Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2022 i Car India

PRETTY MUCH MISSING FROM A BUSTLING segment, devoid of a modern offering, Maruti Suzuki seem to have waited, watched, and learned. Now they’ve stormed into the arena which was created by the Renault Duster and then dominated by the likes of the Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos with the Nissan Kicks, Volkswagen Taigun, Škoda Kushaq, and MG Astor stepping into battle as well. The new breed of mid-SUVs were mostly crossovers post the Duster AWD moving out, until now. The Grand Vitara comes in guns blazing. Two-wheel-drive manual, automatic, manual all-wheel drive, as well as a full hybrid, developed together with Toyota. The all-new mid-size SUV is built on the global C-platform which also underpins the new Brezza. Here, the wheelbase has been extended to 2,600 millimetres, similar to the…

Porsche 911 GT3 RS BUCKET LISTS. ALL OF us have them. Consciously or not. For me, this was one off the list. A 911 GT3 RS on an F1 racetrack and close to home, too. And the experience was nothing short of a rewiring of the brain-body-car connection. The difference between a sports car and an automobile became unequivocally clear to me and I hope to bring it across to you, the reader, as best as I can. The 911 is Porsche’s and, indeed, one of the world’s most iconic sports cars. The shape has remained unchanged—more or less—since the 1940s and, as an evolution of the Beetle (there, I said it), the 911 has indeed come a long way. This car here is the 991.II generation and the chance…

Volkswagen Virtus 1.0 TSI GIVEN THAT SEDANS FELL OUT OF favour with buyers for a while in favour of sport utility vehicles (SUV), the Virtus has been a success for Volkswagen with over 5,000 deliveries taking place in two months and more. The Virtus has reintroduced the sedan to purchasers’ minds. We already drove the 1.0 TSI automatic, but we wanted to spend some time with the manual variant to assess how well it performs. Keep in mind that Volkswagen provide both a manual and automatic for the Virtus 1.0 TSI, but only a DSG automatic for the Virtus 1.5 TSI. The Virtus boasts of a 95 per cent localization rate thanks to its MQB A0 IN foundation. With a length of 4,561 millimetres, the German automaker reiterates that it…

FIRST DRIVE Citroën C5 Aircross CITROËN HAVE HAD A DECENT START IN the Indian market with two offerings, the C5 Aircross and the smaller C3. Both of these products have posted decent sales figures and Citroën, as a brand, has grown in presence. The company has also increased the number of showrooms across the country, so it is quite fitting that it has launched an updated version of the C5 Aircross. The French brand still has a long way to go in terms of covering the entire Indian market. We take a look at this refreshed C5 Aircross and see what’s new in terms of features as compared to the previous model. The French automaker’s first model to be released was the C5 Aircross about two years ago. Since then,…

Eaton Differentials IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT A machine is made of components and each of those parts plays a vital role in the machine’s performance. Eaton Technologies are a power solutions company and it has made a mark in the automotive industry by supplying high-tech componentry to some of the major car manufacturers. The company currently supplies differentials for cars including the Mahindra Scorpio and the Mahindra Thar. Furthermore, it also offers after-market options for Tata and Isuzu sport utility vehicles (SUV). Differentials are an essential part of four-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive systems. The basic function of a differential is to allow both wheels on an axle to turn at different speeds. Modern cars have larger demands than that, especially off-road-focused machinery. The Mahindra Scorpio-based pick-up truck that is sold…

WRC Greece & New Zealand AFTER NINE-TIME WORLD champion Sébastien Loeb retired early on Saturday due to an alternator failure, the Belgian driver took up the lead. He did not turn around again after that. While numerous front-runners had issues on the last day, Neuville’s Hyundai team was unharmed. With Dani Sordo rounding out the podium lockout in third, he entered Sunday’s three-stage finale with a lead of almost a minute above teammate Ott Tänak. Tänak reduced the time through Elefthori by 2.9 seconds on the first pass, but any thoughts that the Estonian would put additional pressure on his teammate were dashed when team directives came into effect. The leading trio led the field by more than three minutes until Elfyn Evans, who was operating a Toyota GR Yaris,…

NEW THIS MONTH MARUTI SUZUKI GRAND VITARA The all-new Grand Vitara enters the busting mid-SUV segment with Hybrid and AWD offerings. Prices start from Rs 10.45 lakh TATA TIAGO.ev The Tiago.ev represents the first compact hatchback EV and is offered with two battery choices, sensibly priced from Rs 8.49 lakh INDEX 93 ASTON MARTIN, AUDI94 BENTLEY95 BMW96 CITROËN, FERRARI97 FORCE MOTORS, HONDA98 HYUNDAI99 ISUZU, JAGUAR100 JEEP, KIA101 LAMBORGHINI, LAND ROVER102 LEXUS, MAHINDRA104 MARUTI SUZUKI105 MASERATI106 McLAREN, MERCEDES-BENZ107 MINI108 MORRIS GARAGES, NISSAN109 PORSCHE110 RENAULT, ROLLS-ROYCE, ŠKODA111 TATA MOTORS112 TOYOTA114 VOLKSWAGEN, VOLVO LEGENDS PRICES Ex-showroom, Pune (subject to change) BO: Available only by order NA: Price not available FEATURES F: Front only D: Driver airbag only O: Optional equipment…

Aston Martin DBX707 ASTON MARTIN HAVE INTRODUCED THEIR MOST POWERFUL production SUV in the form of the DBX707, launched in India priced from Rs 4.63 crore (ex-showroom). As the name suggests, the DBX707 has a whopping 707 hp on tap. The AMG-supplied V8 engine is a 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol unit that produces that staggering output at 6,000 rpm with an equally gargantuan 900 Nm of peak torque coming in between 2,750 and 4,500 rpm. A nine-speed automatic transmission sends the power to all four wheels. The five-metre-plus super-SUV features a comprehensive suite of engine, transmission, suspension, and brake upgrades, the latter seeing 420-mm carbon rotors. Despite the DBX707 weighing 2,245 kg and having a 91-litre fuel-tank, the adoption of a new wet-clutch transmission (which brings noticeably faster gear-shifts and responsiveness…

Mahindra XUV400 AFTER HAVING RECENTLY SHOWCASED five concept electric cars at their design studio in the United Kingdom, Mahindra have finally introduced the production-ready all-electric XUV400 E-SUV. Building on a platform that has done well for Mahindra, the XUV300 has been re-engineered to make it an electric-worthy mass-market SUV. Mahindra have had quite a bit of experience with electric cars. We have seen an early electric product by them which was the small city car, e2o, and their other attempt was the electric Verito which has seen some success in the fleet market as many operators use them as city cabs. But with the XUV400, this will be the company’s first proper attempt at taking on its electric competition head-on. The brand-new 2022 Mahindra XUV400 made its world début at…

Kia Sonet D1.5 GT Line THE AUGUST 2022 SALES data for Kia India have been publicised. This South Korean auto-maker’s Indian subsidiary sold 22,322 vehicles in August 2022, an increase of 33.27 per cent year over year. As many as 16,750 units were sold by the company during the corresponding period the year before. The Sonet Sonet has sold well since its launch it has been a successful model for Kia, so we had to start this by showing you how popular the Sonet has become in India among compact SUV buyers. With their small selection of vehicles, Kia India have always been aggressive in updating it. The X Line trim adds a bit extra to the model range in addition to model year updates that include necessary changes. The…

THE “N LINE” BADGE MEANS Hyundai are serving up something special for the enthusiasts in their fold. Following the positive reception of the i20 N Line, I, like many others, also expected the “N Line” badge to make an appearance on one of the sedans or the Grand i10 NIOS, but the Korean major had other plans. The recently facelifted Venue became the second car to receive “N Line” credentials and we got a chance to sample it during a short drive. The styling remains largely similar to the standard car’s but the Venue N Line gets model-specific styling elements. These include a dark chrome front grille with “N Line” logo, special bumpers with skid-plates, roof-rails and side sills with red inserts, 16-inch wheels, and red front brake calipers. The…

Porsche Track Experience THE PORSCHE TRACK EXPERIENCE WAS back at the BIC and, as always, there was a delectable array of offerings of all sorts of flavours to suit all palates. And I haven’t even gotten to the cars yet! From the new Macan GTS and Panamera Turbo S to the all-electric Taycan and its polar opposite sibling, the hardcore nat-asp petrol-powered 911 GT3 RS, there was everything. Everything from the two-speed automatic and new eight-speed PDK and the six-speed manual were available to drive. Here is how the day went. Handling (992 C2S Cabriolet, 991.II GT3 RS) What good is a car if it doesn’t go exactly where you want it to go and do exactly what you want it to do? The handling course—a vacant parking lot with…

F1 Italy & Singapore THE CONFUSED GRID was lined up behind Leclerc and fellow front-row starter, George Russell, in the Mercedes after the pit crew paid their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II. Both drivers chose to start on new soft tyres instead of the more conventional medium tyres, joining Verstappen, Williams rookie Nyck de Vries, and Alpine driver Esteban Ocon. Verstappen moved through to the top three by lap four and seized P2 from Russell a lap later from grid position seven. The Dutch driver then took the lead after Leclerc pitted from softs to mediums during a Virtual Safety Car (caused by Sebastian Vettel’s DNF on lap 12). Leclerc regained control of the race when Verstappen prolonged his first stint and switched to medium tyres on lap…

THE TOYOTA GAZOO RACING DRIVER, WHO IS 22 years and one day old, broke Colin McRae’s previous record of 27 years and 109 days by becoming the sport’s youngest champion at the age of 22. In this Auckland-based 11th round, Rovanperä, with co-driver Jonne Halttunen, needed seven more points than Ott Tänak to win. With a sizeable lead established on Saturday, he was undisturbed over the final four gravel tests on Sunday and finished the rally’s Wolf Power Stage with a lead of 34.6 seconds over eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier. A disgruntled Tänak settled for third place, some 50 seconds behind. Only Rovanperä’s third in the highest division of the sport, this season turned out to be nothing short of amazing. The Finn romped to a hat-trick of consecutive…

BULLETIN AUTOMOTIVE NEWS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THE PUROSANGUE, ITALIAN FOR “PURE BLOOD”, IS THE first-ever four-door, four-seater sport utility vehicle (SUV) from Maranello and, to be fair, it has been one of the most highly anticipated offerings. The new Purosangue speaks an aggressive design language and features a long and muscular bonnet, sleek LED headlights with split-type daytime lights, a front splitter, and a large grille with the Cavallino logo. The high-riding vehicle gets rear-hinged doors, sleek wing-mirrors, flared wheel-arches, and designer mixed wheels: 22-inch front and 23-inch rear. Sleek LED tail-lights and quad exhaust tips grace the rear end. Ferrari’s most iconic engine, the sweet-sounding, naturally aspirated, 6.5-litre V12, powers the Purosangue. With 725 hp at 7,750 rpm and a peak torque of 716 Nm…

Volkswagen ID. Buzz JAMIE FROM NEW JERSEY WANTS TO BUY this thing so badly that he is offering five grand in cash for an early 2023 delivery. ‘Here are my contact details, bro, and, no, EU-spec is not an issue.’ Do I look like a car dealer? Harald and Britta from I-forget-where bring a notepad and a folding rule to check out the exact boot size, different seating configurations, and their effect on rear leg-room. Anna, the receptionist at the Nyhaven Hotel, begs our photographer to take a couple of flattering smartphone pics of her posing in front of the white-over-sage ID. Buzz in the morning sun. Every second person who starts a conversation with us asks the same three questions. Is it any good? What’s the starting price? When…

Land Rover Defender 90 P300 IN THE JAMES BOND FILM NO TIME TO Die, the car that got a lot of screen time chasing James Bond was the Land Rover Defender. The black Land Rover Defender SUVs were the biggest and fiercest of them all. These SUVs have been observed making leaps, rolling over, crashing, and engaging in both on- and off-road high-speed chase manoeuvres. Because they were delivered directly from the factory to the filming locations, the Land Rover Defender SUVs in No Time to Die are in reality highly unique. Thus, when the Defender 90 showed up at Car India, the entire office fawned over it as if a movie star had shown up. From our admin personnel to even our design team as well as the entire…

THE MAHINDRA SCORPIO HAS developed a cult following over the past two decades since its launch in India. It has fans ranging from government agencies to even Bollywood directors, all of whom have been quite vocal for Mahindra to keep the Scorpio in production. Even though Mahindra have launched the Scorpio-N, the next generation of the iconic Scorpio, they have had to keep the regular Scorpio in production—now called the Scorpio Classic—with updates on the outside, inside, and in terms of features as well as improvements under the skin. One of the main reasons Mahindra have kept this Scorpio in production is that it is still a high-volume product for them in both urban and rural markets. Mahindra haven’t made many cosmetic modifications and the external style has been kept…

ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT EVENTS hosted by an automaker in India has been the Honda Drive to Discover (D2D) series since it started approximately a decade ago. Honda Cars India planned a stunning route for the 11th edition of D2D. This year, it was a 700-kilometre-long drive over three days from Bengaluru to Kochi via Madikeri and the lovely village of Sultan Bathery, via the coffee regions of Madikeri and Kodagu (formerly Coorg), and through the picturesque woods of Wayanad. Since the premium sedan line-up from Honda Cars India includes the Honda City e:HEV, Honda City, and Honda Amaze, the theme for this year’s “Drive to Discover” was “Sedan & Stunning”. Each of the premium sedans taking part in the trip has the worldwide technical DNA of Honda and…

F2 STANDING ON THE TOP STEP OF THE podium for the Feature Race at the Temple of Speed, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy, Indian driver Jehan Daruvala secured his fourth Formula 2 victory. Starting sixth in the race on Sunday, this was Daruvala’s first victory of the year. He had previously won the sprint race at this track. The 23-year-old’s performance in the sprint race on Saturday made the Italian race weekend a huge triumph for him. The sprint event had him starting fifth. His total for this season is at eight after two victories at Monza. Daruvala had a strong start when the lights turned green, but being on the muddy side of the track caused him to lose speed. He was in sixth place going through the first chicane,…