Preview of Autocar Performance Show 2012

The annual Autocar Performance Show has is becoming a permanent fixture on the Indian petrolhead calendar. They come from all over to get their fix of the latest that the world of high performance has to offer. Come November 1 4, the MMRDA Grounds in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex will see thousands of motoring enthusiasts rushing through its gates to catch a glimpse of their favourite supercars & superbikes. After all, it’s not everyday that the fastest, most powerful & most coveted cars & bikes come together under one roof. & this year’s roof is going to be bigger than ever before! Here’s a taste of what’s to come. KINGS of the road Forget looking at posters, you can see your favourite supercars in the flesh here....

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Test Drive and Review of Ford Figo Facelift

Since its launch two years ago, Ford’s hatchback, the Figo, has had a great run & there’s no doubting that it has been the carmaker’s most successful car in India till date. However, considering the ever increasing competition in this segment and, in an attempt to better tackle rivals like the Maruti Swift & the Toyota Liva, Ford has launched an updated version of the Figo. The updated car comes with a number of revisions to the exterior, including redesigned head  & tail lamps, a new hexagonal grille, revised fog lamp housings & eight spoke alloy wheels. Two new colours also make their debut – bright yellow & kinetic blue. On the inside, Ford claims that additional damping has made the cabin a quieter place...

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Final Report on Hyundai Eon

Over the six months it’s been with us, our long term Hyundai Eon has seen quite a bit of action. No, it hasn’t played support car to the Lamborghini Aventador like our Skoda Laura vRS did, nor has it ferried a motley crew of crazed fans to the Buddh F1 track like our Tata Aria has. What it has been used for is rush hour journeys to work & weekend trips to the market, with the occasional Mumbai–Pune trip thrown in. True, our Eon’s life has been unglamorous, but for a car built to transport people from point A to point B, we wouldn’t have it any other way. So let’s start with how it took to Mumbai’s streets. Traffic infested & in terrible shape as they are, the metropolis’ roads serve as a great leveler. You can’t drive a BMW...

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Review and Test Drive of Tata Safari Storme

When you first look at the new Safari Storme, you are immediately struck by how, even 14 years after its launch, Tata seems to have made barely any changes to the exterior. Alterations to the nose & rear suggest that it’s not much more than a facelift. However, that misconception gets blown to dust the moment you drive it. Once you’re behind the wheel, you realise just how much of an improvement the new Storme is over the previous Safari. It feels better built, it’s far more refined, it rides really well & the interior too feels a generation ahead. The most obvious changes are to the front, where the slim, wide grille (capped with a thick chrome strip) undercuts the sharp looking headlights in a nice, stylistic touch. Move to...

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Mahindra SUV Quanto crossed 5,000 Bookings

Mahindra has announced that its recently launched Quanto SUV is off to a flying start with 5,000 bookings received within three weeks of its launch. Commenting on the response to the Quanto, Pravin Shah, chief executive, automotive division, Mahindra & Mahindra said, “It is a delight that the Quanto has received over 5,000 bookings in a short span of three weeks. This response strengthens our belief that the Quanto will be able to create a new category within the SUV segment with its unique value proposition. This gives us the confidence that the customers appreciate the Quanto’s distinctive looks, flexible 5+2 seating & go anywhere capability. We would like to thank them for the conviction they have shown in the Quanto.” The...

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Test Ride and Review of Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500

Royal Enfield first launched its Thunderbird cruiser in 2002. & the latest variant of the Thunderbird 500 was first seen at this year’s Indian Auto Expo. We’ve recently ridden the latest T’bird on the Bangalore Ooty highway to bring you this first impression. An immediately visible change is a new headlight featuring a projector lamp. Stylish new instruments display an analogue speedometer & tachometer, with a digital display including a clock also in place. The new grips feel decent & both control levers have a solid, meaty feel to them. A hazard warning switch is standard, making for a Royal Enfield first. The fuel tank is larger, well proportioned with its filler lid offset at the top. & you now...

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Review and Test drive of Audi SQ5 TDI

The SQ5 is not coming to India, but here’s why we think it should. First, its 313bhp & 66.2kgm of torque lands it right in the performance diesel arena – yes, you read right, the engine under the hood is a twin turbo diesel V6. Second, we like the theme of the SQ5 – big power, all wheel drive, compact SUV. Third, performance diesels suit our conditions well – they have the on demand torque that we so require in the cut & thrust of traffic & they also have the economy & running cost advantage of the cheaper fuel. Still, we need to dig deeper. The SQ5 comes from Audi’s ‘S’ line of cars which is their performance arm – remember the S4 we drove last month? The SQ5 is a bit of a revolution though because it is the firm’s first...

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Review and Test drive of new Honda Brio Automatic

Honda has greatly enhanced the user friendly character of its Brio hatchback with the launch of an automatic version that goes on sale on October 18. Instead of the CVT gearbox used in the Brio in Thailand & other markets, Honda has opted to equip the Indian Brio with a conventional five speed auto, driven by a torque converter. In fact, the gearbox is similar to the one in the City Automatic, but with different gear ratios. The Brio Automatic joins the handful of budget automatics available in the Indian market, & with the lack of strong competition, Honda believes that the Brio Auto could account for 5 10 percent of its total sales. However, the demand for the car will hinge largely on its price & fuel efficiency. Whilst...

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Bajaj Discover 100cc is coming Dec 2012

Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto has unveiled in an interview with Executive Editor, Bloomberg UTV, Mini Menon that his company is burning the midnight oil to shortly introduce a new Discover. The latest Bajaj is confirmed to be a 100cc model, & aims to make it big in this high volumes segment of the market. The Discover 100 is being built upon the recently launched, well received Bajaj Discover 125ST platform. Expect the 100 to sport similar styling to the handsome 125ST as pictured here, while both bikes shall share several key components. We know the new 100 will be generously equipped, using similar features as found on the 125ST, suitably tweaked for a 100cc commuter bike. The four stroke, air cooled & single...

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