27-Jan-2012 4 : 42 PM by
Bunny Punia
in
Single review,
The Tata Nano – One of the most talked about vehicles in the history of Indian automobiles. Launched with the intention of providing a safe means of commute for the Indian lower middle class families , the Nano hasn’t really had a dream run as far as sales have gone. The product’s success has been marred by several incidents – poor quality of parts , fire incidents , noisy cabin and the list goes on and on and on. However , as a product at this price , it was always difficult to ignore the Nano and the newer 2012 version simply makes not noticing this baby even harder!
For starters , the price of the new Nano remains same and this in itself makes half the battle won. Design wise , the car remains as cute as ever and you notice the new look wheel caps on the middle and top end variant. New color options have been added as well and the overall quality of paint as well as fit and finish seem better. Park the Nano next a brand new hatchback and you notice that in no way does the Tata offering look or feel bad in or inferior in any way. The same feeling is what gets carried onto the inside.
The new 2012 Tata Nano gets a re-worked cabin – not in the design sense but in the overall feel and experience sense. For example , the top end LX trim level gets new beige interior treatment which adds a sense of plushness. Seats are finished in a similar color tone as well and this along with large windows means the Nano indeed feels pretty airy on the inside. The CX and base variants get ‘Rich Black’ and ‘Stunning Graphite’ color scheme for the cabin. The Nano’s biggest plus point of being a spacious small car continue – we were shocked to see that our test car could easily seat five grown up adults without any one of us feeling the lack of space at all! That said , yes , the boot space is heavily compromised but one look at the sticker price and that is easily ignored!
So , the new Nano looks better on the inside and outside but is that about it? No , for the biggest change lies under the hood , errr , in the engine that sits behind. Tata has taken feedback from customers in a positive manner and the first thing you notice is the quitter cabin and a sporty exhaust note. Sound damping and other steps have made sure that the overall NVH or noise , vibration , harshness levels are better. The moment you step on the gas and get moving , you also notice the change in acceleration. The new Nano is peppier now thanks to a bump in power and torque : 3PS as well as 3Nm more. This does result in the Nano being an easy to drive vehicle in traffic and the longer gear ratios mean that it can sit all day long at an indicated 85-90km/h without a fuss. Icing on the cake comes in the form of better fuel economy which is now up from the earlier 23.62kmpl to 25.4kmpl!
For those who feel that the 624cc petrol engine is simply too small for a car need to drive the Nano in traffic. Ofcourse it won’t burn rubber but as a daily means of commute , we don’t think an owner will ever feel the lack of power until unless you drive with five people on-board with the air-con working overtime. That said , the lack of a power-steering at crawling speeds can be noticed easily but moving , the Nano can surprise you with its agility , punch and visibility in congested traffic. On open roads , it quickly hits 85-90km/h with the engine feeling relatively un-strained. Tata Motors has , in the favour of safety , limited the top speed to 106km/h.
The Nano will mainly be used in
City traffic and this is where its suspension does a decent job as well. Pot-holes are dismissed off pretty easily and until unless you decide to drive over bad undulations at high speeds , the Nano remains calm and composed. Brakes have been worked upto too and the Nano sheds speeds pretty easily and emergency braking doesn’t result in any drama or nervous antics.
The Nano continues to sell for the same price and this is brilliant news. At the time of going into press , Tata Motors was offering a cash discount of Rs 10 , 000 across the three variants and another added benefit is the low down-payment. No other car in India offers such a flexibility and ease of owning a brand new car. The top end model is the one to go for as it offers a huge list of standard features including front power windows and cup-holders. An audio system and keyless entry though are missing. The 2012 Nano has really come the right way at the right time. The Nano ended the year 2011 in a good way , clocking a healthy 7466 units in December. The new version is better in all respects and will simply help Tata gather good numbers this year. We know this little wonder can pull it off because finally , it is now a complete car in all parameters!
For prices and specs , refer to the
TATA NANO PAGE
Content courtesy:
18-Jan-2012 4 : 49 PM by
Sarmad Kadiri
in
Single review,
The Toyota Fortuner has demonstrated its 4x4 off-roading abilities since its launch in October 2009 as it moved towards the top slot of the SUVs in the Rs 20 lakh price range. Now , two years after its Indian launch , this Toyota has reinvented itself to keep up with the changing times. The 2012 Fortuner not only gets a facelift , but also comes in two new 4x2 options along with the proven 4x4 version.
.jpg)
The exterior design has reflections of the Land Cruiser with new angular HID headlamps (now with washers) , a wide front grille , a well-contoured and beefy bumper and a larger hood scoop for the inter-cooler. These new stylistic aspects together give the new Fortuner a wider and meaner stance. However , the new design of its alloy wheels looks less exciting than the One it replaces. The integrated indicators on the outer rear-view mirrors and new side-steps are welcome additions to the list of features. The newly introduced sharp character lines on the sides enhance the side profile of this SUV. The rear has also undergone noticeable changes and now sports new , curvaceous , clear-lens tail-lights and a re-designed bumper. The new colours for the Fortuner include 'Blue Metallic' and 'Silky Gold'.
.jpg)
The interior of this SUV has also been worked upon. It now gets a new steering wheel , with a bit of faux wood and newly designed audio controls mounted on it. Even the 'Optitron' meter console gets a fresh profile and now seems more eye-friendly. The faux wood trims are now darker and appear much better than the ones in the previous model. The dashboard now proudly houses a new music system with a six-inch touch-screen , new DVD player , USB , AUX ports and Bluetooth. The touch-screen with the reverse camera doubles as a handy park assist system. This infotainment system has become standard for a couple of other Toyota models such as the Corolla and new Innova.
Another convenient feature is the electrically powered , six-way adjustable driver's seat. The top-of-the-line Fortuner 4x4 gets VSC (vehicle stability control) with EBD and brake assist for improved safety. In case of oversteer or understeer , VSC automatically adjusts the engine’s power output and brakes each wheel independently to bring the SUV back in control.
.jpg)
Though the 2012 Fortuner is powered by the same three-litre D-4D diesel motor with no change in the power output , it now also offers a 4x2 with five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions. It might have lost some of its off-roading ability , but the two-wheel drive option will surely scale new heights on Toyota's annual sales chart. The new versions will be roughly 90 kg lighter than the four-wheel drive one and , for the same reason , will have a shorter turning radius.
Not much has changed in terms of the Fortuner's driveablity , which is a good thing , but now the steering feels easier to manoeuvre. The convenience of an automatic makes it ideal for City use. i tried a bit of off-roading during my test drive and the SUV felt pretty much at home. Its gear ratios are ideal for hassle-free city driving and the hefty 343 Nm of torque keeps the momentum going. It's only on highways that the four-speed gearbox feels reluctant to down-shift during a quick overtake. The 'AT' also gets cruise control feature , but there only a few roads here where it can actually be put to use.
.jpg)
The Fortuner 4x2 manual is more engaging to drive and has just the right combination of on-road and some basic off-road abilities since the driver can squeeze the maximum juice out of the five-speed transmission. Moreover , the 4x2 manual promises to go a couple of kilometres longer than the automatic one.
The new Fortuner will be unveiled at the Auto Expo 2012 and will thereafter appear in Toyota showrooms. The good news is that even the 4x2 automatic will be priced below the current 4x4 version. With more variants , features and styling we might soon see more Fortuners on the road than ever before.
Content courtesy:
18-Jan-2012 4 : 07 PM by
Sarmad Kadiri
in
Single review,
Multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) have the simple task of ferrying people from One place to another comfortably and efficiently. They are meant to be durable , easy to maintain and fuel-efficient. This might not sound like a daunting task , but making a good MPV is a lot tougher than it seems. No wonder half-a-dozen car manufacturers in India have been trying to strike the right balance , but unfortunately very few have succeeded. As we all know well , the Toyota Innova is one such success story with over three lakh units sold since its launch some six years ago. Interestingly , this vehicle still has buyers making a beeline for the Toyota showrooms and commands a waiting period.
However , there were areas for improvement , the first thing that comes to the mind being its design. To enhance the product's appeal and to keep the cash register ringing , Toyota decided to give the Innova another mid-life upgrade. As you must have guessed , this is strictly superficial , for the MPV still retains the two engine options: a four-cylinder D-4D common rail diesel engine producing 102 PS and 200 Nm and the other a VVT-i petrol motor that can churn out 132 PS and 181 Nm. Both these engines are mated to a five-speed manual transmission and are well engineered products. The Innova has become popular both among fleet-owners and families who enjoy long drives or do a lot of inter-City travelling.
Most of the changes in the 2012 version are very subtle , the idea being to make the MPV appear more sophisticated and contemporary. Among the obvious is the new front design , which has Camry-inspired horizontal , wraparound headlamps replacing the older tear-shaped ones. The chrome , trapezoidal front grille is wider and conforms to Toyota's family design. The front bumper is chunkier than before and now houses circular fog lamps. The V-shaped character-lines on the bonnet are more prominent , which , together with the horizontal treatment , give the front a wider appearance.
The new Innova gets indicator-integrated outer rear-view mirrors , though the side profile remains unchanged apart from the skirting and alloy wheels in a new shape. The rear styling has also been slightly altered with better looking tail-lights. The revised version loses the 'Innova' badge and now has the name embossed on the larger , chrome boot-lid insert. The rear bumper has been retained without the parking sensor , but now with a camera under the chrome insert. Yes , the top-of-the-line Innova VX now boasts of a reverse camera with display to assist parking.
As I hopped into this revised Toyota to explore more , I was welcomed by a dual-tone dashboard and seats that make the car look plusher than before. It now has the Toyota Corolla's horizontal instrument console with a six-inch touch-screen infotainment system complete with Bluetooth , auxiliary and USB ports. The display , when connected to a mobile device via Bluetooth , shows the network range and battery life of the device and can even play the music stored in that device. The four-spoke steering wheel with controls mounted on it has also been borrowed from the aforementioned sedan. I must say that these gadgets may seem of little consequence on paper , but come in really handy on long drives. The use of artificial wood trims has been reduced and brush metal has been introduced. Then there are other features such as dual auto air-conditioning , rear window defogger and two new body colour options: Silky Gold Mica Metallic and Blue Metallic.
With all these design enhancements Toyota have kept the mechanics untouched and the Innova retains its driver-friendly behaviour and remains a fatigue-free driving machine. The 2012 version will be officially launched during the 2012 Auto Expo in New Delhi and we suppose it will be a little more expensive than the current version. We hope Toyota do not get overly ambitious while pricing this revised Innova , because the competition along with new buyers will be waiting with bated breath.
Content courtesy:
17-Jan-2012 3 : 42 PM by
Bunny Punia
in
Single review,
‘White Gold’ – this is what four of us wanted to see , feel and experience in the second weekend of January. The 2012 Auto Expo had been hectic , messy and tiring for us and what better way to unwind than to head to the snowed out roads of Himachal Pradesh. While visiting the
Ford Hall at the Expo , all it took was a two minute discussion with the good guys to have the 3.0 4x4
Endeavour AT (automatic) delivered to us the following Friday. The impatient souls that we are , we decided to head to Himachal Pradesh right after work itself!
By 7pm , we had exited the mad rush hour traffic of New Delhi and were cruising at a lazy 100-110km/h on the ever improving NH-1 that leads to North India. A half hour dinner break at Murthal and we were back on the traffic less and slightly foggy highway. Post Ambala , we left NH-1 and took NH-22 that would lead us to the higher reaches. The Zirakpur to Kalka stretch is now a complete four-lane affair though the Kalka bypass was yet to open (as of 3rd week of Jan 2012).
By mid-night we had started the uphill drive to Shimla. Isolated roads meant our speeds were pretty high and at Barog , the strong winds brought us our first surprise – chunks of hardened snow had fallen from the hill tops on the road! This also gave us an indication of things to come our way and also made us stop at the Chail cut-off where we sat next to a bonfire that the local cops had burnt out of a tree!
By 2am , we had entered Shimla. The air was chillingly cold and we directly headed to our hotel for the night near the Victory tunnel. Inches of brown (dirty) snow lying around bore testimony to the fact that the last snowfall was a couple of days back only.
Sleeping at 4am meant we opened our eyes by noon only. Breakfast was skipped and a heavy lunch ordered , over which we discussed on what to do this day. Shimla is known for its happening mall road and this was our plan for the evening. The air was chilly though there was simply no sign of a possibility of snowfall. Dejected , we walked back to our hotel and hit the bed with our fingers crossed only to wake up to the sound of rain drops the next morning!
We were told that rains are the first sign of snow and the same was confirmed by the hotel staff while we were checking out for our drive to Narkanda. It was snowing heavily ahead in Kufri and Fagu which meant traffic jams due to incapale 4x2 machines was sure to happen! Hence , it was decided that we would hit Narkanda from the long way round , via Basantpur and low lying areas. This did mean that we ended up driving for extra 2 hours but the moment we joined back on NH-22 beyond Narkanda , snowflakes greeted us. This is also where we stocked up essentials like mineral water and were told that we could no way make it up to Narkanda. The crazy nuts we were , within ten minutes , we saw a sign board with inches of snow which read “Narkanda - 20km”
Traffic was non existant and we came across a lone JCB machine , the driver of which warned us not to go ahead. A kilometer later we came across a stuck
Innova and from there on , it was us and Mother Nature. We were simply driving on inches of soft fresh snow and it was hard to judge the road as all we could see was snow , snow and more snow. The Endeavour in the meantime proved it mettle and didn’t even need 4L to negotiate the steep sections. We stopped numerous times , played in the snow , shot pictures and videos and almost abused the mighty Ford SUV by sliding , drifting and driving in deep snow on the side of the road – it never gave up!
A heavy vehicle combined with a huge 3000cc engine and automatic transmission translates into gas guzzling behaviour! It needed a fill up and the attendant at the lone snowed out fuel pump at Narkanda was shocked to see a vehicle drive up from this side. With the Endeavour filled , it was time to carry on. Narkanda did tempt us with its white landscape but we decided to stay at Fagu due to its close proximity with Shimla. At some place before Theog , the Endeavour was parked on the side on the road in roughly two feet of snow , songs blaring , windows semi-open and four of us having a ball in the heavy snowfall , well , literally. We danced , we sang and we faught with huge snowballs and simply soaked in the magnificant white beauty around. This was as white as it could get ever! Numerous stops for pictures and videos meant it got dark by the time we hit the town of Theog. We hadnt come across any traffic though a couple of crazy locals were trying to negotiate the terrain with their
Maruti Altos!
We kept driving endlessly in dark with heavy snowfall for company when suddenly we saw the ‘Kufri’ sign-board! It seemed that the on-board GPS wasn’t working properly , probably due to heavy snowfall and accumulation of snow in the sky! With Fagu behind us and no electricity in Kufri , we decided to head to same hotel in Shimla , 30minutes away. Snowfall was our constant company and it was funny to see locals in Shimla trying to drive their way around in 4x2 vehicles. Infact , this was our favourite pass time – we simply sat in the balcony and watched cars and buses sliding around on the steep road in front of us! The Endeavour in the meatime remained parked in the empty parking , being the only vehicle to climb up the steep and slippery incline to the hotel.
We were cold and hungry though completely satisfied! Mother Nature , without a doubt , had showered more snow on us than we had bargained for. We did take risks , but the confidence that the
Ford Endeavour showed us was to be blamed for this. This vehicle simply refuses to give up – be it driving in a couple of foot of snow or munching highway miles back to Delhi at speeds good enough to shame quite a few premium sedans! Lastly , this trip also shatters the age old notion that an automatic robs a SUV of its real character. For pure hardcore off-road lovers , the Endeavour fits the bill of an easy to drive SUV with sheer unbeatable capabilities. The pricing is the icing on the cake!
We took along Roadhawk's recorder unit to record every single data of the trip including vidoes of the road ahead and the happenings in the car. To read more about Roadhawk , see our review
HERE
Enjoy these pictures and also these small videos
The team - L to R: Bobby Roy , Arpit Phillips , Bunny Punia and Shantonil Nag
Content courtesy:
13-Jan-2012 4 : 24 PM by
Somnath Chatterjee
in
Single review,
First launched in 2009 in the country , the Fiat Linea has been no stranger to the Indian customer. Back then , the Linea made waves with its beautiful styling and fantastic ride and handling. However the sales ride has been a bumpy One for Fiat despite delivering some great products as the company has not managed to make the impact that it hoped to make. For example , the company managed to sell just over a thousand units of the Linea in the last 6 months of 2011!
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Things are slightly different now as Fiat has new optimism and new plans to make it a success story in the cut throat Indian market. Those new plans include the Fiat Caffe in which Fiat is aiming to improve customer interaction and increase its brand presence in the Indian market. However just doing that is not enough as competition is growing day by day. With rivals like Skoda Rapid and Hyundai Verna , Fiat needed to give its Linea an upgrade. The 2012 Fiat Linea is basically an upgrade and is equipped with some new features to make it enticing to the Indian customer. We took the Linea for a shot drive at its launch and this is what we think about it. At first glance everything looks the same but we are not complaining about that as the Linea is still one of the most beautiful cars around and even after some years it still looks fresh. The changes in the Linea include a new exterior colour called ‘Oceanic Blue’. We think the Linea looks the best in this colour. Another change is the ground clearance - Fiat customers wanted more ground clearance in their cars and thus the company has increased it and now claim that the Linea has a best-in-class 185mm ground clearance. The Linea Emotion variant also gets 16 inch alloys from the T-jet variant.
On the inside and you are greeted by a stylish cabin that screams Italian. The dials look fantastic and the overall cabin quality has also improved. The interiors now have a lighter beige theme comprising of fabric seats and floor carpet , dashboard and door trims. This does make the cabin feel airy. The Linea is already well equipped with features like Blue &me and MY Car. The 2012 Linea now has rain sensing wipers and auto switch on/off headlamps.
Both of these are very useful features especially in case of the auto switch on/off headlamps where driving in foggy conditions or at night will become much easier. Another important change is the more effective air conditioning which as we would discover in a few months time will be very useful.
We took the 2012 Linea for a short spin and we drove the 1.3 Multijet Diesel engine. The engine makes 92 Bhp and during the drive i felt it had adequate power and the performance was smooth. One thing that I noticed was the improved NVH levels for the diesel engine. There is not much diesel clatter seeping into the cabin and the refinement was very good. The performance statistics of the diesel Linea are not explosive especially with 92 Bhp but overall it does the job vey well.
As I said earlier Fiat have increased ground clearance to 185mm and that doesn’t really rob it of any ride quality. It goes over bumps and potholes in a way no other midsize sedan does and it’s amazing. However the increase in ground clearance has compromised on the handling a little bit. The handling is not as sharp as it was earlier and enthusiasts will certainly miss that but I think most appreciate the improved ride quality more as it has the best ride in its segment at the moment. The fuel efficiency of the Linea diesel is 20.4 kmpl (company claimed). The 2012 Linea does not have many changes but whatever changes Fiat has done to it is enough to keep it in competition. The new features have made it an enticing package. Fiat is also providing value for money as features like integrated CD , MP3 and FM player , automatic door lock , rear defogger , keyless entry and follow me home headlamps are standard across all variants.
Content courtesy:
The Tata Nano – One of the most talked about vehicles in the history of Indian automobiles. Launched with the intention of providing a safe means of commute for the Indian lower middle class families , the Nano hasn’t really had a dream run as far as sales have gone. The product’s success has been marred by several incidents – poor quality of parts , fire incidents , noisy cabin and the list goes on and on and on. However , as a product at this price , it was always difficult to ignore the Nano and the newer 2012 version simply makes not noticing this baby even harder!
For prices and specs , refer to the TATA NANO PAGE
Content courtesy:
The Toyota Fortuner has demonstrated its 4x4 off-roading abilities since its launch in October 2009 as it moved towards the top slot of the SUVs in the Rs 20 lakh price range. Now , two years after its Indian launch , this Toyota has reinvented itself to keep up with the changing times. The 2012 Fortuner not only gets a facelift , but also comes in two new 4x2 options along with the proven 4x4 version.
.jpg)
.jpg)
The exterior design has reflections of the Land Cruiser with new angular HID headlamps (now with washers) , a wide front grille , a well-contoured and beefy bumper and a larger hood scoop for the inter-cooler. These new stylistic aspects together give the new Fortuner a wider and meaner stance. However , the new design of its alloy wheels looks less exciting than the One it replaces. The integrated indicators on the outer rear-view mirrors and new side-steps are welcome additions to the list of features. The newly introduced sharp character lines on the sides enhance the side profile of this SUV. The rear has also undergone noticeable changes and now sports new , curvaceous , clear-lens tail-lights and a re-designed bumper. The new colours for the Fortuner include 'Blue Metallic' and 'Silky Gold'.
The interior of this SUV has also been worked upon. It now gets a new steering wheel , with a bit of faux wood and newly designed audio controls mounted on it. Even the 'Optitron' meter console gets a fresh profile and now seems more eye-friendly. The faux wood trims are now darker and appear much better than the ones in the previous model. The dashboard now proudly houses a new music system with a six-inch touch-screen , new DVD player , USB , AUX ports and Bluetooth. The touch-screen with the reverse camera doubles as a handy park assist system. This infotainment system has become standard for a couple of other Toyota models such as the Corolla and new Innova.
Another convenient feature is the electrically powered , six-way adjustable driver's seat. The top-of-the-line Fortuner 4x4 gets VSC (vehicle stability control) with EBD and brake assist for improved safety. In case of oversteer or understeer , VSC automatically adjusts the engine’s power output and brakes each wheel independently to bring the SUV back in control.
Though the 2012 Fortuner is powered by the same three-litre D-4D diesel motor with no change in the power output , it now also offers a 4x2 with five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions. It might have lost some of its off-roading ability , but the two-wheel drive option will surely scale new heights on Toyota's annual sales chart. The new versions will be roughly 90 kg lighter than the four-wheel drive one and , for the same reason , will have a shorter turning radius.
Not much has changed in terms of the Fortuner's driveablity , which is a good thing , but now the steering feels easier to manoeuvre. The convenience of an automatic makes it ideal for City use. i tried a bit of off-roading during my test drive and the SUV felt pretty much at home. Its gear ratios are ideal for hassle-free city driving and the hefty 343 Nm of torque keeps the momentum going. It's only on highways that the four-speed gearbox feels reluctant to down-shift during a quick overtake. The 'AT' also gets cruise control feature , but there only a few roads here where it can actually be put to use.
The Fortuner 4x2 manual is more engaging to drive and has just the right combination of on-road and some basic off-road abilities since the driver can squeeze the maximum juice out of the five-speed transmission. Moreover , the 4x2 manual promises to go a couple of kilometres longer than the automatic one.
The new Fortuner will be unveiled at the Auto Expo 2012 and will thereafter appear in Toyota showrooms. The good news is that even the 4x2 automatic will be priced below the current 4x4 version. With more variants , features and styling we might soon see more Fortuners on the road than ever before.
Content courtesy:
Multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) have the simple task of ferrying people from One place to another comfortably and efficiently. They are meant to be durable , easy to maintain and fuel-efficient. This might not sound like a daunting task , but making a good MPV is a lot tougher than it seems. No wonder half-a-dozen car manufacturers in India have been trying to strike the right balance , but unfortunately very few have succeeded. As we all know well , the Toyota Innova is one such success story with over three lakh units sold since its launch some six years ago. Interestingly , this vehicle still has buyers making a beeline for the Toyota showrooms and commands a waiting period.
However , there were areas for improvement , the first thing that comes to the mind being its design. To enhance the product's appeal and to keep the cash register ringing , Toyota decided to give the Innova another mid-life upgrade. As you must have guessed , this is strictly superficial , for the MPV still retains the two engine options: a four-cylinder D-4D common rail diesel engine producing 102 PS and 200 Nm and the other a VVT-i petrol motor that can churn out 132 PS and 181 Nm. Both these engines are mated to a five-speed manual transmission and are well engineered products. The Innova has become popular both among fleet-owners and families who enjoy long drives or do a lot of inter-City travelling.
Most of the changes in the 2012 version are very subtle , the idea being to make the MPV appear more sophisticated and contemporary. Among the obvious is the new front design , which has Camry-inspired horizontal , wraparound headlamps replacing the older tear-shaped ones. The chrome , trapezoidal front grille is wider and conforms to Toyota's family design. The front bumper is chunkier than before and now houses circular fog lamps. The V-shaped character-lines on the bonnet are more prominent , which , together with the horizontal treatment , give the front a wider appearance.
The new Innova gets indicator-integrated outer rear-view mirrors , though the side profile remains unchanged apart from the skirting and alloy wheels in a new shape. The rear styling has also been slightly altered with better looking tail-lights. The revised version loses the 'Innova' badge and now has the name embossed on the larger , chrome boot-lid insert. The rear bumper has been retained without the parking sensor , but now with a camera under the chrome insert. Yes , the top-of-the-line Innova VX now boasts of a reverse camera with display to assist parking.
As I hopped into this revised Toyota to explore more , I was welcomed by a dual-tone dashboard and seats that make the car look plusher than before. It now has the Toyota Corolla's horizontal instrument console with a six-inch touch-screen infotainment system complete with Bluetooth , auxiliary and USB ports. The display , when connected to a mobile device via Bluetooth , shows the network range and battery life of the device and can even play the music stored in that device. The four-spoke steering wheel with controls mounted on it has also been borrowed from the aforementioned sedan. I must say that these gadgets may seem of little consequence on paper , but come in really handy on long drives. The use of artificial wood trims has been reduced and brush metal has been introduced. Then there are other features such as dual auto air-conditioning , rear window defogger and two new body colour options: Silky Gold Mica Metallic and Blue Metallic.
With all these design enhancements Toyota have kept the mechanics untouched and the Innova retains its driver-friendly behaviour and remains a fatigue-free driving machine. The 2012 version will be officially launched during the 2012 Auto Expo in New Delhi and we suppose it will be a little more expensive than the current version. We hope Toyota do not get overly ambitious while pricing this revised Innova , because the competition along with new buyers will be waiting with bated breath.
Content courtesy:
‘White Gold’ – this is what four of us wanted to see , feel and experience in the second weekend of January. The 2012 Auto Expo had been hectic , messy and tiring for us and what better way to unwind than to head to the snowed out roads of Himachal Pradesh. While visiting the Ford Hall at the Expo , all it took was a two minute discussion with the good guys to have the 3.0 4x4 Endeavour AT (automatic) delivered to us the following Friday. The impatient souls that we are , we decided to head to Himachal Pradesh right after work itself!
By 7pm , we had exited the mad rush hour traffic of New Delhi and were cruising at a lazy 100-110km/h on the ever improving NH-1 that leads to North India. A half hour dinner break at Murthal and we were back on the traffic less and slightly foggy highway. Post Ambala , we left NH-1 and took NH-22 that would lead us to the higher reaches. The Zirakpur to Kalka stretch is now a complete four-lane affair though the Kalka bypass was yet to open (as of 3rd week of Jan 2012).
By 2am , we had entered Shimla. The air was chillingly cold and we directly headed to our hotel for the night near the Victory tunnel. Inches of brown (dirty) snow lying around bore testimony to the fact that the last snowfall was a couple of days back only.
We were told that rains are the first sign of snow and the same was confirmed by the hotel staff while we were checking out for our drive to Narkanda. It was snowing heavily ahead in Kufri and Fagu which meant traffic jams due to incapale 4x2 machines was sure to happen! Hence , it was decided that we would hit Narkanda from the long way round , via Basantpur and low lying areas. This did mean that we ended up driving for extra 2 hours but the moment we joined back on NH-22 beyond Narkanda , snowflakes greeted us. This is also where we stocked up essentials like mineral water and were told that we could no way make it up to Narkanda. The crazy nuts we were , within ten minutes , we saw a sign board with inches of snow which read “Narkanda - 20km”
Traffic was non existant and we came across a lone JCB machine , the driver of which warned us not to go ahead. A kilometer later we came across a stuck Innova and from there on , it was us and Mother Nature. We were simply driving on inches of soft fresh snow and it was hard to judge the road as all we could see was snow , snow and more snow. The Endeavour in the meantime proved it mettle and didn’t even need 4L to negotiate the steep sections. We stopped numerous times , played in the snow , shot pictures and videos and almost abused the mighty Ford SUV by sliding , drifting and driving in deep snow on the side of the road – it never gave up!
A heavy vehicle combined with a huge 3000cc engine and automatic transmission translates into gas guzzling behaviour! It needed a fill up and the attendant at the lone snowed out fuel pump at Narkanda was shocked to see a vehicle drive up from this side. With the Endeavour filled , it was time to carry on. Narkanda did tempt us with its white landscape but we decided to stay at Fagu due to its close proximity with Shimla. At some place before Theog , the Endeavour was parked on the side on the road in roughly two feet of snow , songs blaring , windows semi-open and four of us having a ball in the heavy snowfall , well , literally. We danced , we sang and we faught with huge snowballs and simply soaked in the magnificant white beauty around. This was as white as it could get ever! Numerous stops for pictures and videos meant it got dark by the time we hit the town of Theog. We hadnt come across any traffic though a couple of crazy locals were trying to negotiate the terrain with their Maruti Altos!
We kept driving endlessly in dark with heavy snowfall for company when suddenly we saw the ‘Kufri’ sign-board! It seemed that the on-board GPS wasn’t working properly , probably due to heavy snowfall and accumulation of snow in the sky! With Fagu behind us and no electricity in Kufri , we decided to head to same hotel in Shimla , 30minutes away. Snowfall was our constant company and it was funny to see locals in Shimla trying to drive their way around in 4x2 vehicles. Infact , this was our favourite pass time – we simply sat in the balcony and watched cars and buses sliding around on the steep road in front of us! The Endeavour in the meatime remained parked in the empty parking , being the only vehicle to climb up the steep and slippery incline to the hotel.
2. Video 2
The team - L to R: Bobby Roy , Arpit Phillips , Bunny Punia and Shantonil Nag
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First launched in 2009 in the country , the Fiat Linea has been no stranger to the Indian customer. Back then , the Linea made waves with its beautiful styling and fantastic ride and handling. However the sales ride has been a bumpy One for Fiat despite delivering some great products as the company has not managed to make the impact that it hoped to make. For example , the company managed to sell just over a thousand units of the Linea in the last 6 months of 2011!
Things are slightly different now as Fiat has new optimism and new plans to make it a success story in the cut throat Indian market. Those new plans include the Fiat Caffe in which Fiat is aiming to improve customer interaction and increase its brand presence in the Indian market. However just doing that is not enough as competition is growing day by day. With rivals like Skoda Rapid and Hyundai Verna , Fiat needed to give its Linea an upgrade. The 2012 Fiat Linea is basically an upgrade and is equipped with some new features to make it enticing to the Indian customer. We took the Linea for a shot drive at its launch and this is what we think about it. At first glance everything looks the same but we are not complaining about that as the Linea is still one of the most beautiful cars around and even after some years it still looks fresh. The changes in the Linea include a new exterior colour called ‘Oceanic Blue’. We think the Linea looks the best in this colour. Another change is the ground clearance - Fiat customers wanted more ground clearance in their cars and thus the company has increased it and now claim that the Linea has a best-in-class 185mm ground clearance. The Linea Emotion variant also gets 16 inch alloys from the T-jet variant.
On the inside and you are greeted by a stylish cabin that screams Italian. The dials look fantastic and the overall cabin quality has also improved. The interiors now have a lighter beige theme comprising of fabric seats and floor carpet , dashboard and door trims. This does make the cabin feel airy. The Linea is already well equipped with features like Blue &me and MY Car. The 2012 Linea now has rain sensing wipers and auto switch on/off headlamps.
Both of these are very useful features especially in case of the auto switch on/off headlamps where driving in foggy conditions or at night will become much easier. Another important change is the more effective air conditioning which as we would discover in a few months time will be very useful.
We took the 2012 Linea for a short spin and we drove the 1.3 Multijet Diesel engine. The engine makes 92 Bhp and during the drive i felt it had adequate power and the performance was smooth. One thing that I noticed was the improved NVH levels for the diesel engine. There is not much diesel clatter seeping into the cabin and the refinement was very good. The performance statistics of the diesel Linea are not explosive especially with 92 Bhp but overall it does the job vey well.
As I said earlier Fiat have increased ground clearance to 185mm and that doesn’t really rob it of any ride quality. It goes over bumps and potholes in a way no other midsize sedan does and it’s amazing. However the increase in ground clearance has compromised on the handling a little bit. The handling is not as sharp as it was earlier and enthusiasts will certainly miss that but I think most appreciate the improved ride quality more as it has the best ride in its segment at the moment. The fuel efficiency of the Linea diesel is 20.4 kmpl (company claimed). The 2012 Linea does not have many changes but whatever changes Fiat has done to it is enough to keep it in competition. The new features have made it an enticing package. Fiat is also providing value for money as features like integrated CD , MP3 and FM player , automatic door lock , rear defogger , keyless entry and follow me home headlamps are standard across all variants.
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