24-Feb-2012 3 : 48 PM by
Bunny Punia
in
Single review,
UPDATE : The car has been launched at a very agreesive pricing of only Rs 8.99 lakh , making it shattering value for money
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When we tested the all-new Fiesta in and around Bangalore last year , we were completely sold (READ). So competent is the new Fiesta as a driver's car , most of the other rivals feel a generation or two old in front of it. It looks awesome from the front , drives like the way an enthusiast's car should and offers a long list of features and goodies , some of which were never before seen in this segment!
A few weeks later , we took the Ford Fiesta from Mumbai , all the way to Delhi for a 1450km drive to know the vehicle more. Although the ed head Bunny Punia had done this route numerous times in numerous cars , this One turned out to be of the quickest and most fun fille for obvious reasons - read our LOG HERE
While some feel that the pricing of the new Fiesta has been wrong , we would like to point out the entry level model , the Style , isnt really a base version as it still comes with a long list of standard features - the reason why we feel that pricing isnt really high or at a premium by any standards!
What will soon complete the package is a first in segment (once again for this new Fiesta) 6-speed dual clutch powershift transmission. So what exactly is this.. lets find out in simple words! The launch by the way is due for 28th Feb 2012...
A dual clutch transmission , as the name suggests , has two clutch systems. In the case of the Fiesta , clutch 1 takes care of 1st , 3rd and 5th gear while the second clutch takes care of 2nd , 4th and 6th gears. Also , two different final drives are employed in the same transmission. Lastly , with more gears (6 in this case) , there can be a proper and better spreed of power and torque between the ratios which means that you have less chances of being in the low band of the engine at any given time.
Ford is also providing other features like Hill Start Assist where the system continues to employe the brake after you lift your foot off the brake pedal when driving off from an incline. This is done for around 2 seconds. The system also has Micro Slip for better NVH levels and creep function with integrated brake pressure - this aids in very low speed crawling / parking.
.jpg)
The rest of the car remains unchanged - exterior as well as interior wise. The automatic is expected to come in the top end trim level with standard leather seats. There is no paddle shifter for the Indian version and neither can you change gears manually via the gear shift lever (like you can in the Rapid or the Vento for example) - this is probably the only issue we could find with the car.
Ford will be launching the 6-speed auto 'box only with its 1.5-litre petrol engine and that is sort of a disappointment as the shift towards diesel cars is very apparent these days. However , within the first few minutes of driving the Fiesta automatic , you are impressed. In Goa's congested rush-hour traffic , we could instantly recongnise the biggest advantage of an auto box. Shifts are very seamless and the system changes gears in accordance to the driver's inputs. If you go down gently on the throttle , it upshifts keeping fuel economy in mind. On the otherside , if you go down pedal to metal , the shifts happen near the redline!
The gearbox also has a L mode which is a clever little thing from Ford. What it does is that it keeps the transmission in the lowest possible gear and upshift to a higher gear only at the red-line point , ie , once the engien is spinning at its max. If you slow down , it immediately shifts to a lower gear whenever possible. This mode is best for very spirited driving , for very steep hills or for the racing track!
Being a 6-speed , Ford says that they have been able to achieve similar kinds of fuel economy as well as performance figures - now this has been the biggest flaw of a conventional automatic box till date - for example the Verna automatic! Further , this DCT gearbox is maintenance free for life. These benefits will easily go a long way in tempting prospective customers into investing into this car. The pricing however should play vital role as always and it will be fair to estimate that the DCT transmission will command a premium of around a lac rupees - this including the fabolous leather seats!
For more on the Ford Fiesta Automatic and to follow its launch , keep an eye on our FIESTA AUTOMATIC page!
UPDATE : The car has been launched at a very agreesive pricing of only Rs 8.99 lakh , making it shattering value for money
A few more pictures
Content courtesy:
24-Feb-2012 1 : 40 PM by
Aspi Bhathena
in
Single review,
Here is a first drive report of the MINI in its home town: Oxford
The original Mini was launched way back in 1959 and it changed the very way people perceived cars. It has many firsts to its credit such as its transverse engine that liberated a lot of room inside the cabin. The transverse engine has become the norm among all the small cars manufactured round the world. This engineering marvel was designed by Alec Issigonis more than half-a-century ago.
Normally , when you refer to iconic cars , they are big , high-performance ones like the E-type Jaguar , Ferrari Dino or Bugatti Veyron. However , the little Mini is also a real icon , inspiring people to make a film like 'The Italian Job' based around the car.
The new Mini has made its début in India and we got an opportunity to drive One in Oxford , which , besides being renowned for the university , is also the home town of the Mini.
The big headlamps give the Mini a distinctive bug-like look from the front and the rear LED tail-lights with chrome edging towards the rear end give it a distinctive look. The quality of the interior is top class and , what's more , you can customise the interior according to your liking – there are more than a dozen different options to choose from. As they say , no two Minis are the same. However , the centre-mounted speedo requires some time to get used to it.
The new Mini's front suspension consists of a single-joint spring-strut front axle and the rear of a multiple-control-arm axle with a wide track. This suspension set-up with a low centre of gravity gives this car the characteristic feel of sharp handling and agility for which all Minis are known for over half-a-century.
Our drive around Cowley was on narrow winding country roads where one could exploit the little car's handling capability. One can throw the car round corners with a lot of confidence. As a matter of fact , i had it completely air-borne over a small bridge and the car did not lose its composure when it landed on the tarmac again. Normally small cars tend to get nervous at high speed , but the little Mini was rock-steady at speeds in excess of 160 km/h. To achieve its razor-sharp handling , the suspension set-up is on the stiff side and that takes its toll on the ride quality. The car is equipped with DSC (dynamic stability control) , DTC (dynamic traction control) and EDLC (electronic differential lock control) for your safety in case you get carried away and overcook some corners or the road surface changes and becomes slippery all of a sudden.
The Mini's 1 , 600-cc engine develops 124 PS at 6 , 000 revolutions per minute and a healthy 160 Nm of torque at 4 , 250 RPM. It is mated to a six-speed auto box delivering seamless power to the ground via the front wheels. The wide spread of power and torque curve along with the quick shifting auto box go a long way in making this car fun to drive. If you enjoy driving , then this car is the one to go for.
Content courtesy:
21-Feb-2012 11 : 07 PM by
Bunny Punia
in
Single review,
This road test was uploaded on 21st Feb 2012
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Renault’s plans of capturing market in the India have been clever. They first cleaned their hands off the Logan (now the Mahindra Verito) and then took the premium route to set their foot in the country – the Fluence , to take on the other D segment cars. This was followed by the premium SUV , the Koleos and voila , the company got a ‘premium image’ attached to its brand. This was complemented by special treatments at the dealerships and a complete care package with the vehicles. And finally at the 2012 Auto Expo , they did get their share of attention with the offering for the masses – the Pulse. So , two questions – is the Pulse premium enough and will it work as a money minting machine for the French major in India. The answers lie with Bunny Punia after he spent a couple of days with what is basically a Nissan Micra with a few good changes!
Design and looks
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We all love the Nissan Micra. It is a cute little thing on four-wheels and gets noticed almost everywhere. However , ‘liking’ a product doesn’t necessarily mean you will want to own it. The little problem with the Micra is the fact that it’s too cute and slightly feminine to be driven by males – yes , we Indians do have male egos! This is where Renault saw a lot of potential and this set the Indian designers working and burning the mid-night oil to come up with a macho (slightly) and masculine (again , slightly) version of the Micra during the Indian Grand Prix season – this was to get as many eyes as possible on the Pulse. Yes , they did succeed!
First look , and you do feel the overall effect is pleasing. The front end is completely re-worked with new bumper , new grille and ofcourse new headlamp. These do gel in well with the oval and round shaped body shell. The rear has the same design of the tail lamps (as the Micra) but the clear lens and color treatment is different. What’s a bigger change is the blackening of the bottom part of the rear bumper to make it look like a diffuser – see , we told you Renault is a clever company! Another big change is the look of the alloy wheels – definitely eye catching and sporty.
The rest of the car (including the Superb design of the roof) remains the same and the Renault badge and Pulse branding is done in a prominent way
Interiors and cabin
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Unlike the exteriors which see a host of changes , the cabin of the Pulse is identical to that of the Micra save for the badging on the steering and the slightly different color theme inside. The design , features , seat et all – all remain unchanged. And this isn’t a bad thing at all as the Micra always had comfortable , practical and ergonomically designed interiors. Everything about the cabin is ‘round’ – the dials , the knobs , the switches : all this in a cute way. What however makes you smile is the colour treatment for the background illumination. Once it gets dark on the outside , the orange theme looks terrific.
Seat comfort is good and i personally love the multiple cubby holes around – adds to the practicality. Visibility , even for short drivers is good. Cabin space for five passengers isn’t class leading but not on the less side either. Same goes for the plastic quality used. The feel good factor though is definitely on the higher side inside – the soft touch buttons for example for the climate control system feel nice. The chrome finish for the door handles though feel out of place and we did miss the steering wheel mounted controls.
Engine and Performance
As expected , the Pulse also uses the same 1.5-litre dCi motor as the Micra. This is One of the most widely used diesel engines (in different states of tune) in the world and in India , apart from these two hatchbacks , the Nissan Sunny and Renault Fluence also make use of it. Most modern day diesel engines suffer from poor low end torque and turbo lag and in this department , the Pulse really shines and how! Although maximum torque is generated at 2000rpm , the engine response from 1500rpm onwards is punchy and you can easily close in on gaps in traffic without having to wait for the turbo to spool up. The only glitch here is the gear shift quality which isn’t up to the mark and could do with a less rough feel.
The Pulse isn’t a car for outright performance and yet , it will take around 16 seconds for the 0-100km/h dash. This is a car best enjoyed between 1500 – 2500rpm : keep these engine speeds and your City commutes will be quick and fun. On the highways , the car feel relaxed at 100-110km/h and 140km/h comes up pretty quick too , with another 15-20km/h more in its kitty. The icing on the cake comes in the form of its fantastic fuel economy. For the three days we had the car for , it displayed an average fuel economy of a shade over 18kmpl including Delhi’s start-stop traffic (no air-con though) – these are simply brilliant figures. The engine’s NVH damping is good , though not exceptionally well.
Ride and handling
The Pulse is an urban car meant for city use and the occasional highway one. In this regard , it plays the role perfectly well. The steering is light , visibility good and turning circle tight – three essential ingredients for a city car. We regularly spent a good time in congested traffic conditions and the Pulse gave us no reason to complain. Further , the suspension does the job well , better than most other cars in the segment though we would say that cars like the Figo and Liva ride much better. That said , it doesn’t giving you a reason to complain either. Driven alone , it does feel on the stiffer side though with more than 2 people on board , the suspension irons out sharp undulations pretty well.
The Renault Pulse is not a sporty car and for those who love corners or pushing a car to its limits , look elsewhere. It will take on a fair bit of spirited driving but it was never meant to be a car that would give you grinning moments every time you want it to! The suspension is tuned more for comfort than for handing. High speed stability though is very good. The brakes work well , though somewhat
lack the ‘feel’ and the ‘bite’.
Final Verdict
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The RxZ model we tested comes loaded (the co-driver air-bag comes as an option). You get the same features as the top end Micra like key-less entry and start-stop , electrically foldable outside mirrors , climate control system , ABS , alloy wheels etc. The Pulse also gets Renault’s 2 year / 50000km warranty and a similar time and kilometre based ‘Renault Assistance’ package for added peace of mind. On the pricing front , the top end model with co-driver airbags retails for Rs 6.5 lakh , ex-showroom , Delhi. This is bang in the middle of cars like the Figo and Liva on one side and Swift and Polo on the other. The Pulse is a wonderful and a very capable car no doubt but also comes with little issues like the gear shift quality which is slightly rough and the overall NVH levels. How Renault’s dealerships treat prospective customers on the ‘premium feel’ front might just prove to be the deal maker or deal breaker factor!
And yes , the 1.5 dCi motor simply wins our heart out with its low engine speed respond – a major factor that is bound to win hearts!
Content courtesy:
20-Feb-2012 6 : 08 PM by
Somnath Chatterjee
in
Single review,
Introduction
The Santro at One point of time was the largest selling Hyundai model in India. It made Hyundai what it is today. However , better rivals meant that over the years , its sales have come down a lot. Infact , in Jan 2012 , Hyundai sold less than 5000 units of the Santro!
To cope up with the pressure from other companies , Hyundai decided to change the rules of the small car segment - something it did years back with the Santro. And thus was born the Eon. It looks stylish , has modern interiors and an efficient engine. So , it should be burning the sales charts right? Well , 7344 units in Jan 2012 isnt exactly that. So , what exactly is this car about? Are there any major down-falls? Somnath Chatterjee has the answer right here!
Design
A car's looks are an important consideration today. Futuristic and youthful styling is something that everyone wants. No one wants a car to look cheap even if it’s cheap to buy. The Eon does a brilliant job in this matter. The car looks way more expensive than it really is. Credit for that goes to Hyundai's 'Fluidic Sculpture' design. The new design theme of Hyundai is reaping great rewards with the new Verna and this , the new Eon- we certainly approve of these designs! The Eon has an aggressive look with some great detailing thrown in. i loved the swept back headlamps and the half-moon shaped tail-lamps that give it a mini i10 look. And the side profile of the car is pretty well designed as well with a flowing rear and no tall boy like design. Park the i10 and the Eon side by side and it is the Eon that has a more futuristic design. The whole car does not have a hint of boxy-ness but it is certainly the best looking entry level hatchback out there.
The Eon is pretty compact and has an overall length of 3495 mm and a width of 1550 mm. The overall height is 1500 mm which is good also. Build quality wise the Eon is impressive as well as the panel gaps are tight and the overall feel is of a higher class. The colours available on the Eon are Sleek silver , Mushroom , Dark grey metallic , Pristine blue and Maharaja red. Overall in the looks department the Eon score great from our side. It will no doubt attract the youth and it gives a feeling of a much bigger car and looks like a car that was not designed to look cheap in the first place. Good job Hyundai! Arrive somewhere in a rival car and arrive at the same place in a Eon and you will see the way people look at you in both the cases - you get what we mean?
Interiors
Get inside and Hyundai seems to have worked on the 'feel-good' factor here also. The interior is cheerful and airy and pretty well made. What I liked was the use of nice materials and plastic quality was good as well. There is nothing here that is crude and feels built to a price. Hyundai have used beige in the cabin that brings in the luxury factor automatically as well. The design of the dashboard is curvy and the layout is simple. The steering wheel is not too big or small and feels good to hold. The instrument panel is a very simple three dial affair. What we didn't like on the Eon were some of the shiny bits on the centre console like the buttons for the CD player and FM. Storage is well looked after in the Eon with plenty of spaces to store your knick knacks.
In terms of equipment , the Eon has a CD MP3 audio system plus Aux-in-port and USB. Now these features are mostly seen on more expensive cars and here it is a welcome touch. These features worked well when we used them , the music system was average though. Other features include ilt steering , gear shift indicator and front power windows.
Space on the Eon is average. The headroom is good but legroom is again on the average side. In the back three would be a squeeze. The seats themselves are good on the comfort factor but some more legroom would be appreciated. The rear seats don't have the kind of legroom that the even the Tata Nano offers and the narrowness of the cabin makes it even more apparent. In terms of space the Eon is near the Alto and behind the likes of the Nano. No problems on the issue of getting in and out , it’s easy and elderly people in your family would have no problems whatsoever. Boot space at 215 litres is decent.
In the end , the interiors never let you feel that you invested into an 'entry level' car - never!
Engine , performance and fuel economy
Powering the Eon is an 814 cc petrol engine. It has three cylinders/9 valves and makes 56 PS. Now 56 PS on paper does feel less as compared to say the Alto K10 and indeed , we weren't expecting the Eon to be quick at all. But in the City , the performance of the engine is adequate and you do not feel it is underpowered. In traffic you have to keep in the right gear to extract the full performance and if you do that there won't be many issues about driving the Eon in the city. But if you apply more speed , things go a bit downward in the Eon. The engine feels strained and noisy which is characteristic of a three cylinder. The stability at high speeds is good but it’s a car that does not like high speeds. The 0-100 is about 19 seconds which is average at best. The braking performance is good with disc at front and drum at the back
The Eon has a 5-speed manual gearbox and we felt the shift action could have been better. The throws are light but the gearshift feels rubbery and is not as smooth as the i10 or even the Santro! Then there are the noticeable vibrations coming from the gearbox.
These days when fuel prices are going up every now and then , fuel economy is of paramount importance and crucially the Eon delivers regarding this aspect. The Eon has a fuel economy of 21.1 kmpl , as certified by ARAI. In the city if you keep it in the right gear and drive sedately the Eon will deliver fuel economy in the region of 17-18kmpl easily.
The performance of the Eon is acceptable since it has a three cylinder engine and you cannot expect more from that. However a bigger engine in the future would be a great addition.
Ride and handling
The Eon is primarily designed as a city slicker and it works wonders in the city. The clutch is easy to use and you have good visibility all around the car. Thanks to its compact dimensions , it’s very easy to park and you can squeeze the Eon into gaps , which is very handy these days! The steering of the Eon is light and does not require much effort thus improving its city car credentials even more. However the steering is a bit too light for our liking and could have been a little more direct. That leads to the handling , which again thanks to its relatively small wheelbase , makes for quick getting in and out of the traffic and there are no major amounts of body-roll present.
The suspension in the Eon comprises of a Torsion Beam Axle with Coil spring at the rear and a McPherson Strut with Coil spring and anti-roll bar at the front and a Gas type shock absorber. After driving it in the city and going over some rough and even doing some mini off-roading , we have to say that the Eon rides very well. The suspension does a good job of filtering out many of the potholes despite the car having puny tyres!
Refinement on the Eon is average at best as there is some noise getting in the cabin. As you drive there is a fair amount of road noise that filters through. The braking performance is good with disc at front and drum at the back and there is no sense of panic in the Eon on hard braking again despite having small tyres.
Verdict
After driving the Hyundai Eon we are definitely impressed. Hyundai have managed to do what they originally planned with the Eon. The Eon shows that budget small cars need not to be just cheap and economical , they can be stylish also. The Eon is definitely the best looking car in its class beating the Nano , Spark and the Alto in this department. However the Eon is not perfect – for example , the interiors are really very roomy – the half priced Nano is more spacious. The engine loses steam with a full load of passengers with the air-con working. The gear-shift quality is something we didn’t expect from a Hyundai! That said , the interior design and quality is miles ahead of the competition.
But with the pricing , Hyundai seems to have got it absolutely right. In our opinion the best bet is the Eon D-Lite+ variant at Rs 2.98 lakh ex-showroom as it has got most of the basic features like air-conditioning , power steering , gift shift indicator and body coloured bumpers.
The Era + will further offer front power windows and central locking , it is priced at Rs 3.12 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi ). The Magna+ comes with a 2-Din audio system with USB , Aux , it is priced Rs 3.42 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). These variants offer great value , though the top model is the Sportz variant at Rs 4.07 lakh which has features like front fog lamps , driver airbag. Hyundai is also offering an LPG variant at an extra cost of Rs 27 , 000 – now this is a good thing.
As we said , no car is perfect , even the Eon isn’t. However , it plays most key roles very well – looks , quality , economy and the price tag. As for the sales figures , let’s just give this little angle from Hyundai some more time to gel into the market and we are sure the sales charts will soon be on fire!
Content courtesy:
18-Feb-2012 1 : 36 PM by
Bunny Punia
in
Car accessories,
Remenber the snowy roadtrip we at Gaadi.com did last month? (READ HERE). On the same trip , we had taken along unique products from a UK based company , One of them being the RoadHawnk Automated Drive Recorder system.
This is a compact twin camera digital video / audio / data recorder unit which comes in handy in a lot of ways inclduing safety. As suggested in the last line , the unit has camera on both the sides which lets it record the happenings inside the car as well as on the road ahead .The camera have a wide angle view which covers a lot of area of interest. What's more important is the face that the RoadHawnk devices has built-in GPS as well as night vision system and built-in G sensors. All these functionalities help in event data for accident reconstruction as well as lets the owner see where the vehicle went and at what speeds!
We however used the RoadHawk for a different purpose - to show you guys our route for the snowy travelogue and also show you the road conditions we drove in(to be shared later). We have enough data of driving on wet roads which soon translated into white ones with snow as deep as a couple of feet! This was an exiciting product for us and showed the speeds we did as well as the G forces we encountered on mountain roads - a must have if you wish to share your trip with others and let them experience a virtual one!
Main pointers about the RoadHawk unit
1. Dual Camera: Records audio and video. Supports night vision. The front camera has a view of 143 degree while the rear one has a view of 170 degree.
2. Built-in GPS: This allows you to record speed , position and directions of the vehicle. The data can be linked to google map and you can see the route the vehicle took!
3. Built-in 3G sensor: This activates the moment an accident occurs and automatically starts recording images. It records the vehicle's acceleration data which can be of use for legalities.
4. Remote Manual Trigger: Pressing a button on the side of the unit records the data 60 seconds before and after pressing the trigger.
For more information on RoadHawk , visit their India Website
Content courtesy:
UPDATE : The car has been launched at a very agreesive pricing of only Rs 8.99 lakh , making it shattering value for money
When we tested the all-new Fiesta in and around Bangalore last year , we were completely sold (READ). So competent is the new Fiesta as a driver's car , most of the other rivals feel a generation or two old in front of it. It looks awesome from the front , drives like the way an enthusiast's car should and offers a long list of features and goodies , some of which were never before seen in this segment!
A few weeks later , we took the Ford Fiesta from Mumbai , all the way to Delhi for a 1450km drive to know the vehicle more. Although the ed head Bunny Punia had done this route numerous times in numerous cars , this One turned out to be of the quickest and most fun fille for obvious reasons - read our LOG HERE
While some feel that the pricing of the new Fiesta has been wrong , we would like to point out the entry level model , the Style , isnt really a base version as it still comes with a long list of standard features - the reason why we feel that pricing isnt really high or at a premium by any standards!
What will soon complete the package is a first in segment (once again for this new Fiesta) 6-speed dual clutch powershift transmission. So what exactly is this.. lets find out in simple words! The launch by the way is due for 28th Feb 2012...
A dual clutch transmission , as the name suggests , has two clutch systems. In the case of the Fiesta , clutch 1 takes care of 1st , 3rd and 5th gear while the second clutch takes care of 2nd , 4th and 6th gears. Also , two different final drives are employed in the same transmission. Lastly , with more gears (6 in this case) , there can be a proper and better spreed of power and torque between the ratios which means that you have less chances of being in the low band of the engine at any given time.
Ford is also providing other features like Hill Start Assist where the system continues to employe the brake after you lift your foot off the brake pedal when driving off from an incline. This is done for around 2 seconds. The system also has Micro Slip for better NVH levels and creep function with integrated brake pressure - this aids in very low speed crawling / parking.
.jpg)
The rest of the car remains unchanged - exterior as well as interior wise. The automatic is expected to come in the top end trim level with standard leather seats. There is no paddle shifter for the Indian version and neither can you change gears manually via the gear shift lever (like you can in the Rapid or the Vento for example) - this is probably the only issue we could find with the car.
Ford will be launching the 6-speed auto 'box only with its 1.5-litre petrol engine and that is sort of a disappointment as the shift towards diesel cars is very apparent these days. However , within the first few minutes of driving the Fiesta automatic , you are impressed. In Goa's congested rush-hour traffic , we could instantly recongnise the biggest advantage of an auto box. Shifts are very seamless and the system changes gears in accordance to the driver's inputs. If you go down gently on the throttle , it upshifts keeping fuel economy in mind. On the otherside , if you go down pedal to metal , the shifts happen near the redline!
The gearbox also has a L mode which is a clever little thing from Ford. What it does is that it keeps the transmission in the lowest possible gear and upshift to a higher gear only at the red-line point , ie , once the engien is spinning at its max. If you slow down , it immediately shifts to a lower gear whenever possible. This mode is best for very spirited driving , for very steep hills or for the racing track!
Being a 6-speed , Ford says that they have been able to achieve similar kinds of fuel economy as well as performance figures - now this has been the biggest flaw of a conventional automatic box till date - for example the Verna automatic! Further , this DCT gearbox is maintenance free for life. These benefits will easily go a long way in tempting prospective customers into investing into this car. The pricing however should play vital role as always and it will be fair to estimate that the DCT transmission will command a premium of around a lac rupees - this including the fabolous leather seats!
For more on the Ford Fiesta Automatic and to follow its launch , keep an eye on our FIESTA AUTOMATIC page!
UPDATE : The car has been launched at a very agreesive pricing of only Rs 8.99 lakh , making it shattering value for money
A few more pictures
Content courtesy:
Here is a first drive report of the MINI in its home town: Oxford
The original Mini was launched way back in 1959 and it changed the very way people perceived cars. It has many firsts to its credit such as its transverse engine that liberated a lot of room inside the cabin. The transverse engine has become the norm among all the small cars manufactured round the world. This engineering marvel was designed by Alec Issigonis more than half-a-century ago.
Normally , when you refer to iconic cars , they are big , high-performance ones like the E-type Jaguar , Ferrari Dino or Bugatti Veyron. However , the little Mini is also a real icon , inspiring people to make a film like 'The Italian Job' based around the car.
The new Mini has made its début in India and we got an opportunity to drive One in Oxford , which , besides being renowned for the university , is also the home town of the Mini.
The big headlamps give the Mini a distinctive bug-like look from the front and the rear LED tail-lights with chrome edging towards the rear end give it a distinctive look. The quality of the interior is top class and , what's more , you can customise the interior according to your liking – there are more than a dozen different options to choose from. As they say , no two Minis are the same. However , the centre-mounted speedo requires some time to get used to it.
The new Mini's front suspension consists of a single-joint spring-strut front axle and the rear of a multiple-control-arm axle with a wide track. This suspension set-up with a low centre of gravity gives this car the characteristic feel of sharp handling and agility for which all Minis are known for over half-a-century.
Our drive around Cowley was on narrow winding country roads where one could exploit the little car's handling capability. One can throw the car round corners with a lot of confidence. As a matter of fact , i had it completely air-borne over a small bridge and the car did not lose its composure when it landed on the tarmac again. Normally small cars tend to get nervous at high speed , but the little Mini was rock-steady at speeds in excess of 160 km/h. To achieve its razor-sharp handling , the suspension set-up is on the stiff side and that takes its toll on the ride quality. The car is equipped with DSC (dynamic stability control) , DTC (dynamic traction control) and EDLC (electronic differential lock control) for your safety in case you get carried away and overcook some corners or the road surface changes and becomes slippery all of a sudden.
The Mini's 1 , 600-cc engine develops 124 PS at 6 , 000 revolutions per minute and a healthy 160 Nm of torque at 4 , 250 RPM. It is mated to a six-speed auto box delivering seamless power to the ground via the front wheels. The wide spread of power and torque curve along with the quick shifting auto box go a long way in making this car fun to drive. If you enjoy driving , then this car is the one to go for.
Content courtesy:
This road test was uploaded on 21st Feb 2012
Renault’s plans of capturing market in the India have been clever. They first cleaned their hands off the Logan (now the Mahindra Verito) and then took the premium route to set their foot in the country – the Fluence , to take on the other D segment cars. This was followed by the premium SUV , the Koleos and voila , the company got a ‘premium image’ attached to its brand. This was complemented by special treatments at the dealerships and a complete care package with the vehicles. And finally at the 2012 Auto Expo , they did get their share of attention with the offering for the masses – the Pulse. So , two questions – is the Pulse premium enough and will it work as a money minting machine for the French major in India. The answers lie with Bunny Punia after he spent a couple of days with what is basically a Nissan Micra with a few good changes!
.jpg)
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Design and looks
We all love the Nissan Micra. It is a cute little thing on four-wheels and gets noticed almost everywhere. However , ‘liking’ a product doesn’t necessarily mean you will want to own it. The little problem with the Micra is the fact that it’s too cute and slightly feminine to be driven by males – yes , we Indians do have male egos! This is where Renault saw a lot of potential and this set the Indian designers working and burning the mid-night oil to come up with a macho (slightly) and masculine (again , slightly) version of the Micra during the Indian Grand Prix season – this was to get as many eyes as possible on the Pulse. Yes , they did succeed!
First look , and you do feel the overall effect is pleasing. The front end is completely re-worked with new bumper , new grille and ofcourse new headlamp. These do gel in well with the oval and round shaped body shell. The rear has the same design of the tail lamps (as the Micra) but the clear lens and color treatment is different. What’s a bigger change is the blackening of the bottom part of the rear bumper to make it look like a diffuser – see , we told you Renault is a clever company! Another big change is the look of the alloy wheels – definitely eye catching and sporty.
The rest of the car (including the Superb design of the roof) remains the same and the Renault badge and Pulse branding is done in a prominent way
Interiors and cabin
Unlike the exteriors which see a host of changes , the cabin of the Pulse is identical to that of the Micra save for the badging on the steering and the slightly different color theme inside. The design , features , seat et all – all remain unchanged. And this isn’t a bad thing at all as the Micra always had comfortable , practical and ergonomically designed interiors. Everything about the cabin is ‘round’ – the dials , the knobs , the switches : all this in a cute way. What however makes you smile is the colour treatment for the background illumination. Once it gets dark on the outside , the orange theme looks terrific.
Seat comfort is good and i personally love the multiple cubby holes around – adds to the practicality. Visibility , even for short drivers is good. Cabin space for five passengers isn’t class leading but not on the less side either. Same goes for the plastic quality used. The feel good factor though is definitely on the higher side inside – the soft touch buttons for example for the climate control system feel nice. The chrome finish for the door handles though feel out of place and we did miss the steering wheel mounted controls.
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Engine and Performance
As expected , the Pulse also uses the same 1.5-litre dCi motor as the Micra. This is One of the most widely used diesel engines (in different states of tune) in the world and in India , apart from these two hatchbacks , the Nissan Sunny and Renault Fluence also make use of it. Most modern day diesel engines suffer from poor low end torque and turbo lag and in this department , the Pulse really shines and how! Although maximum torque is generated at 2000rpm , the engine response from 1500rpm onwards is punchy and you can easily close in on gaps in traffic without having to wait for the turbo to spool up. The only glitch here is the gear shift quality which isn’t up to the mark and could do with a less rough feel.
The Pulse isn’t a car for outright performance and yet , it will take around 16 seconds for the 0-100km/h dash. This is a car best enjoyed between 1500 – 2500rpm : keep these engine speeds and your City commutes will be quick and fun. On the highways , the car feel relaxed at 100-110km/h and 140km/h comes up pretty quick too , with another 15-20km/h more in its kitty. The icing on the cake comes in the form of its fantastic fuel economy. For the three days we had the car for , it displayed an average fuel economy of a shade over 18kmpl including Delhi’s start-stop traffic (no air-con though) – these are simply brilliant figures. The engine’s NVH damping is good , though not exceptionally well.
Ride and handling
The Pulse is an urban car meant for city use and the occasional highway one. In this regard , it plays the role perfectly well. The steering is light , visibility good and turning circle tight – three essential ingredients for a city car. We regularly spent a good time in congested traffic conditions and the Pulse gave us no reason to complain. Further , the suspension does the job well , better than most other cars in the segment though we would say that cars like the Figo and Liva ride much better. That said , it doesn’t giving you a reason to complain either. Driven alone , it does feel on the stiffer side though with more than 2 people on board , the suspension irons out sharp undulations pretty well.
The Renault Pulse is not a sporty car and for those who love corners or pushing a car to its limits , look elsewhere. It will take on a fair bit of spirited driving but it was never meant to be a car that would give you grinning moments every time you want it to! The suspension is tuned more for comfort than for handing. High speed stability though is very good. The brakes work well , though somewhat
lack the ‘feel’ and the ‘bite’.
Final Verdict
The RxZ model we tested comes loaded (the co-driver air-bag comes as an option). You get the same features as the top end Micra like key-less entry and start-stop , electrically foldable outside mirrors , climate control system , ABS , alloy wheels etc. The Pulse also gets Renault’s 2 year / 50000km warranty and a similar time and kilometre based ‘Renault Assistance’ package for added peace of mind. On the pricing front , the top end model with co-driver airbags retails for Rs 6.5 lakh , ex-showroom , Delhi. This is bang in the middle of cars like the Figo and Liva on one side and Swift and Polo on the other. The Pulse is a wonderful and a very capable car no doubt but also comes with little issues like the gear shift quality which is slightly rough and the overall NVH levels. How Renault’s dealerships treat prospective customers on the ‘premium feel’ front might just prove to be the deal maker or deal breaker factor!
And yes , the 1.5 dCi motor simply wins our heart out with its low engine speed respond – a major factor that is bound to win hearts!
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Introduction
The Santro at One point of time was the largest selling Hyundai model in India. It made Hyundai what it is today. However , better rivals meant that over the years , its sales have come down a lot. Infact , in Jan 2012 , Hyundai sold less than 5000 units of the Santro!
To cope up with the pressure from other companies , Hyundai decided to change the rules of the small car segment - something it did years back with the Santro. And thus was born the Eon. It looks stylish , has modern interiors and an efficient engine. So , it should be burning the sales charts right? Well , 7344 units in Jan 2012 isnt exactly that. So , what exactly is this car about? Are there any major down-falls? Somnath Chatterjee has the answer right here!
Design
A car's looks are an important consideration today. Futuristic and youthful styling is something that everyone wants. No one wants a car to look cheap even if it’s cheap to buy. The Eon does a brilliant job in this matter. The car looks way more expensive than it really is. Credit for that goes to Hyundai's 'Fluidic Sculpture' design. The new design theme of Hyundai is reaping great rewards with the new Verna and this , the new Eon- we certainly approve of these designs! The Eon has an aggressive look with some great detailing thrown in. i loved the swept back headlamps and the half-moon shaped tail-lamps that give it a mini i10 look. And the side profile of the car is pretty well designed as well with a flowing rear and no tall boy like design. Park the i10 and the Eon side by side and it is the Eon that has a more futuristic design. The whole car does not have a hint of boxy-ness but it is certainly the best looking entry level hatchback out there.
The Eon is pretty compact and has an overall length of 3495 mm and a width of 1550 mm. The overall height is 1500 mm which is good also. Build quality wise the Eon is impressive as well as the panel gaps are tight and the overall feel is of a higher class. The colours available on the Eon are Sleek silver , Mushroom , Dark grey metallic , Pristine blue and Maharaja red. Overall in the looks department the Eon score great from our side. It will no doubt attract the youth and it gives a feeling of a much bigger car and looks like a car that was not designed to look cheap in the first place. Good job Hyundai! Arrive somewhere in a rival car and arrive at the same place in a Eon and you will see the way people look at you in both the cases - you get what we mean?
Interiors
Get inside and Hyundai seems to have worked on the 'feel-good' factor here also. The interior is cheerful and airy and pretty well made. What I liked was the use of nice materials and plastic quality was good as well. There is nothing here that is crude and feels built to a price. Hyundai have used beige in the cabin that brings in the luxury factor automatically as well. The design of the dashboard is curvy and the layout is simple. The steering wheel is not too big or small and feels good to hold. The instrument panel is a very simple three dial affair. What we didn't like on the Eon were some of the shiny bits on the centre console like the buttons for the CD player and FM. Storage is well looked after in the Eon with plenty of spaces to store your knick knacks.
In terms of equipment , the Eon has a CD MP3 audio system plus Aux-in-port and USB. Now these features are mostly seen on more expensive cars and here it is a welcome touch. These features worked well when we used them , the music system was average though. Other features include ilt steering , gear shift indicator and front power windows.
Space on the Eon is average. The headroom is good but legroom is again on the average side. In the back three would be a squeeze. The seats themselves are good on the comfort factor but some more legroom would be appreciated. The rear seats don't have the kind of legroom that the even the Tata Nano offers and the narrowness of the cabin makes it even more apparent. In terms of space the Eon is near the Alto and behind the likes of the Nano. No problems on the issue of getting in and out , it’s easy and elderly people in your family would have no problems whatsoever. Boot space at 215 litres is decent.
In the end , the interiors never let you feel that you invested into an 'entry level' car - never!
Engine , performance and fuel economy
Powering the Eon is an 814 cc petrol engine. It has three cylinders/9 valves and makes 56 PS. Now 56 PS on paper does feel less as compared to say the Alto K10 and indeed , we weren't expecting the Eon to be quick at all. But in the City , the performance of the engine is adequate and you do not feel it is underpowered. In traffic you have to keep in the right gear to extract the full performance and if you do that there won't be many issues about driving the Eon in the city. But if you apply more speed , things go a bit downward in the Eon. The engine feels strained and noisy which is characteristic of a three cylinder. The stability at high speeds is good but it’s a car that does not like high speeds. The 0-100 is about 19 seconds which is average at best. The braking performance is good with disc at front and drum at the back
The Eon has a 5-speed manual gearbox and we felt the shift action could have been better. The throws are light but the gearshift feels rubbery and is not as smooth as the i10 or even the Santro! Then there are the noticeable vibrations coming from the gearbox.
These days when fuel prices are going up every now and then , fuel economy is of paramount importance and crucially the Eon delivers regarding this aspect. The Eon has a fuel economy of 21.1 kmpl , as certified by ARAI. In the city if you keep it in the right gear and drive sedately the Eon will deliver fuel economy in the region of 17-18kmpl easily.
The performance of the Eon is acceptable since it has a three cylinder engine and you cannot expect more from that. However a bigger engine in the future would be a great addition.
Ride and handling
The Eon is primarily designed as a city slicker and it works wonders in the city. The clutch is easy to use and you have good visibility all around the car. Thanks to its compact dimensions , it’s very easy to park and you can squeeze the Eon into gaps , which is very handy these days! The steering of the Eon is light and does not require much effort thus improving its city car credentials even more. However the steering is a bit too light for our liking and could have been a little more direct. That leads to the handling , which again thanks to its relatively small wheelbase , makes for quick getting in and out of the traffic and there are no major amounts of body-roll present.
The suspension in the Eon comprises of a Torsion Beam Axle with Coil spring at the rear and a McPherson Strut with Coil spring and anti-roll bar at the front and a Gas type shock absorber. After driving it in the city and going over some rough and even doing some mini off-roading , we have to say that the Eon rides very well. The suspension does a good job of filtering out many of the potholes despite the car having puny tyres!
Refinement on the Eon is average at best as there is some noise getting in the cabin. As you drive there is a fair amount of road noise that filters through. The braking performance is good with disc at front and drum at the back and there is no sense of panic in the Eon on hard braking again despite having small tyres.
Verdict
After driving the Hyundai Eon we are definitely impressed. Hyundai have managed to do what they originally planned with the Eon. The Eon shows that budget small cars need not to be just cheap and economical , they can be stylish also. The Eon is definitely the best looking car in its class beating the Nano , Spark and the Alto in this department. However the Eon is not perfect – for example , the interiors are really very roomy – the half priced Nano is more spacious. The engine loses steam with a full load of passengers with the air-con working. The gear-shift quality is something we didn’t expect from a Hyundai! That said , the interior design and quality is miles ahead of the competition.
But with the pricing , Hyundai seems to have got it absolutely right. In our opinion the best bet is the Eon D-Lite+ variant at Rs 2.98 lakh ex-showroom as it has got most of the basic features like air-conditioning , power steering , gift shift indicator and body coloured bumpers.
The Era + will further offer front power windows and central locking , it is priced at Rs 3.12 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi ). The Magna+ comes with a 2-Din audio system with USB , Aux , it is priced Rs 3.42 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). These variants offer great value , though the top model is the Sportz variant at Rs 4.07 lakh which has features like front fog lamps , driver airbag. Hyundai is also offering an LPG variant at an extra cost of Rs 27 , 000 – now this is a good thing.
As we said , no car is perfect , even the Eon isn’t. However , it plays most key roles very well – looks , quality , economy and the price tag. As for the sales figures , let’s just give this little angle from Hyundai some more time to gel into the market and we are sure the sales charts will soon be on fire!
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Remenber the snowy roadtrip we at Gaadi.com did last month? (READ HERE). On the same trip , we had taken along unique products from a UK based company , One of them being the RoadHawnk Automated Drive Recorder system.
This is a compact twin camera digital video / audio / data recorder unit which comes in handy in a lot of ways inclduing safety. As suggested in the last line , the unit has camera on both the sides which lets it record the happenings inside the car as well as on the road ahead .The camera have a wide angle view which covers a lot of area of interest. What's more important is the face that the RoadHawnk devices has built-in GPS as well as night vision system and built-in G sensors. All these functionalities help in event data for accident reconstruction as well as lets the owner see where the vehicle went and at what speeds!
We however used the RoadHawk for a different purpose - to show you guys our route for the snowy travelogue and also show you the road conditions we drove in(to be shared later). We have enough data of driving on wet roads which soon translated into white ones with snow as deep as a couple of feet! This was an exiciting product for us and showed the speeds we did as well as the G forces we encountered on mountain roads - a must have if you wish to share your trip with others and let them experience a virtual one!
Main pointers about the RoadHawk unit
1. Dual Camera: Records audio and video. Supports night vision. The front camera has a view of 143 degree while the rear one has a view of 170 degree.
2. Built-in GPS: This allows you to record speed , position and directions of the vehicle. The data can be linked to google map and you can see the route the vehicle took!
3. Built-in 3G sensor: This activates the moment an accident occurs and automatically starts recording images. It records the vehicle's acceleration data which can be of use for legalities.
4. Remote Manual Trigger: Pressing a button on the side of the unit records the data 60 seconds before and after pressing the trigger.
For more information on RoadHawk , visit their India Website
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