old Micra is still sold alongside the new one and is quite the bargain

The new Nissan Sunny is a lot more car for your money. Also, loads of chrome!

MICrA ACTIVE

sUNNy

L: 3780 mm, H: 1530 mm, W: 1665 mm, WB: 2450 mm, KW: 930kg,Tyres:165/70 R14, TC (dia): 9.3 m, GC: NA, TV: NA, FT: 41 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans XE 3.78 3.84 3.8 3.8 1198, I3 68 10.6 5MXL 4.35 4.41 4.36 4.36 1198, I3 68 10.6 5MXV 4.79 4.83 4.8 4.8 1198, I3 68 10.6 5MXV S 5.12 5.17 5.14 5.13 1198, I3 68 10.6 5M

A prettier Renault Duster, the Terrano is for those seeking style. Drives well too

TErrANo

L: 4400mm, H: 1860mm, W: 1700mm, WB: 2775mm, KW: 1446 kg, TC (dia): 10.4 m, GC: 180mm, TV: NA litres, FT: 55 litres

L: 4425mm, H: 1505mm, W: 1695mm, WB: 2470mm, KW: NA, TC (dia):NA,Tyres: 185/65 R15, 185/70 R14 (XE/XL), GC: 165mm, TV: 232 litres, FT: 37 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransXE 6.99 7.34 7.11 6.98 1498, I4 97.6 13.6 5MXL 7.61 7.99 7.74 7.60 1498, I4 97.6 13.6 5MXL CVT 8.91 9.36 9.06 8.89 1498, I4 97.6 13.6 CVTXL Diesel 8.60 9.03 8.75 8.59 1461, I4 84 20.4 5MXV Diesel 9.33 9.80 9.49 9.31 1461, I4 84 20.4 5M

One of the last true roadsters, it's the perfect balance of a mid-engined machine along with top-down fun

BoxsTEr

L: 4329mm, H: 1295mm, W: 1801mm, WB: 2415mm, KW: 1385kg, Tyres: 235/35 R19(front, 265/35 R19(rear), TC (dia): 11.1m, GC: 95mm, TV: 150/130litres, FT: 64 litres

The everyday supercar, the 911 comes in so many different varieties, you're bound to find one you like

991.2

PORSCHe

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransBoxster GTS 115 112 - - 3436, H6 325 37.3 7ATS 102 100 103 - 3436, H6 320 37 6AT

L: 4499-4507mm, H: 1284-1299mm, W: 1808-1880mm, WB: 2450mm, KW: 1440-1670 kg, GC: NA, Tyres: 245/35 R20(f), 295-305/30 R20(r),TC (dia): NA, TV: NA, FT: 64 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransCarrera 142 142* NA NA 2981, H6 370 45.8 7ATCarrera Cabriolet 155 155* NA NA 2981, H6 370 45.8 7AT Carrera S 163 163* NA NA 2981, H6 420 51 7ATCarrera S Cabriolet 176 176* NA NA 2981, H6 420 51 7ATTurbo 225 225* NA NA 3800, H6 540 67.3 7ATTurbo Cabriolet 239 239* NA NA 3800, H6 540 67.3 7ATTurbo S 266 266* NA NA 3800, H6 580 71.4 7ATTurbo S Cabriolet 281 281* NA NA 3800, H6 580 71.4 7AT

A true Porsche SUV that defies the laws of physics in the way it corners and moves to buy as well

The baby Cayenne is here and it's a dream to drive. Unfortunately also a dream to own for most

CAyENNE

MACAN

L: 4846mm, H: 1705mm, W: 1939mm, WB: 2895mm, KW: 1994-2239kg, Tyres: 255/55 R18, , TC (dia): 11.9 m, GC: 215mm, TV: 580-1780litres, FT: 85 litres

L: 4699mm, H: 1600mm, W: 2082mm, WB: 2794mm, KW: 4641-4652kg, Tyres: 235/55 R19 (F), 255/50 R18 (R), TC (dia): 11.2 m, GC: NA FT: 75 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransDiesel 104 102 105 - 3967, V6 240 56 6ATS 118 116 120 - 4806, V8 400 51 6ATTurbo 178 174 181 - 4806, V8 433 59.1 6AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransS Diesel 100 98.1 101 - 2948, V6 241 59 7ATTurbo 111 108 112 - 3596, V6 394 71 7AT

Not exactly the best looking car in Porsche's line-up, but the Panamera is comfortable and pretty darn quick

PANAMErA

L: 4970 mm, H: 1418 mm, W: 1931 mm, WB: 2920 mm, KW: 1770kg, Tyres: 245/50 R18 (f), 275/45 R18, TC (dia): NA, GC: NA, Trunk Volume: 445 litres, FT: 80 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransBase 117 114 119 - 3605, V6 300 40 6ATDiesel 116 113 118 - 2967, V6 247 56 6AT4 119 117 121 - 4806, V8 400 51 6ATTurbo 185 181 188 - 4806, V8 500 71 6ATTurbo S 233 228 237 - 4806, V8 550 76 6AT

The Cayman also offers great balance, handling and straight-line speed as well

CAyMAN

L: 4380mm, H: 1295mm, W: 1801mm, WB: 2475mm, KW: 1350kg, Tyres: 235/40 R19(front), 265/40 R19(rear),TC (dia): NA, FT: 64 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransCAYMAN S 104 102 106 - 3436, H6 321 37.7 7AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransCooper D 25.9 28.26 29.93 29.93 1598, I4 112 27.4 6AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransXE (D) 9.59 10.08 9.77 9.58 1461, I4 84 20.4 5MXL (D) 10.66 11.20 10.85 10.65 1461, I4 84 20.4 5MXL (P) 9.79 10.29 9.96 9.78 1598, I4 102 14.7 5MXL (D) Plus 10.94 11.65 11.13 10.92 1461, I4 84 20.4 5MXL (D) 110 11.33 11.90 11.53 11.31 1461, I4 108 25.2 6MXV (D) 110 12.16 12.88 12.37 12.14 1461, I4 108 25.2 6M(D) Prem 12.46 13.19 12.68 12.44 1461, I4 108 25.2 6

Considered the gold standard when it comes to luxe limos

Mercedes Q3 competitor rides welland is very comfy too


ReNAulT

Like the Nissan Micra, the Pulse offers a lot of features for the class. The Renault nose adds to the looks, too skimp anywhere. Be weary of faulty transmissions though.

PULsE

L: 3805mm, H: 1525mm, W: 1665mm, WB: 2450mm, KW: NA, Tyres: 165/70 R14, 175/60 R15 (RxZ) TC (dia): NA, GC: NA, TV: 251 litres, FT: 41 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransRxE 4.25 4.41 4.32 4.28 1198, I3 75 10.6 5MRxL 4.99 5.17 5.08 5.03 1198, I3 75 10.6 5MRxZ 5.55 5.75 5.65 5.59 1198, I3 75 10.6 5MRxL Diesel 5.99 6.21 6.04 6.55 1461, I4 63 16.3 5MRxL Diesel Airbags 6.28 6.34 6.3 6.73 1461, I4 63 16.3 5MRxZ Diesel 6.51 6.75 6.64 6.96 1461, I4 63 16.3 5MRxZ Diesel Airbags 6.7 6.9 6.85 7.23 1461, I4 63 16.3 5M

Took the market by storm when it came with its good features, a choice of engines and great space skimp anywhere

Reliable, spacious and with good looks, you can't go wrong with the Scala

DUsTEr

sCALA

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransRxE Petrol 7.49 7.47 7.62 7.31 1498, I4 102.5 14.8 5MRxL Petrol 8.49 8.52 8.69 8.33 1498, I4 102.5 14.8 5M85PS RxE Diesel 8.39 8.31 8.59 8.13 1461, I4 84 20.4 5M85PS RxL Diesel 9.39 9.36 9.61 9.14 1461, I4 84 20.4 5M85PS RxL Di Opt 10.39 10.41 10.63 10.16 1461, I4 84 20.4 5M110PS RxLDiesel 10.39 10.41 10.63 10.16 1461, I4 108.5 25.3 6M110PS RxZ Die 11.39 11.46 11.65 11.18 1461, I4 108.5 25.3 6M110PS RxZ Di Opt 11.69 11.78 11.95 11.49 1461, I4 108.5 25.3 6M110PS RxL AT 11.66 12.62 11.83 11.85 1461, i4 108.5 25.3 6AT110PS RxZ AT 12.86 13.88 13.03 13.05 1461, i4 108.5 25.3 6AT110PS RxZ AWD 13.56 14.62 13.73 13.75 1461, i4 108.5 25.3 6MT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransRxE Petrol 7.07 7.35 7.19 7.11 1498, I4 97.6 13.6 5MRxL Petrol 7.95 8.27 8.09 8.2 1498, I4 97.6 13.6 5MRxL Petrol AT 8.99 8.94 9.07 9.07 1498, I4 97.6 13.6 CVTRxZ Petrol 9.56 9.53 9.63 5.62 1498, I4 97.6 13.6 5MRxZ Petrol AT 9.89 9.84 9.98 9.97 1498, I4 97.6 13.6 CVTRxE Diesel 8.43 9.89 8.41 8.4 1461, I4 84 20.4 5MRxL Diesel 8.79 9.16 8.94 8.86 1461, I4 84 20.4 5MRxZ Diesel 9.68 10.09 9.84 9.76 1461, I4 84 20.4 5ML: 4425mm, H: 1505mm, W: 1695mm, WB: 2600mm, KW: 1005-1085 kg, TC (dia): 10.6 m, GC: 161mm, TV: 490 litres, FT: 41 litres

Based off the Vento, the Rapid offers all the features of the Vento at a more attractive price

Based on the new MQB platform, the Octavia is spacious, has brilliant dynamics and a good range of engines too

For the price, it's brilliant value, offering comfort and space matching cars a segment or two above

One of the more understated cars in its segment, the Fluence has French good looks and elegant interiors

A true blue peoples mover, this is Renault's take on an MPV

Budget offering from Renault. Now also comes with a bigger engine

Based off the X-Trail, the Koleos certainly looks better and has the capabilites to match

The 'baby' Rolls-Royce is still a very, very luxurious experience

Presence, performance, comfort and luxury that you'd expect from a Roller. What more could you want?

rAPID

oCTAVIA

sUPErB

fLUENCE

LoDGy

KwID

KoLEos

GHosT

PHANToM

L: 4386mm, H: 1466mm, W: 1699mm, WB: 2552mm, KW: 1145-1205kg Tyres: 175/70 R14, 185/60 R15 (Elegance) TC (dia): 10.6 m, GC: 168mm, TV: 460 litres, FT: 55 litres

L: 4838 mm, H: 1482 mm, W: 1817 mm, WB: 2761 mm, KW: 1567kg, Tyres: 205/55 R16, TC (dia): 10.8 m, GC: 158 mm, TV: NA, FT: NA

L: 4520mm, H: 1690mm, W: 1855mm, WB: 2690mm, KW: 1709 kg, Tyres: 225/65 R17T,C (dia): NA, GC: 206 mm, TV: NA, FT: NA litres

L: 5609mm, H: 1581mm, W: 1987mm, WB: 3320mm, KW: 2620kg,Tyres: 255/50 R21(f)/285/45 R21(r), TC (dia): 13.1m, GC: NA,TV: 315 litres, FT: 80 litres

L: 5834/6084mm, H: 1632/1634mm, W: 1990mm, WB: 3570/3820mm, KW: 2550/2670kg, Tyres: 255/50 R21(f)/285/45 R21(r)TC (dia): 13.8/14.6m, TV: 460 litres, FT: 100

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransPetrol Active Plus 6.9 6.96 6.81 6.87 1598, I4 105 15.6 5MAmbition Plus 7.35 7.31 7.15 7.22 1598, I4 105 15.6 5M/5ATElegance 8.25 8.24 8.06 8.13 1598, I4 105 15.6 5M/5ATDieselActive Plus 8.15 8.2 8.02 8.09 1598, I4 105 25.5 5MAmbition Plus 8.6 8.55 8.36 8.44 1598, I4 105 25.5 5MElegance 9.5 9.47 9.37 9.35 1598, I4 105 25.5 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransAmbition 1.8 18.56 19.03 18.89 18.89 1798, I4 160 25.5 6MElegance 1.8 20.45 20.96 20.81 20.81 1968, I4 140 32.6 6ATElegance AT 22.07 22.63 22.46 22.46 1798, I4 160 25.5 6MAmbition 2.0 AT 23.1 23.66 23.48 23.48 1968, I4 140 32.6 6ATElegance 2.0 AT 25.0 25.63 25.44 25.44 1968, I4 140 32.6 6AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransKoleos 4x4 24.78 25.98 25.1 25.23 1995, I4 150 32.6 5AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransSedan 253 253 253 253 6592, V12 563 79.5 7ATEWB 263 263 263 263 6592, V12 563 79.5 7AT

ROllS-ROyCe

SkOdA

L: 4659mm, H: 1476mm, W: 1814mm, WB: 2688mm, KW: 1260-1340kg Tyres: 205/55 R16, 185/60 R15 (Elegance) TC (dia): 10.4 m, GC: 155mm, TV: 590 litres, FT: 50 litres

L: 4315mm, H: 1695mm, W: 1822mm, WB: 2420mm, KW: 1160-1308 kg, TC (dia): 10.4 m, GC: 205mm, TV: 475 litres, FT: 50 litres

L: 4618 mm, H: 1488 mm, W: 1813 mm, WB: 2703 mm, KW: 1360kg, Tyres: 205/60 R16, TC (dia): NA, GC: 170 mm, TV: 530 litres, FT: 60 litres

L: 4498 mm, H: 1697 mm, W: 1751 mm, WB: 2810 mm, KW: 1165kg, Tyres: 185/65 R15, TC (dia): 11.10, GC: 174 mm, TV: NA litres, FT: 50 litres

L: 3679 mm, H: 1478 mm, W: 1579 mm, WB: 2422 mm, KW: 669kg, Tyres: 115/80 R13, TC (dia): 9.8, GC: 180 mm, TV: NA litres, FT: 28 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans1.5 E2 11.99 12.53 12.17 12.2 1461, I4 108.5 24.4 6M1.5 E4 15.2 15.21 15.4 15.47 1461, I4 108.5 24.4 6M2.0 E4 15.27 15.95 15.47 15.54 1997, I4 135.4 19.3 6M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransSTD 8.54 9.00 7.99 8.03 1461, i4 84 20.4 5MTRXE 9.37 9.86 8.97 9.01 1461, i4 84 20.4 5MTRXL 9.99 10.51 9.84 9.88 1461, i4 84 20.4 5MTRXZ 11.33 11.91 11.47 11.10 1461, i4 84 20.4 5MT110PS RXL 10.40 10.94 10.54 10.52 1461, i4 109 25 5MT110PS RXZ (8) 11.95 12.56 12.09 12.07 1461, i4 109 25 5MT110PS RXZ (7) 12.26 12.88 12.40 12.38 1461, i4 109 25 5MTStepway (8) 12.37 12.99 12.50 12.48 1461, i4 109 25 5MTStepway (7) 12.58 13.31 12.81 12.79 1461, i4 109 25 5MT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransSTD 2.65 2.93 2.82 2.75 799, i3 53.3 7.3 5MTRXE 3.02 3.30 3.19 3.12 799, i3 53.3 7.3 5MTRXL 3.27 3.56 3.44 3.37 799, i3 53.3 7.3 5MTRXT 3.61 3.89 3.77 3.70 799, i3 53.3 7.3 5MTRXT (O) 3.71 3.99 3.87 3.80 799, i3 53.3 7.3 5MT1.0 RXT 3.83 3.80 3.83 3.83 999, i3 67 9.2 5MT1.0 RXT (O) 3.95 3.93 3.96 3.98 999, i3 67 9.2 5MT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransSedan 340 340 340 340 6749, V12 453 73.4 6ATEWB 350 350 350 350 6749, V12 453 73.4 6ATDrophead Coupe 450 450 450 450 6749, V12 453 73.4 6ATConvertible 410 400 410 410 6749, V12 453 73.4 6AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransActive 1.4 TSI 13.95 14.3 14.2 14.2 1395, I4 136 25.4 6MAmbition 1.4 14.95 15.32 15.22 15.2 1395, I4 136 25.4 6MActive 2.0 TDI 15.55 15.94 15.82 15.82 1968, I4 139 32.6 6MAmbition TDI 16.55 16.97 16.82 16.82 1968, I4 139 32.6 6MAmbition TDI AT 17.6 17.99 17.86 17.86 1968, I4 139 32.6 6ATElegance TSI AT 18.3 18.71 18.57 18.57 1798, I4 174 25.4 7ATElegance TDI AT 19.5 19.94 19.79 19.79 1968, I4 139 32.6 6AT

Possibly the perfect car for our cities, but priced on the more expensive side

Perfect for the city, that now also comes with power steering and an auto 'box. Surprisingly roomy and comfortable

yETI

NANo GENx

L: 4223mm, H: 1691mm, W: 1793mm, WB: 2578mm, KW: 1543kg,Tyres: 215/60 R16, TC (dia): 10 m, GC: 180mm , TV: 416-1665, FT: 60 litres

L: 3099 mm, H: 1652 mm, W: 1495 mm, WB: 2230 mm, KW: 600/615kg (CX), 635 kg (LXT), Tyres: 135/70 R12 (f), 155/70 R12, TC (dia): 8 m, GC: NA, TV: 80 litres, FT: 15 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransBase 1.42 1.55 1.51 1.54 624, I2 37.4 5.2 4MCX 1.73 1.87 1.82 1.85 624, I2 37.4 5.2 4MLX 2 2.16 2.1 2.12 624, I2 37.4 5.2 4MXT (PS) 2.36 2.46 2.36 2.39 624, I2 37.4 5.2 4M

TATA

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransActive 14.8 14.52 14.93 15.06 1968, I4 110 25.5 5MAmbition 16 15.7 16.14 16.28 1968, I4 140 32.6 6MElegance 17.5 17.17 17.66 17.81 1968, I4 140 32.6 6M

It's come a long way in terms of quality. Great value for money and frugal engines make it a decent buy

INDICA EV2

L: 3675mm, H: 1485mm, W: 1665mm, WB: 2400mm, KW: 980kgs, Tyres: 165/65 R13, TC (dia): 9.8m, GC: 170mm, TV: 220 litres, FT: 37 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransGLS 3.57 3.6 3.71 3.67 1193, I4 64 10.2 5MGLX 3.83 3.91 4.02 3.97 1193, I4 64 10.2 5MeLS 4.78 4.85 4.95 4.93 1396, I4 69 14.2 5MeLX 5.11 5.2 5.29 5.27 1396, I4 69 14.2 5M


One of the more fuel efficient cars, the Indigo is practical and reliable. Loses points on style, though

Tata's attempt at attracting a younger more modern crowd is quite quite. Feature loaded too

One of the more fuel efficient cars, the Indigo is practical and reliable. Loses points on style, though

INDIGo ECs

BoLT

TIAGo

L: 4150mm, H: 1540mm, W: 1620mm, WB: 2540mm, KW: 1070 kgs,Tyres: 175/65 R14, TC (dia): 10.0m, GC: 165mm, TV: 450 litres, FT: 42 litres



Didn't exactly take off, but it's still a competent vehicle. For personal use, there are better ones out there, though

The Aria is a pretty nice vehicle to drive around in, but for the price, there are better options available

The Zest is Tata's answer to the Dzire and Amaze. It's got killer pricing, good looks and much-improved interiors

Looks pretty similar to the outgoing model, but underneath it's completely new and quite competent too

Available with reliable engines and lots of interior space. There are better options out there, though

The recently updated Sumo Gold comes with dual AC, redesigned interiors and seating for seven

MoVUs

ArIA

ZEsT

sTorME

sAfArI

sUMo GoLD

L: 4780mm, H: 1780mm, W: 1895mm, WB: 2850mm, KW: 2220kg, Tyres: 235/65 R17, TC (dia): 11.2m, GC: 200mm , TV: NA , FT: 60 litres

L: 3995mm, H: 1570mm, W: 1706mm, WB: 2470mm, KW: 1115-1170kg, Tyres: 185/60 R15, TC (dia): 5.1m, GC: 165-175mm , TV: NA , FT: NA

L: 4655mm, H: 1922mm, W: 1965mm, WB: 2650mm, KW: 2000-2095 kg Tyres: 235/70 R16, TC(dia): 10.8m, GC: 205mm, TV: NA, FT: 65 litres

L: 4810mm, H: 1925mm, W: 1918mm, WB: 1650mm, KW: 1920 kg (4x2), 2040 kg (4x4), Tyres: 235/75 R15, TC (dia): 12.0m,GC: 205mm, TV: NA, FT: 65 litres

L: 4258mm, H: 1925mm, W: 1700mm, WB: 2425mm, KW: NA, Tyres: 215/75 R15, TC(dia): 9.8m, GC:180mm, TV: NA, FT:65 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransGX 6.7 7.04 6.8 6.74 2179, I4 118 25.5 5MEX 7.3 7.46 7.11 7.15 2179, I4 118 25.5 5MLX 7.79 8.16 7.79 7.84 2179, I4 118 25.5 5MCX 7.92 8.23 7.92 8.03 2179, I4 118 25.5 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLX 8.28 8.3 8.42 8.36 2179, I4 138 32.6 5MEX 9.92 9.96 10.07 10.02 2179, I4 138 32.6 5MGX 11.14 11.27 11.38 11.34 2179, I4 138 32.6 5MVX 12.3 12.56 12.59 12.47 2179, I4 138 32.6 5MVX 4x4 13.25 13.54 13.55 13.44 2179, I4 138 32.6 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransBS3 5.75 5.88 5.92 5.89 2956, I4 83 25.5 5MBS4 6.12 6.22 6.29 6.22 2956, I4 83 25.5 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransGLS 4.78 4.79 4.93 4.86 1396, I4 69 14.2 5MGLX 4.99 5.02 5.16 5.09 1396, I4 69 14.2 5MLS 5.61 5.68 5.78 5.71 1396, I4 69 14.2 5MLX 5.85 5.92 6.02 5.95 1193, I4 64 10.2 5MVX 5.95 6.02 6.13 6.1 1193, I4 64 10.2 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransXE Petrol 4.60 4.81 4.65 4.58 1193, i4 89 14.3 5MTXM Petrol 5.30 5.54 5.37 5.30 1193, i4 89 14.3 5MTXMS Petrol 5.54 5.78 5.60 5.54 1193, i4 89 14.3 5MTXT Petrol 6.14 6.49 6.29 6.22 1193, i4 89 14.3 5MTXE Diesel 5.75 6.01 5.84 5.78 1248, i4 74 19.3 5MTXM Diesel 6.21 6.65 6.47 6.40 1248, i4 74 19.3 5MTXMS Diesel 6.59 6.88 6.69 6.63 1248, i4 74 19.3 5MTXT Diesel 7.25 7.59 7.38 7.31 1248, i4 74 19.3 5MT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransXB Petrol 3.20 3.39 3.32 3.31 1199, i3 84 11.6 5MTXE Petrol 3.59 3.80 3.72 3.89 1199, i3 84 11.6 5MTXE(O) Petrol 3.77 3.99 3.90 3.97 1199, i3 84 11.6 5MTXM Petrol 3.89 4.11 4.02 4.02 1199, i3 84 11.6 5MTXM(O) Petrol 4.07 4.30 4.20 4.15 1199, i3 84 11.6 5MTXT Petrol 4.19 4.43 4.32 4.33 1199, i3 84 11.6 5MTXT(O) Petrol 4.37 4.61 4.51 4.48 1199, i3 84 11.6 5MTXZ Petrol 4.75 5.00 4.89 4.90 1199, i3 84 11.6 5MTXE Diesel 4.29 4.54 4.43 4.45 1047, i3 69 14.2 5MTXE(O) Diesel 4.47 4.73 4.62 4.60 1047, i3 69 14.2 5MTXM Diesel 4.69 4.95 4.83 4.84 1047, i3 69 14.2 5MTXM(O) Diesel 4.87 5.14 5.01 4.96 1047, i3 69 14.2 5MTXT Diesel 4.99 5.27 5.14 5.14 1047, i3 69 14.2 5MTXT(O) Diesel 5.17 5.46 5.32 5.27 1047, i3 69 14.2 5MTXZ Diesel 5.54 5.84 5.69 5.70 1047, i3 69 14.2 5MT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransPure 13.21 13.3 13.18 13.21 2179, I4 138 32.6 5MPleasure 14.21 14.33 14.19 14.24 2179, I4 138 32.6 5MPleasure 4x4 14.82 14.82 14.07 15.37 2179, I4 138 32.6 5MPride 4x4 17.8 17.84 16.79 18.48 2179, I4 138 32.6 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransStorme EX 9.95 10.02 9.95 9.95 2179, I4 138 32.6 5MLX 10.82 10.93 10.82 10.82 2179, I4 138 32.6 5MVX 11.41 11.6 11.41 11.41 2179, I4 138 32.6 5MVX 4x4 13.68 13.8 13.68 13.68 2179, I4 138 32.6 5M

L: 4421mm, H: 1940mm, W: 1780mm, WB: 2550mm, KW: 2625 kg, Tyres: 215/60 R16, TC(dia): 10.6m, GC: 180mm, TV: NA, FT: 65 litres

Fresh looks. Not so fresh engine. Still quite a draw thanks to brand value and unbeatable quality

Lack of diesel engines is a a let-down, but among the petrol-powered sedans, the Camry is pretty good

CoroLLA ALTIs

CAMry

L: 4815 mm, H: 1480 mm, W: 1820 mm, WB: 2775 mm, KW: 1545 kg, Tyres: 215/60 R16, TC (dia): 11 m, GC: 160 mm,TV: 535 litres, FT: 70 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransCamry 2.5 G 23.8 25 24 24.16 2494, I4 178 23.7 6ATHybrid 29.75 31.23 29.75 29.75 2494, I4 202 27.4 6AT

TOyOTA

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransJ 11.00 13.64 11.21 11.25 1798, I4 138 17.6 6MG 12.94 14.35 13.17 13.23 1798, I4 138 17.6 6MGL 14.35 16.07 14.56 14.65 1798, I4 138 17.6 6MVL 15.43 15.34 15.66 15.76 1798, I4 138 17.6 7ATSport 15.52 15.4 15.73 15.86 1798, I4 138 17.6 6MG Diesel 13.96 15.71 14.19 14.27 1364, I4 87 20.9 6MJ Diesel 12.00 11.94 12.22 12.28 1364, I4 87 20.9 6MGL Diesel 15.23 17.43 15.45 15.55 1364, I4 87 20.9 6MG AT Petrol 12.94 15.71 13.17 13.23 1798, I4 138 17.6 7AT

L: 4620mm, H: 1475mm, W: 1775mm, WB: 2700mm, KW: 1180-1230kg, Tyres: 195/65 R15, TC (dia): 10.6m, GC: 176mm, TV: 475 litres, FT: 50-55 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransXE (P) 4.63 4.83 4.68 4.63 1193, I4 89 13.8 5MXM (P) 5.24 5.44 5.21 5.17 1193, I4 89 13.8 5MXMS (P) 5.43 5.63 5.40 5.35 1193, I4 89 13.8 5MXT (P) 5.99 6.24 5.90 5.85 1193, I4 89 13.8 5MXE (D) 5.64 5.86 5.60 5.55 1248, I4 74 18.6 5MXM (D) 6.27 6.52 6.21 6.17 1248, I4 74 18.6 5MXMA (D) 6.99 7.33 6.92 6.85 1248, I4 74 18.6 5MXMS (D) 6.45 6.67 6.41 6.35 1248, I4 74 18.6 5MXT (D) 6.98 7.43 6.92 6.81 1248, I4 74 18.6 5M

The 'smaller' Land Cruiser is still capable of traversing through a desert. A good urban-ute too

Has all the luxury fittings you'd expect. No Range Rover this, but it's definitely a suitable substitute

LAND CrUIsEr PrADo

LAND CrUIsEr

L: 4760 mm, H: 1880 mm, W: 1885 mm, WB: 2790 mm, KW: 2400kg, Tyres: 265/60 R18, TC (dia): NA, GC: 220 mm, TV: NA, FT: 87 litres

L: 4950 mm, H: 1910 mm, W: 1970 mm, WB: 2850 mm, KW: 2720kg, Tyres: 285/60 R18, TC (dia): 11.8 m, GC: 225 mm, TV: NA, FT: 93 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransPrado 61.16 60.47 62.07 62.23 2982, I4 170 41.8 5AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLC200 99.27 98.2 100 101 4461, V8 285 66 6AT

Like the hatch, the Etios is a reliable, spacious car. Smooth engines and comfortable interiors are selling points

No-nonsense hatchback with lots of space and peppy, frugal engines. Quality could be better

ETIos

ETIos LIVA

L: 4265mm, H: 1510mm, W: 1695mm, WB: 2550mm, KW: 930kg, 90-1005Tyres: 185/60 R15, TC (dia): 9.8 m, GC: 170mm , TV: 595 litres, FT: 45 litres

L: 3775 mm, H: 1510 mm, W: 1695 mm, WB: 2460 mm, KW: 890-920kg, 980 Tyres: 175/65 R14, 185/60 R15 (V, VX), TC (dia): 4.8 m, GC: 170mm,TV: 251 litres, FT: 45 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransLiva J 4.09 4.24 4.33 4.35 1197, I4 79 10.6 5MG 4.71 4.64 4.73 4.77 1197, I4 79 10.6 5MV 5.65 5.64 5.72 5.79 1197, I4 79 10.6 5MVX 6.16 6.15 6.25 6.3 1197, I4 79 10.6 5MGD 5.77 5.7 5.79 5.82 1364, I4 68 17.3 5MJD 6.38 6.31 6.46 6.41 1364, I4 68 17.3 5MTRD Sportivo 5.28 5.2 5.34 5.33 1496, I4 89 13.4 5M

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransJ 5.14 5.14 5.21 5.14 1496, I4 89 13.4 5MG 5.71 5.68 5.78 5.71 1496, I4 89 13.4 5MV 6.71 6.67 6.79 6.74 1496, I4 89 13.4 5MVX 7.18 7.14 7.27 7.22 1496, I4 89 13.4 5MGD 6.69 6.6 6.76 6.7 1364, I4 68 17.3 5MVD 7.68 7.57 7.77 7.71 1364, I4 68 17.3 5M

A very capable vehicle. Despite looking so imposing, it's surprisingly manageable in the city, too

forTUNEr

L: 4695 mm, H: 1850 mm, W: 1840 mm, WB: 2750 mm, KW: 1955kg, Tyres: 265/65 R17, TC (dia): 11.8 m, GC: 221 mm, TV: NA, FT: 80 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans2WD MT 20.79 20.7 21.12 21.12 2982, I4 168 35 5M2WD AT 21.62 21.53 21.95 21.95 2982, I4 168 35 5AT4WD AT 22.93 22.83 23.7 23.27 2982, I4 168 35 5AT


A much bigger diesel engine and reworked suspension are just two of the many reasons to love the new Polo. Real hoot to drive, too!

The recently updated Vento is a solid buy, but the Skoda Rapid is pretty much the same car for a better price

NEw PoLo

VENTo

L: 3970mm, H: 1453mm, W: 1682mm, WB: 2456mm, KW: 992kg, Tyres: 175/70 R14, TC (dia): 10.6,GC: 168 mm, TV: 280 litres, FT: 45 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransTrendline 6.29 6.46 5.07 6.38 1498, I4 89 23.4 5MTrendline Petrol 5.01 5.14 5.07 5.07 1198, I3 74 11.2 5MComfortline 6.89 7.08 6.99 6.99 1498, I3 89 23.4 5MComfortline (P) 5.59 5.74 5.66 5.66 1198, I3 74 11.2 5MHighline 7.39 7.59 7.50 7.50 1498, I3 89 23.4 5MHighline Petrol 6.09 6.26 6.17 6.17 1198, I3 74 11.2 5MGT TSI 8.06 8.22 7.86 7.86 1197, I4 103 17.5 7ATGT TDI 8.08 8.31 8.22 8.14 1598, I4 104 25.5 5MCross Polo 7.75 7.80 7.89 7.89 1199, I3 75 18.3 5M

One of the better handling FWD cars out there, the Jetta is available with a couple of really nice engines

JETTA

L: 4644mm, H: 1453mm, W: 1778mm, WB: 2633mm, KW: 1445/1460 (AT)/1403 (TSI) kg, Tyres: 205/55 R16, TC (dia): 11 m, GC: 159 mm, TV: NA, FT: 55 litres

The S60 is due for a facelift soon but for now it's a viable alternative to the C-Class, 3 Series and A4

s60


DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransKinetic T6 34.2 35.5 34.06 34.06 2000, I5 163 40.8 6MSummum T6 35 36.65 35.9 35.9 2400, I5 215 42.8 6ATKinetic D3 25 26.06 24.02 24.02 2000, I5 163 40.8 6MSummum D3 28 30.33 26.09 26.09 2400, I5 215 42.8 6ATSummum D5 31 34.55 34.8 34.8 2953, I6 304 44.8 6AT

Like the XC90, the S80 is also a dated product in Volvo's line-up. There are much better alternatives out there

s80

L: 4851mm, H: 1493mm, W: 1893mm, WB: 2853mm, KW: 1630kg, Tyres: 245/45 R17, TC (dia): 11.2m, GC: 148mm,TV: NA, FT: 70 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransSummum D5 39.24 40.32 38.5 38.5 2000, I5 163 40.8 6ATKinetic D3 33.24 33.41 32.02 32.02 2000, I5 163 40.8 6ATSummum D3 36.24 35.57 37.24 37.24 2400, I5 215 42.8 6AT

VOlkSwAGeN

VOlVO

Looks brilliant in the right colour and now available with some nice discounts as well

Due for a replacement soon, but it's still one of the safer cars on the road for your family

Besides being one of the safest hatches in existence, it looks and drives pretty well too!

xC60

xC90

V40

L: 4627mm, H: 1713mm, W: 1891mm, WB: 2774mm, KW: 1843 kg, Tyres: 235/65 R17, TC (dia): 11.6m, GC: ,TV: 490 litres, FT: 70 litres

L: 4807mm, H: 1784mm, W: 1898mm, WB: 2857mm, KW: 2111kg, Tyres: 235/45 R17, TC (dia): 12.5m, GC: NA, TV: 483 litres, FT: 80 litres

L: 4369mm, H: 1420mm, W: 2041mm, WB: 2647mm, KW: 1423kg, Tyres: 235/45 R17, TC (dia): 10.8m, GC: 133, TV: NA litres, FT: 62 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransSummum D5 41.25 42.41 41.1 41.1 2000, I5 163 40.8 6MKinetic D3 35.25 35.5 34.02 34.02 2000, I5 163 40.8 6MSummum D3 38.25 37.66 36.09 36.09 2400, I5 215 42.8 6AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransSummum D5 42.8 46.19 44 44 2400, I5 215 42.8 6AT

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransD3 Kinetic 25.49 30.71 26.49 25.19 1984, i4 150 35.7 6ATR-Design 28.53 30.71 30.20 28.20 1984, i4 150 35.7 6ATCross Country 27.29 30.35 29.12 27.48 1984, i4 150 35.7 6AT

L: 4384 mm, H: 1466 mm, W: 1699 mm, WB: 2552 mm, KW: 1120 - 1220kg, Tyres: NA, TC (dia): 10.8 m, GC: 168 mm, TV: NA,FT: 55 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransTrendline TSI 13.6 13.96 13.84 13.84 1390, I4 121 20.4 6MComfortline TSI 15.07 15.45 15.33 15.33 1390, I4 121 20.4 6MTrendline TDI 14.12 14.98 14.2 14.18 1968, I4 140 32.6 6MComfortline TDI 15.39 15.55 15.4 15.42 1968, I4 140 32.6 6MHighline TDI 17.06 17.1 17.1 17.09 1968, I4 140 32.6 6MHighline TDI AT 17.86 17.88 17.85 17.84 1968, I4 140 32.6 6AT

INNoVA

L: 4735mm, H: 1795mm, W: 1830mm, WB: 2750mm, KW: 1810-1870kg,Tyres: 205/65 R16,TC (dia): 10.8m, GC: 176mm, TV: NA, FT: 55 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransTrendline 6.99 7.32 6.99 6.99 1598, I4 104 25.5 5MHighline MT 8.23 8.46 8.23 8.23 1598, I4 104 15.6 5MHighline AT 9.21 9.47 9.21 9.21 1598, I4 104 25.5 5MTrendline Diesel 7.99 8.35 7.99 7.99 1598, I4 104 15.6 5M/5ATComfortline Diesel 8.32 8.56 8.32 8.32 1598, I4 104 25.5 5MHighline Petrol 9.23 9.49 9.23 9.23 1598, I4 104 15.6 5M/5AT

VW gets into the sub 4 meter sedan game, and this is a seriously equipped

AMEo

L: 3995 mm, H: 1483 mm, W: 1682 mm, WB: 2470 mm, KW: 1044 - 1069kg, Tyres: 185/60 R18, TC (dia): NA, GC: 165 mm, TV: NA,FT: 45 litres

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque TransTrendline 5.24 5.13 NA NA 1198, i4 74 11.2 5MComfortline 5.99 5.87 NA NA 1198, i4 74 11.2 5MHighline 7.07 6.91 NA NA 1198, i4 74 11.2 5M

New Innova takes the segment further by leaps and bounds

DEL MUM BANG CHEN Engine Power Torque Trans2.4G 7-Seat NA 13.83 14.17 14.13 2393, i4 148 35 5MT2.4G 8-Seat NA 13.88 14.22 14.17 2393, i4 148 35 5MT2.4GX 7-Seat NA 14.69 15.06 15.06 2393, i4 148 35 5MT2.4GX 8-Seat NA 14.74 15.11 15.10 2393, i4 148 35 5MT2.4VX 7-Seat NA 17.53 17.86 17.93 2393, i4 148 35 5MT2.4VX 8-Seat NA 17.57 17.90 17.97 2393, i4 148 35 5MT2.4ZX 7-Seat NA 19.47 19.82 19.87 2393, i4 148 35 5MT2.8GX 7-Seat NA 15.99 16.36 16.36 2755, i4 172 36.7 6AT2.8GX 8-Seat NA 16.04 16.41 16.40 2755, i4 172 36.7 6AT2.8ZX 7-Seat NA 20.77 21.12 21.17 2755, i4 172 36.7 6AT2.7GX 7-Seat 13.72 13.57 13.94 13.94 2694, i4 164 25 5MT2.7GX 8-Seat 13.77 13.62 13.99 13.98 2694, i4 164 25 5MT2.7VX 7-Seat 16.56 16.41 16.74 16.81 2694, i4 164 25 5MT2.7GX 7-Seat 14.83 14.68 15.05 15.05 2694, i4 164 25 6AT2.7GX 8-Seat 14.88 14.73 15.10 15.09 2694, i4 164 25 6AT2.7ZA 7-Seat 19.62 19.46 19.81 19.86 2694, i4 164 25 6AT

usually is the latter, in my case), but I’ve come around to really enjoying a motorcycle journey only if there is a story to be told. Then, everything else – the motorcycle, the route, the destination – becomes more or less irrelevant. Not redundant, but definitely not deciding factors either. It’s the story, the promise of learning and discovery that takes precedence over everything. Motorcycle journeys, one way or another, always come to an end. Stories, thankfully, are immortal. Life is like that, too.

There is, of course, a lot of uncertainty and unpleasantness to it as well. Not every local you meet is a cheerful simpleton and there aren’t as many apple-scrunching rosy-cheeked lasses up in the Himalayas as you would like. Life on the road isn’t particularly easy either, especially not when most elements in your immediate environment, from cattle to overloaded tourist buses, are essentially life-threatening entities. In other words,

r u m a n d e v m a n e

[[email protected]]

a storyALL FOR

The simmering prospect of a motorcycle journey is something I have grown really fond of. It

is perhaps as romantic as the journey in its physical reality itself. I love being awake into the wee hours, scanning through maps on the laptop while taking sips from my Porsche coffee mug (a junket freebie or a birthday present – I can’t remember now), sorting out gear and (trying to) prep a motorcycle. Inadvertently, nearly all of my motorcycle journeys in the last six years have been work-related, although thanks to the nature of automotive journalism it only serves to complete the – what’s the word for it? spirit? – of the journey. By asking for a story to be woven around it, that is.

This isn’t a constraint in anyway because, to me, the story is what really makes a motorcycle journey. It’s the story that separates a journey from an extended commute. You don’t have to look for it; that, in fact, can be counter-productive. Stories are simply everywhere, around every curve of the road. Stories are all about peripheral vision. Not what you see right in front of you, but around you. It’s not about seeing, but experiencing and absorbing. What you see is the road ahead, what you experience is where you are.

I don’t know if it is an occupational hazard or just flawed perspective (it

there is a lot out there that you wouldn’t like. But there’s a story to tell in there, too. As long as you make it back alive, of course.

Not all stories have to be life-changing or monumental either. Indeed, you may forget some of them even before the next milestone blurs past. It’s not about having more stories to tell, just as it isn’t (or at least it never should be) about racing the clock or setting land-speed records. A story is something that adds to rather than takes away from the ride. It’s not a distraction. It’s the reason. Alongside the forty-two lakh kilometres of intertwining tarmac we have in our country reside more stories than there will be sunsets over the horizon. Just look around you. Not when there’s a stationary cow in the same lane as you, preferably.

Speaking of stories, it’s the end of one and the beginning of another for Rohin, our resident car nut and closet scooterist, who has moved on from Motoring World, but hopefully not from the world of motoring. He’s taking away with him his unparalleled ability to drift everything with at least four wheels, speak at an inaudible frequency and to come up with puns that were so bad, they were good. Naturally, we won’t miss him at all, then. Take care, SV!

@rumandevmane


Stories, thankfully, are immortal

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Supper moto october 2016