When Mahindra and Mahindra known for its souvenirs and jeeps came out with Scorpio everyone was spell bound. Now the scorpio maker plans the next big leap. Very soon you will see a Multi Utility Vehicle popularly known as ingenio on indian roads. That too may come with a petrol engine. Sounds strange, isn’t it? Yes, after the big launch of m-Hawk engine and six speed automatic transmission, Mahindra plans a petrol engine. This new engine will be used for Mahindra’s US drive when it launches scropio there next year. The petrol engine may also power the soon to be launched Ingenio. “We are planning a new petrol fuel-line to feed the global market. There are certain overseas markets driven by petrol powertrains like Middle-East and the US, which are large enough and offer immense advantages for petrol-driven vehicles. We are looking at a balance between performance and fuel efficiency for the new powertrains, somewhat like the mHawk engine (the diesel engine strapped on to the Scorpio) which gives the best fuel efficiency and performance in its class.” M&M president (automotive sector) Pawan Goenka said.
Mahindra and Mahindra launches Scorpio automatic (AT)
Mahindra and Mahindra today launched the scorpio automatic with a six speed gearbox. The auto-box is sourced from Drivetrain International Systems, Australia and is tuned and integrated to the m_hawk engine by Mahindra engineers. The new Scorpio Automatic (AT) is equipped with in-built intelligent driving modes for an effortless drive and a wide array of smart features. The new Scorpio Automatic is available in VLX and VLS variants and is priced at Rs 10.2 lakh and above (ex-show room price in Pune). The price between the manual and automatic variant of scorpio is Rs85000. The new Scorpio Automatic has been designed to make driving an effortless experience, allowing one to focus on the drive rather than gear section,” M&M Ltd Automative Sector President Pawan Goenka said.
Yamaha FZ16 Pictorial Review
Test drive report on Yamaha FZ16
1) Yamaha FZ16: Billed as a ‘street’ tool in Yamaha’s line-up, as opposed to the R15”s ‘sports’ tag, the FZ16 is presumably designed largely for posing around town on. FZ16 looks so mean and purposeful and the potential owners will doubtless be hoping some of that rubs off on them.
Styled by iconic designers of GK Dynamics, this new bike also takes the credit of being the second bike after R15 to use wind tunnel for better aerodynamics. Take a close look at the headlamp, front fender and strip over the engine there are plenty of angular curves and cuts to redirects the air to the engine. In addition these distinct shapes increases the aesthetic sense of the bike. The designers have efficiently used the steel bolts all over the frontal part to give a rugged look which the potential owners would like.
2) Yamaha FZ16: The large 12 litre fuel tank is cleverly sculpted with shrouds on both sides. The tank pretends to be large but actually it is not. – metallic tank is enclosed by a plastic tank. Be careful while riding, if you bump the bike then ready to shell out more. The aircraft type tank lid and black stripe on the tank increases the FZ16’s style quotient. But take a closer look, apache flashes in your mind. Elongated neck and large head tank design is already popular feature of apache. The tail lamp is purposefully mounted on the rear fender rather on the rear cowl. Bull the horn like grab rail with rubber mouldings would deter the followers.
3) Yamaha FZ16: Engine which is a stressed member on the diamond frame is not a sci-fi one, It is neither fuel injected nor oil cooled. Similar to any other machine available in the market, this 153cc mill produces peak power of 14PS. But remember the spec sheet doesn’t say all. Vroom the engine you would feel the difference, the enormous torque (13.6Nm) which pulls you from the word ‘go’ and will make you nostalgic. Yes, you are right, legendary RX100 comes to our mind. The engine is responsive till it touches the 9000rpm (redline). The low end and mid range performance of FZ16 speaks for itself. FZ16 zooms past 60kmph in just 6 seconds and the roll on time between 30-70 is pretty low. However the top whack is just under 120kmph. Remember this is a street fighter,absence of full fairing leads to greater wind resistance at high speeds.
4) Yamaha FZ16: These figures and solid performance are achieved through intelligent engineering, though the engine seems to be conventional. Yamaha adapts internationally proven technologies like MidShip muffler to dig out the best. While the expansion box beneath the mono cross ensures excellent exhaust efficiency, concentration of mass, and aerodynamic characteristics, the two layer expansion muffler emits an attractive exhaust note.
But the one thing FZ16 owner cannot boast about is its mileage or fuel efficiency figure. Fattest rear tyre and torque tuned engine is taking toll on FZ16’s fuel economy figure. FZ16 returns just 36kmpl in our combined test drive.
5) Yamaha FZ16: Whatever the kind of wheelie you wish, you can try in this bike. The 41mm rebounding front forks and 140/60-R17 at the rear makes the perfect menu for all wheelies. Similar to the Honda’s Unicorn, FZ16 sports a mono-cross suspension (Mono Cross is the name of a Cantilever mono suspension for the Yamaha CROSSERS) plus a beefed up rear swingarm. The suspension allows 120mm of wheel travel to comfort you on potholes. But the ride turns bumpy when you hit rough roads and it lose feedback and control on bumpy roads The pillion seat is so small that even an average size adult could find it tough. For the fair sex it’s strict no-no.
6) Yamaha FZ16: Forget the uncomfortable “crouched” position of R15, this new FZ16 is a street fighter and it offers comfortable upright riding position. Good ergonomics is because of wide handle bars, low set foot pegs and flat seats. FZ16 is hard to fault, though it appears to be massive, it flicks with ease, the rakish steering angle takes the credit.While getting around corners more front-biased weight distribution is noticeable to FZ16’s rider. But as the speed raises responsiveness hits the downroad.
7) Yamaha FZ16: The clocks are clear enough. The yellow back lit LCD console houses digital speedometer, odometer and an analogue tacho. Trip meter,fuel gauge and other indicators.are laid out legibly around it. A special engine starting signal is a nice touch. The switchgear quality are on par with its peers.
You would find a strange center stand for this bike. Unlike the R15, centre stand is a standard fitment in FZ16 but there is no kick starter.But again you would occasionally foul the center and side stand with the bike’s toe only gear shift knob
8) Yamaha FZ16: FZ16 available in three colours – Flaming Orange, Midnight Black and Lava Red.
Verdict: After the exotic R15, Yamaha has come up with an affordable yet powerful bike. Though its not as hi-fi as R15, it also takes for being the is the first bike in India to feature Radial and fattest rear tyre. Also the most difference between the siblings is the price. Unlike the R15, its a true 150cc bike that means it is priced on par with its competetiors. The peers of FZ16 are not karizma’s and pulsar 220cc’s. It has pull away the pulsar,unicorn,Hunks and apachians. We believe FZ16’s trendy styling and responsive engine will do that. Truly, FZ16 has raised the standards of 150cc bike yet it is priced very sensibly. You won’t get this much for Rs65000. Having said FZ16 still leaves room for other players to challenge the crown. We would love to see a better bike with much better driving dynamics and mileage. Till then FZ16 rulesssssss.
Tata Nano goes Guinness
Tata Nano which made eery auto enthusiast spell bound now goes guinness.The latest edition of the Guinness Book of World Records released in London showcases the ambitious Nano in golden words. The new Guinness World Records 2009 book, the 54th edition of the celebrated book, was launched at London’s Trafalgar Square.
Car Accessories – BSS,5Zigen and Konig wheels
Keep Rollin – alloys and spinners:
Whenever you look at a super car the thing that lures your attention the most (after the overall design, of course) are the wheels. As in two wheelers increasing the tire size is a standard customization technique. But the star of the show is the alloys. Chrome alloys, whether custom-made or factory fitted always gleam through your hearts. There are 2 kinds of alloy wheels that are available in the aftermarket. The first is the common chrome alloy, made of stainless steel or aluminium. The second type are known as Mag wheels, made of magnesium. These are lighter and are mainly used in cars customized for performance. The only downside is that Mag wheels are expensive.
The design options, however, are innumerous. Starting from 3 spokes to spinners, what you think is what you get. Spinners are alloys that are not connected to the wheel of the car but attached concentrically to the hub and capable of rotating independently. So even after you stop the car the wheels seem to be spinning. Maybe that’s the only way how your car will look fast even when it’s standing.
BBS is an international wheel manufacturing company in the UK and supplies to OEMs like BMW, Audi, etc. The cross spoke wheel design seen below was made famous by this company. These go well with classic cars or cars with lesser visual appeal, (not Ambassador). It lend a distinct sophistication to the car. It also goes well with very large cars. But one needn’t import these costly set of wheels as aftermarket lookalikes are very common.
5Zigen: As is obvious from the name, these alloy wheels have 5 spokes in their designs. Think this is too simplistic. Think again. The designs spell singularity and style in one breath. They work well with low slung cars, assuming their wheels are proportionately (and relatively) larger than their body.
Konig wheels: This company offers a wide variety of models and has quite a brand value. An important thing about their design is they fit with every design theme the OEMs come up with. Apparently this company made the spider web wheel design popular.
But be very careful when choosing your alloys. Not that they may end up looking bad, but they may end up being too good for your car.
Toyota Corolla Altis Pictorial Review Part II
Test drive report on Toyota Corolla Altis
1) Toyota Corolla Altis: Inside too Toyota designers has tried nothing new. Plenty of faux wood and metal strips justifies the price of the car but fails to excite. Altis is deserved to be tagged as “more car per car” but this is too much to digest.
2) Toyota Corolla Altis: When get into the new altis, the first thing you will notice the sheer quality of the interiors. Toyota has paid heed to the customer’s voice and upgraded the interiors to a higher level. With this, altis joins the bandwagon of jetta and civic for the better quality interiors.
3) Toyota Corolla Altis: 8 way power driver seat offers you the most comfortable driving position. Steering mounted audio controls and eye pleasing optitron instruments makes the altis best in the lot. The ride quality of the car is simply impeccable. The suspension setup of the alits swallows shocks and potholes adding are the comfy seats.
4) Toyota Corolla Altis: Come to the back, you would realise the best place in the earth. The pillars (A&C) are moved towards fore and aft respectively and it frees up lot of space. A three at the rear is not a bad idea. The seats hugs you and insulates the vehicle’s shock and vibrations. Plenty of storage spaces (claimed to be 22) including the intrusion free boot will swallow whatever the luggage a family would love to carry.
5) Toyota Corolla Altis: In the interest of safety, the Corolla features GOA body structure that helps to absorb the impact in the event of a collision. Other standard features includes dual airbags, anti glaring Electrochromatic mirrors and HID headlamps with washer.
Toyota Corolla Altis comes in five shades – Silver Mica Metallic, Light Blue Metallic, Dark Red Mica Metallic,Champagne Mica Metallic and White Pearl Mica. The three variants of the altis priced between Rs 10.83 lakh and Rs 12.86 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Toyota Corolla altis Pictorial Review
Test drive report on new altis…
Every forty second a new corolla rolls out of the showroom, it is the largest selling car in the world. But the story of corolla’s Indian journey has not been that great. Toyota managed to sell only 40000 units of corolla in five years at an average of 8000 units a year. To be frank, the presence of civic and Honda’s premium image has overshadowed the corolla. Toyota’s lack of attention towards to Indian market is also to blame. But Toyota now wishes to put the past behind it. Amidst mighty civic and diesel jetta, Toyota plans to sell 20000 units of new altis a year. An intensive teaser campaign, indian specific trims and aggressive marketing campaign are clearly aimed achieving this ambitious target.
1) Toyota Corolla altis: Internationally Toyota is offering two products – a hatchback and a sedan under the corolla name. To differentiate the sedan from the hatchback altis is added. Even though corolla hatchback is not offered in India, Toyota emphasizes this new car as altis rather than corolla to give a sense of freshness .
The older one
2) Toyota Corolla altis: Stylingwise the new altis is a big leap forward over the previous one. Character lines all over the car ensures better aerodynamics for the car. The muscular bumper flows upwards all the way to the bonnet. Yes, the grille, headlamp cluster and fog lamps looks like embedded in the bumper.However one thing you would surely notice is the arrangement of headlamp and tail lamp clusters. Both are not in line with body surface, projecting out a little for the 3D effect.
3) Toyota Corolla altis: We always love best of all worlds. Following the Volkswagen, Toyota has mastered the art of using LED’s. Clever use of LED’s in the Tail lamp cluster is a feast to the eyes. Overall we can define the new corolla altis as a baby camry, yet, the car looks conservative when compared to the Civic.
4) Toyota Corolla altis: The 1.6L petrol mill under the hood offers enough power and the short throw gearbox is silky smooth. The intelligent Variable Valve Timing engine churns out a decent 132bhp and provides smoother acceleration. The Corolla is being offered with five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic transmission for the top-end variant. Though we are not able to test top whack we find that altis easily moves past 150kmph. Overall mileage of the corolla altis is around 11kmpl.
5) Toyota Corolla altis: There were times corolla’s agility,lightfootedness and quick steering is said to be the best in the business. But that’s a thing of the past, civic ruled our minds and we forgot the corolla. But Toyota wishes to come back and it’s idea with the new corolla altis is “to connect, more than ever, with younger buyers on every level”. For the first time corolla gets an electric steering. The suspension is Macpherson strut at the front and torison beam at the rear.
6) Toyota Corolla altis: The solid built and stiffened frame results in minimal body movement and gives you a sense of safety. Altis offers one of the best straightline stablilty and disc brakes on all wheels. To take care of quick retardation, Altis sports new generation ABS coupled with EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribution system). The cornering ability can be called as good if not, electric.
Tata Indica Vista Interiors – Pictorial Review
Tata Indica Vista Safire: The interior space has always the favour of the Indica, the indica vista is no different. To be right, the comfort and spaciousness has become even better. The dimensions are big (3795mm * 1695mm * 1550mm). But the raised shoulder line of Indica vista make you feel like being in enclosed spaces. The boot / luggage space is 232litres which can be enlarged by folding the 60:40 foldable seats.
Tata Indica Vista Safire: The seats at the front comes with lumbar support. Though the engine does not offers spirited driving, the driver seat is the big change over the previous Indica. Driver seat is height adjustable and 2-way adjustable lumbar support. What’s more on the offer is the tilt adjustable steering wheel and absence of instrument panel ensures comfortable driving position and better visibility for drivers of all height. Steering is also mounted on the front sub frame and vibrations are largely reduced.
Tata Indica Vista Safire: Independent suspension at the front and semi independent twist beam with coil spring offers comfortable ride. The comfy seats and longer wheelbase enhances the stable ride. Wheelbase of the Indica vista stood at 2470mm and has a seating capacity of five persons.
Tata Indica Vista Safire: Two tone interiors really makes a difference and every swift owner is sure to envy on you. The carefully selected textures and nice plastics makes the cabin lively. But the fit and finish is not top notch, especially the fitment of glove box,steering wheel and plastics around the door handles are reminiscent of the older one. Again i cannot stop praising about the Indica vista’s storage spaces. A smart tray below the seat and a laptop fitting glove box.
good bits: central console/large glove box/smart tray to hold water bottles
Bad bits:poor plastics and fit and finish
Tata Indica Vista Safire: comes in three variants – terra, aqua and aura. Our test drive car being the top end aura variant comes loaded with new features. Front fog lamps, rear fog lamps, Dual tone dashboard, Power Windows, rear windscreen De-mister, Integrated CD system and rear wiper.
Tata Indica Vista Safire: On the road prices of Indica Vista in chennai are
Indica Vista Safire Terra – Rs3,95,158
Indica Vista Aqua – Rs4,20,657
Indica Vista Aura – Rs4,48,398.
The prices include Tata’s extended warranty (24+24 months) for Indica vista.
Tata Indica Vista Exteriors – Pictorial Review
Tata infamous for launching new variants of its cars every three months has finally come up with a new car, that too is the much anticipated next generation Indica. As Indians, we are emotionally attached with Indica – India’s first indigenous car Tata has kept the name untouched while adding Vista ( name of the Microsoft’s latest platform) to it and lure young customers.
Indica Vista is the car which has been making news for sometime since this marks the second Innings of Tata motors. Tata plans to make this new platform a truly global one. Soon Tata plans to rub shoulders with Suzuki’s and Nissan’s in Europe. Hence unlike the earlier Indica, this one is not just for taxiwallah, not just for Indian customer but it is for global customers. Let’s dig out the new indica vista and check whether it is good enough to be called a global model.
Tata Indica Vista Safire: Evoultion is always better than revolution. Though the radically designed are difficult to emulate it is highly risky. Many cars in the history of automobiles fails to succeed due to its styling. Tata rolling out its 2nd generation Indica doesn’t want to take the risky way. The all new Indica vista is a modern version of Indica. On the top of the wide smiley grille emerges a small crease that goes upwards towards the windscreen which gives Indica vista a slight V at the front. Accentuating the V shape are the pedal shaped headlamps which is mounted on the lines of body panel.A large front bumper with fog lamps gives the sheer road presence to the car. The turn Indicators mounted near the wing mirrors are nice engineering touches. Indica’s styling has been loved by customers and this new vista would receive the same. But i’m sure that Tata must bring up a new version within next three to five years otherwise it will look outdated.
Tata Indica Vista Safire: Under the bonnet of our test drive Indica vista is the Fiat’s Fully Integrated Robotised Engine (FIRE). Tata has worked over the engine and integrated with the vista platform. The power is beefed up by 8PS and max torque by 4Nm. It churns out only 65PS of peak power and 96Nm of peak torque at 3000rpm. Pretty low isn’t it? especially when compared to its competitor’s – swift and i10. Even after the upgrade, it feels under powered. For such a large car there should be more power under the hood. It feels tad stressed beyond 100kmph.
But we loved the refinement and NVH of the engine. It’s remarkable leap over the Indica Xeta’ engine. It also offers good mid range performance,result you can confidently challenge anyone at signal to signal race. But for that you have to Floor the accelerator and wait till the engine revives to 3000rpm. The amount of low-end torque available is pretty poor. You would sometime wonder whether you are driving a petrol one or a LPG fitted car.
Tata Indica Vista Safire: The engine is mated with the Fiat’s c510 gearbox. Unlike the earlier one, this double Bowden cable gearshift communicates through cable. That means low vibrations at the gear knob. But slot into the 3rd gear, keep the hand on the gear knob and drive the car. You would feel some sort of pulsating movement.
Tata Indica Vista Safire: The response from the steering is good. It iss light and found very useful in tight traffic conditions and parking. But it fails to gain weight as the speedo needle zooms past three digit numbers.Also there is discernible body roll but not much like the previous Indica. Remember this new Indica vista gets anti roll bar.
Absence of ABS is also playing spoilsport on the handling characteristics of the vehicle. Driving the vista at high speeds in the present monsoon season would need atmost attention.
Tata Indica Vista Safire: The quality of fit and finish has improved a lot but still Tata has miles to go before matching Suzuki’s and Honda’s. Doors shuts with lovable thud, the shut lines are clean but still the few things fails to blend. The Christmas tree tail lamps resists to align with rear panel.
Tata Indica Vista Safire: is available in seven colours – cavern grey, marine silver,artic silver, gala red, solar orange,noble blue and infinity black.
Hyundai i10 kappa challenge
Hyundai has organised a two-event called i10 kappa challenge. Through the event, Hyundai challenges the customers to do back-to-back test drives of i10 and competetior cars and know the difference . You can drive various variants of i10 and competetior cars such as Maruti Suzuki Swift and Wagon-R. For Chennai, the event was organised at Y.M.C ground Royapettah. The event is open to all and Hyundai has publized the event by advertising through papers and FM. Hyundai hopes this kinds of events will help to reach the customers directly. Hundreds of visitor participated in the event and few had made bookings too. Hyundai also detailed about its discounts offered with the cars. The festive offer of awarding a gold coin is really making the difference. We witnessed a lot of customers enquring about the offer. As Hyundai also celebrates its 10th anniversary offer, it has announced a special offer. Buy a hyundai car between 9th and 23rd September and you could be the lucky one to drive home a free santro.
Here are few pictures from Hyundai i10 kappa challenge ……
