27-Sep-2011 9 : 38 AM by
Bunny Punia
in
Single review,
The Maruti Swift -
It is a car that has been a best seller for Maruti in India with almost the entire percentage of generation X having experienced it at One point of the time or another. Since its launch in 2005 , it has sold like hot cakes with its Fiat derived diesel unit being the higher seller of the lot. Infact , ask any youth about his favorite set of wheels in the hatchback segment and the Swift will probably rank the highest. It is also a hit among the youth when it comes to mods - exteriors as well as interiors!
A lot was expected from the all-new Swift that went on sale in the Indian market in August 2011 - we all expected it to be a far better car in all parameters. Has that been the reality?
Looks :
There is no doubt that the new Swift retains its design DNA. Infact , it is a longer and wider car with smart design lines. You look at the international Swift pictures and you fall in love with it. However , India is the land of fuel economy which means a car ought to run on thin tyres. The lower variants of the Swift , ie , the LDI / LXI / VDI / VXI wear thin tyres as compared to the top end ZDI / ZXI models and believe us , the Swift in these lower trim levels looks completely out of proportion. Come on Maruti , even the Figo wears wider 175mm tyres as opposed to 165mm on your lower trim Swift models. Infact , as the rear has become wider , the thin tyres simply rob the car of good looks!
Interiors:
We all thought that a longer and wider car would mean more cabin space. False. Pit a car that is smaller on the outside , the Liva , next to the Swift and you will get our point. The front seat space is generous however sit at the back and your knees will easily rub with the back part of the front seats. Do this in the Liva or other rivals and you will be surprised! Ditto for the boot space - the loading bay is now upwards and the overall space is still limited to rivals like the Fabia or the i20. And we are not even talking about the Jazz here!
Pricing:
The new Swift petrol range starts at Rs 4.22 lakh and does make for a very good buy. However , the problem comes in the top end ZXI model that sells for Rs 5.53 lakh. At this price , one can pick up the entry level Jazz at Rs 5.50 lakh which has best in class cabin space , best in class boot space , better interior quality , a more practical cabin , a better brand value and an overall better experience!
On the diesel front , the Swift starts at Rs 5.17 lakh - again good value for money. However , the trouble comes with the VDI variant which is their best-selling model. The VDI is for Rs 5.61 lakh - 7k more than the LIVA GD. The Liva offers you more space , better low end grunt from the engine and ABS as standard. The Liva also beats the Swift in the ARAI certified fuel economy figures! The biggest problem though is the huge waiting period for the Swift diesel.
Would you be willing to shell out the booking amount and then wait indefinitely for your set of dream wheels to arrive without any confirmation from the dealer whatsoever? Share your comments here!
Content courtesy:
22-Sep-2011 2 : 15 PM by
Sarmad Kadiri
in
Multiple comparisons,
It was bound to happen. Whenever One of the three German luxury car-makers introduces a new model , we cannot help comparing it with the other two. How then could we resist this temptation when we got our hands on the all-new Audi A6 3.0 turbo diesel? Sharing centre-stage with it are the popular BMW 530d and Mercedes Benz 350 CDI. However , writing this comparo is not an easy task. It wasn't that complicated a few years ago , because each of the three brands used to have very distinctive characteristics. BMW was the obvious choice for a driving enthusiast , Mercedes-Benz for those who liked to be chauffeured in the lap of luxury and Audi for those who wanted a bit of both and some exclusivity. It's not that easy any longer , as BMW has become softer to drive , Mercedes has become rather spry and Audi claims to be all that and some more. As they say , the taste of the pudding is in the eating. So let's get going.
It's interesting that we picked the diesel variants even though all these three cars also come with petrol motors that promise to be the epitome of refinement and are , more often than not , quicker off the mark. This change of heart is also visible in the recent luxury car purchase trends. Let me clarify , more people nowadays prefer diesel luxury cars to petrol ones. This is not only due to the price difference of over Rs 25-30 per litre , but also because these oil-burners are now capable of staggering performance and yet are cleaner with low CO2 emissions. They are also unbelievably low on vibration and noise.
The top-of-the-line 3.0 TDI is not the only diesel variant , for Audi are planning to introduce a smaller 2.0 TDI version soon , which will cater , if i may say so , to the mass segment of the luxury range. But for now let's stick to the Audi 3.0 that comes with all the boxes checked and its very competent rivals.
Design And Style
The Audi A6 is a spitting image of its elder sibling , the A8 , albeit a size smaller. Now the A6 looks more aggressive , especially from the front. The large single-frame grille carries bevelled upper corners and the wide air intakes add to the effect.
What make this car stand out are the optional LED headlights , which extend outwards and are placed in an angle to give the car a sporty stance. The strong shoulder-line runs through the side of the car , beginning at the headlights and meeting the trapezoidal tail-lights at the rear. These back-lights ably complement the LED headlamps and look great when they light up , specially after dark. The car runs on 225/55 R17 tyres , which may not make it as appealing as low-profile tyres , but we soon found out that it did amazing things to the ride quality and braking. The boot lid bears the outline of a spoiler lip , hinting at the car's ability to reach high speeds. The Audi is the longest and wider than the other two cars under consideration here , but smart exterior design like its sleek pillars and coupé-like design help in disguising this virtue. Surprisingly , the 5-series appears to be the biggest in size , thanks to its muscular design and the long , countered bonnet. It also has the largest wheelbase of 2 , 968 millimetres , which is closely followed by the A6.
The BMW also sticks to the family design as it resembles big brother 7-series quite a lot. Personally , I preferred the looks of the last generation five more than the current one. But with time the new 5-series grows on you. The bulging kidney grille and the bangle-eyed headlamps make a great pair. The sloping roof-line and the Hofmeister kink in the rear underscore BMW's design philosophy.
Coming to the three-point star , even the E-Class carries some design highlights from the bigger S-Class. It has crisp lines and seems to be crafted like a business suit. It is the oldest design of the lot , yet it is ageing gracefully and still manages to hold your attention. In dimension , the E-Class is the tallest at 1 , 471 mm , but remains smaller in terms of length and breadth. This also translates into smaller cabin space. The 245/45 R17 tyres give it a nice proportion , but at the cost of the supple ride quality Mercedes-Benz are know for.
Interior
The Audi's interior is very futuristic , with a great combination of wood , chrome inserts , soft plastic and fine-grain leather. It maintains the plush feel with the right dash of sportiness. Push start the car and the large centre display swoops up in style. The high-resolution graphics the MMI display offers are unparalleled and far superior to Merc's Command and BMW's iDrive. The seats in the Audi are well padded , offer good lumbar support , look rather sporty and can be adjusted in various ways to suit the driver's need. There are plenty of cubbyholes and the steering , like the other two cars' , has gear pedal-shifts. The rear seats are low and comfortable. The best part of the cabin is that even though it has a coupé-like roof , it feels airy , thanks to the sleek pillars and low dashboard. This makes driving and specially parking highly pleasurable.
The BMW interior design is very basic and lacks the flair of the new-age Audi design. The dashboard is split , distinguished by good quality black and beige plastic , but might feel high for an average Indian , hampering visibility. There is less clutter and it may appear to be bland to some. The iDrive also seems a little cumbersome to navigate through. The driving position is great. The seats are wide but firm and not as padded as the Audi's. The BMW has recently received some technology upgrades such as a reverse camera to assist parking , a satellite navigation system and a heads-up display , to name a few. It also has two screens and plug-in sockets for the rear passengers who can plug their Xbox for games or even watch Hollywood blockbuster as the chauffeur struggles through the traffic. The build quality and material used is top-class , but appears bland in the face of competition.
The all-black dashboard on the Mercedes is very neatly stacked and allows extra elbow room because the gear-shift is placed on the steering column. The Mercedes' build quality is unquestionable and in no way behind its rivals. The E-Class interior , until a couple of years ago , was the best in the segment. With time , however , it has started looking a bit dated. Even the equipment level is comparatively low with no reverse camera or no satellite navigation and limited controls on the Command system.
.jpg)
Powertrain And Technology
All these three cars have three-litre motors under their hoods , the Audi and Mercedes having the V6 arrangement and the BMW staying true to its tradition of in-line six. The A6 uses a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission , while BMW's eight-speed and Mercedes' seven-speed use the conventional torque converter. The Mercedes and BMW are rear wheel driven saloons and the Audi uses the quattro system to power all four wheels , endowing each car with a very different driving experience.
The Audi has an advantage as the four-wheel drive system ensures that there is no front washout on loose gravel or wet roads. This gives the driver of the A6 supreme confidence while carving quick corners.
The Audi is powered by a very capable 2 , 967-cc turbo diesel engine , which is rather quiet for a diesel and which can churn out 248 PS of maximum power. Although its healthy 500 Nm of torque is 40 Nm lower than each of the other two cars , it spins into action at just 1 , 400 RPM , whereas the Mercedes and BMW have to wait until 1 , 600 and 1 , 750 revolutions , respectively , for the torque to kick in. Under the three-point star hood is a 2 , 987-cc , 229 PS , 540 Nm mill , which , on higher revolutions , can be heard inside the cabin. The BMW's in-line six 2 , 993-cc motor is a delight for an enthusiast. The 0-100 km/h figures , like the power specs , do not vary much , with the A6 stretching its neck to become the fastest , the BMW a fraction behind , followed by the Mercedes. It's not just because of their flat-out performance that people buy these cars , but ease of use in the city. The linear fashion in which the Mercedes delivers power is what makes it special. It is not like the Audi's free-revving and very peppy mill and lacks BMW's strong top end , but has sufficient power for daily use and one would hardly feel the difference in power unless one drives all three cars one after the other.
The Mercedes' seven-speed gearbox also takes a fraction longer to react , but the gear shifts are smooth , though not as slick as DSG. The BMW , on the other hand , has a great ZF eight-speed transmission that'll compliments the powerful motor , squeezing every ounce of juice from it. The gear shifts are quick and precise. Although the engine can rev up to the red line , it is not as refined and smooth as the A6's. Inside the Audi , the driver is insulated from NVH – it hardly has any , comparatively speaking. The all-new 3.0 TDI has set a new benchmark in the segment. It feels happy to kiss the red line and is resilient even when pushed to the limit. We managed to take the car way past 200 km/h , yet there was no sign of strain whatever. The power-band is so well spread out that there is no sign of slack. It seems as comfortable crawling on the stop-start , chock-a-block City roads as on open highways. Its silk-smooth performance sets it in a class apart from the rivals.
Ride And Handling
This is one of the most interesting parts of this shootout. These German manufactures have blurred the distinctive traits they were known for until now. Take , for instance , the BMW. It has become softer. The Mercedes has moved towards the firmer side and the Audi lies somewhere in between. The A6 and 5-series feature adjustable air springs , while the E-Class features coil springs with variable dampers. One of the reasons for this sudden transformation is the tyre size. With time , BMW adapted to the Indian demands and , as I mentioned earlier , this car runs on 225/55 R17 rubber , like the Audi. This has improved the ride quality at low speeds and hardly feels like the older BMWs. When it gains momentum , though , a good amount of road bumps filter through the cabin , shaking up the car occupants and unsettling the car's composure. Having said that , the new electronically assisted steering of the Six is comparatively heavy and seems to offer the quickest response. It does give good feedback , but is not as responsive as the previous Five's.
The E-Class rides on low-profile tyres and , though not exactly unsettling , it is on the stiffer side , which is very unlike Mercedes. When you do the pedal-to-metal , the ride improves as the conventional frequency selective damper stiffens up to absorb the road irregularities , giving it an ideal high-speed ride quality. The steering is light and , like the car , feels a little laid-back and not as sharp as the Audi's.
The A6 has adjusted the 'Comfort' and 'Dynamic' modes perfectly to the T. With its dual personality the Audi can take low speed and rubber-smoking speed in its stride equally well. The 'Comfort' mode makes the ride quality a posh experience at low speeds and , when you feel like pushing the envelope , all it takes is a push of a button and you feel as if you are riding on rails. There is hardly any body-roll. It remains comfortable throughout. On the steering front , the A6 again takes the lead by perfectly balancing its sporty yet comfortable characteristics. The perfectly weighed steering has a quick response and offers surgeon-like precision.
Verdict
The BMW has a stunning engine , but lacks refinement or performance of the Audi. It has adapted to the Indian buyers' needs and has become softer than before , but still the ride quality remains harder than the Mercedes' and Audi's , because of the run-flat tyres which have harder side walls compared to normal tubeless tyres. It still does not offer a space-saver spare wheel and the overall design lacks zing.
While the Mercedes is about 100 kg heavier than the kerb weight of both the BMW and the Audi , the E-Class remains solidly built , evidenced by things like the thud made by its tank-like doors when they are shut. Though it has a poor fuel economy and does not involve the driver as much , it remains one of the plushest rides in the business. In the last couple of years the Mercedes has aged gracefully. It is not as swank as the Audi. The three-point star comes with a long heritage that guarantees admiration.
Priced at Rs. 47.26 lacs (ex-showroom , Delhi) the A6 made things easy for us by staying ahead in all the parameters. It is the fastest , its 3.0 TDI is quiet , velvet-smooth and free from any clatter or vibration that diesel motors are known for. Its LED lights are a segment first , while the ride quality and handing have taken things to the next level. Its adaptability makes it extremely driver-friendly. Stacked with technology , the interior is exceptionally well finished and has the right touch of sportiness. This offering from Ingolstadt has set a new benchmark in the luxury segment of cars and the competitors sure have some catching up to do.
Content courtesy:
19-Sep-2011 10 : 25 AM by
Gasha Aeri
in
Comparisons,
Driving down the Pune-Mumbai expressway for the umpteenth time , i couldn’t help wondering if an invisible line separated a highway car from a City car. A car which is sturdy and steady at high speed and a car which carries the passengers through the city's hustle and bustle as if in a palanquin. But then , there are certain pre-requisites that a car must fulfil on both the highway and within the city – good looks , good fuel economy , ride quality and driveability. The question is whether car-makers keep One of these qualities as their object and develop their cars around it , making a compromise on the rest of the points , or whether they actually give equal importance to all these attributes and work towards a complete package. The answer is simple. Those who adopt the former approach limit their target audience and those who believe in the latter address their target audience in entirety.
After about four years of unchallenged supremacy in the mid-size petrol sedan segment , the Honda City has been challenged by another player , the new Ford Fiesta , which boasts of a 'funkier' styling , better interior and much improved drive quality. The challenge has been accepted and the result would be decided on the skills and performance shown by both the players.
Exterior And Interior
The new Ford Fiesta certainly looks like nothing the Indian market has seen before. The styling is very futuristic and would appeal to the young looking for a change from the usual swaying lines and long frames. Those petal-like stretched headlamps , body-coloured bumpers , a matte black front grille wearing the Ford emblem in the middle and trapezoid lower grille set within fog-lamps on both the sides – all these announce the arrival of the new Fiesta sedan straight from the international market. The design is the same as that of the Ford Fiesta super-mini globally , but with a small boot at the rear. Compared to the bejewelled front , the rear of the car looks rather simple , consisting of tail-lamps shaped like raised doe-eyes and a sharply curved arch to lift the boot. Fifteen-inch wheels fit the wheel-arches well and give the car a proportionate look.
The Honda City , on the other hand , comes with the tried and tested formula of a perfect mix of lines and edges that lend the car its sophisticated yet macho look. The basic theory that works in the longevity of a car’s design is 'minimalism'. The more simple and old-school , the better it is.
Open the door of the new Fiesta and you have a loaded dash waiting to be explored. The quality of the plastic and the fit-and-finish of the interior could have been better , though. Dual tone throughout the cabin with silver trims looks like a genuine attempt to add a sci-fi feel to the car’s cockpit , but the company seems to have gone a little overboard with it. The dash comprises a multimedia interface just above the a-c vents , with numerous buttons underneath to play with. The menu with its folder-within-a-folder setting demands a lot of driver’s attention and it is highly recommended not to fiddle around while on the move. Steering-mounted controls make surfing through radio channels and other such tasks easier and the car even boasts of being the only one in the segment with cruise control. A small cubbyhole under the air temperature controls does store away the tid-bits , but doesn’t lend itself to any major use. As a matter of fact , the storage space throughout the cabin feels inadequate , including that in the boot. The meter cluster just above the steering wheel is shaped like two eyes and looks magnificent at night. The Fiesta has ample leg room in the front and headroom at both the front and the rear , but the car suffers in knee-room at the rear. The hand-rest on the rear seats is rather awkwardly placed and feels too high for one to rest one's elbow.
Against this , the City might have a simpler cabin , but every inch of the cabin speaks of good quality and fit-and-finish. The car has the most basic features that one would expect , but the quality of the knobs and buttons is first-class. To match that , the car also has a very good seating area , with ample legroom for the rear seats and a cavernous boot.
Drive And Handling
Now is the time to see which of these two has more juice and is a mechanical marvel. The Ford Fiesta comes with a 1.5-litre Ti-VCT engine and promises to deliver a peak power of 110 PS at 6 , 045 RPM and a maximum torque of 140 Nm at 4 , 500 RPM. The Honda City , on the other hand , comes loaded with a 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine and delivers a peak power of 118 PS at 6 , 600 RPM and a maximum torque of 146 Nm at 4 , 600 RPM. The difference in the power and torque figures speaks for itself. What is surprising here is that despite achieving the maximum power and torque at comparatively lower RPM than the City , the Fiesta doesn't perform as well as its competitor.
Besides , the Fiesta is heavier by 21 kg , because of which the low power figure takes its toll on city driveability. Because of a weak low and mid range , the car demands frequent gear shifts. The 0-100 km/h acceleration test showed that the Fiesta lagged behind the City by about 1.5 seconds.
Nevertheless , the Fiesta scores on all counts in the handling department. Its steering is precise and sharp and its negligible body roll makes it go round corners with great confidence. The Fiesta’s stiff suspension shows its merits and demerits in one go. On the one hand , it gives the car a good handling and stability , but , on the other , the ride quality goes for a toss. The seats with their curled up sides offer comfort to the arms , too , and hand-rests are not missed much.
As for the City's handling and ride quality , its handling may not be as sharp as the Fiesta's and the car may feel to be a little on the soft side , but that doesn’t make it any less stable either. The softness rather makes it comfortable to drive within the city.
Fuel Economy
The Honda City's i-VTEC engine is surely more efficient than the Fiesta's. Delivering nine PS more than the rival and returning 17.7 km to a litre (against the Fiesta's 11.5 km) , the City creates a win-win situation for the driver in terms of both performance and fuel-efficiency. While gearing up for this big fight , I believe the first and foremost consideration for the company should have been making the engine efficient. With good fuel-efficiency , the battle is half won , especially in a market like India.
The Verdict
The battle has been a rather close one , but the verdict is clear. Priced at Rs 10.61 lakh (OTR , Pune) for the variant we drove (Titanium+) , the Fiesta is dearer by almost Rs 70 , 000 than the City and this doesn’t seem to work in its favour. The Fiesta may well be considered the second choice in the segment , but it doesn’t get to wear the crown. The car is sporty from the way it looks to the way it drives and is power-packed too , but not enough to dethrone the segment leader.
So the final word is that the new Ford Fiesta is a good car with nearly all the right ingredients , but pales in comparison with the Honda City. An engine tweak and a little more attention to the interior might tilt this balance in the future.
Content courtesy:
16-Sep-2011 4 : 59 PM by
Sarmad Kadiri
in
Single review,
The C-Class is where most people begin their relationship with Mercedes-Benz. In India this is the most affordable and compact sedan on offer from the renowned company , making it the preferred car of most first-time seeker of the premium badge. It is difficult to express in words the emotions that One experiences sitting behind the three-pointed star. The company skilfully blends its 125 years of engineering expertise and some clever marketing to make the pleasure of owning and driving a Mercedes unique. So much so , that they have succeeded in making mundane jobs seem better and interesting.
As the Indian economy and spending power grows , more luxury car-makers are joining the bandwagon. Sighting the growing competition in the 'affordable' premium segment , Mercedes-Benz have given the C-Class a much-needed facelift along with a few essential engineering changes. According to the company's plan , the 2011 'C' has to keep the momentum going at least until 2013 , when an all-new C-Class will make its global appearance.
Thanks to our pals in Mercedes India we got a short spin in the new C-Class almost a month before its scheduled India launch and , in typical Car India fashion , we managed to squeeze out a complete road test. Although the German company has not officially released the technical specifications of the Indian version , here's what we observed during our short stint with the 'C'.
This is a mid-life cosmetic polish-up and not a complete make-over , so don't expect the car to grow in size , which is seen in most complete model changes. There's a new front bumper , which resembles the bigger E-Class around the snout and it also has a more prominent grille surround with the air intakes re-contoured. It loses the conventional fog-lamps , which are replaced with a set of snazzy new line of LED lights. The reshaped car is more blithe and the company claims a drag coefficient of just 0.26. The 2012 version gets a new treatment for the headlamps , which are longer and flared towards the ends , hinting at inspiration from the styling of the elder sibling , CLS. The lamps now come with Bi-xenon lights with LED turn indicators. The rear design gets a tweak as well and the tail-lights continue the LED bling.
The interior gets a thorough makeover and now has a hint of the E-Class. The dashboard looks more modern , sophisticated and a lot more appealing. The new texture feels great and the brush metal trims add to the sportiness. Sitting in the middle is a high-definition colour display similar to the 'E' and the music system switches are neatly stacked below it. The new steering loses a spoke , gets brush metal treatment and looks sportier. No pedal shifts on the steering , but you can nudge the gear stick to shift up or down. The front seats have electrically adjustable height , lumbar support and backrest and offer adequate bolstering. The rear seats , however , have a short squab , which limits under-thigh support , although the legroom and backrest angle are just about right. The infotainment system also doubles as a Sat-Nav system and can also connect to your phone using the Bluetooth. In spite of being right at the bottom of Mercedes-Benz's impressive line-up , the interior quality and overall finish is second to none.
The Mercedes C200 still sports the CGI or common-rail gasoline injection motor. It's turbo runs off the exhaust gas pressure from the engine and hence makes it more efficient than a mechanically driven supercharger. The motor still produces 188 PS of peak power and 285 Nm of torque , but is now mated with a smooth seven-speed G-TRONIC auto transmission , replacing the old five-speed unit. It constantly provides the optimum engine speed and virtually imperceptible gear changes. When changing down , the 7G-TRONIC delivers fast mid-range sprints by skipping individual gears. The CGI is a refined petrol mill , tuned to provide better fuel economy than just road ripping performance. The fuel economy has improved – driving on the highway it returned a decent 16 km per litre.
Adding pleasure to efficiency are a slew of BlueEFFICIENCY features that have been fine-tuned to minimise noise and vibration and to enhance your driving experience. Now that the C's kerb weight has gone up by 45 kg , it takes 9.42 seconds to get to 100 km/h , making it a fraction of a second slower than its predecessor and just about matches 0-120 km/h. In the standing kilometre sprint , however , the new car shaves off almost two seconds compared to the outgoing model.
Mercedes cars are always about refinement and the 'C' feels no less composed than before. There is always adequate performance at hand and a brisk unruffled drive is yours for sure. The steering holds its line competently with consistent feedback from the wheel , though it could have been more direct. The car we got was the top-of-the-line Avant Garde variant , equipped with 17-inch low-profile tyres (225/45 R17) , which did have an impact on ride comfort , although the soft suspension setting did manage to disguise most of it. Stability control is standard now in all Mercs and doesn’t grant you too much leeway , as compared to some of its competitors.
On the road what you get is a planted feel of the chassis , the quietness of the interior and a range of new equipment , creating a good first impression for buyers hunting for a sedan of this class. The new Mercedes C-Class continues to be a competent all-rounder and the sparkling star on the bonnet promises to deliver a feel-good factor for car enthusiasts in all age-groups. You are spoilt for choice , but you cannot go wrong with this car. UPDATED: The C200 CGI Avant Garde was launched on 7 September 2011 with price tag of Rs. 29 , 52 , 999 for 200 CGI Avantgarde and Rs. 26 , 53 , 000 for 220 CDI Avantgarde.
Content courtesy:
16-Sep-2011 3 : 27 PM by
Aspi Bhathena
in
Single review,
It is every automobile enthusiast's dream to visit the Ferrari factory in Italy and drive One of their cars at least once in the lifetime. The Ferrari brand possesses such magic that it brings out the child in you: i saw fellow journalists in their forties and fifties behave like little children in a candy shop when they visited the Ferrari brand shop!
Over the past 10 years I have had occasions to visit a number of car manufacturing plants all over the world. Most of them look similar. The Ferrari factory at Maranello , however , is a different ballgame altogether. To keep the climatic conditions uniform throughout the year they have greenery inside the machine shops with plants growing indoors. This is the first time I have seen something like this in all the manufacturing facilities that I have visited so far.
For me it was very fascinating to watch the cylinder head intake and exhaust ports being polished and gas being flowed for better breathing. The connecting rod and crankshaft were also polished to reduce oil drag. Such effort is put in only when you build a race engine. You hardly ever witness such love and passion in the regular engine assembly lines.
It is always a pleasure to drive a car like the Ferrari 458 Italia. However , it gets even better when you watch the car being put together from scratch. The 458 combines history and innovation with its V8 engine configuration and state-of-the art technology.
.jpg)
The dark red car that I got to drive had a red carbon-fibre interior , which looked drop-dead gorgeous. Once you turned the ignition key , the engine bursts into life and settles down to idling speed. The exhaust note at idling is like any other car's and you can potter about the town without being noticed.
Once you have adjusted your driving position and strapped yourself , you engage the drive by pushing a button on the centre console and pull the right paddle shifter to engage the first gear for the first time in your life. In our case the navigation system had been programmed to takes us into the mountains around Maranello. The drive through the town of Maranello was quite enjoyable. The Italia behaved like a pussy cat at low speeds. The steering was light and one did not have to wrestle with the steering wheel at low speeds. The ride quality was quite smooth; no bone-jarring or brain-rattling business here.
Once we crossed the City limits and hit the highway , the 458 began merrily cruising along at 60 km/h in the seventh gear. When I started using the power on tap , however , it metamorphosed from a pussy cat into a cheetah. The moment we started negotiating the mountainous section it came into its own and I began pushing the car more and more round the corners. The 458 now became an extension of my body , as it were. It would follow the line that my mind wanted it to take.
This car is so involving to drive that you become oblivious to the world outside. On the one hand is the fantastic handling and , on the other , its phenomenal power delivery and , finally , the music from the exhaust that takes you into a trance.
At one point , as I was doing in excess of 160 km/h , we flew over a big hump and the car became airborne for a while. The cameras kept on the floor hit the roof. When the 458 landed , however , it was none the worse for this little bit of adventure , nor did it lose its composure even by a fraction.
This is probably one of the best cars I have driven to date and definitely the most fun and involving car to drive.
Content courtesy:
The Maruti Swift -
It is a car that has been a best seller for Maruti in India with almost the entire percentage of generation X having experienced it at One point of the time or another. Since its launch in 2005 , it has sold like hot cakes with its Fiat derived diesel unit being the higher seller of the lot. Infact , ask any youth about his favorite set of wheels in the hatchback segment and the Swift will probably rank the highest. It is also a hit among the youth when it comes to mods - exteriors as well as interiors!
A lot was expected from the all-new Swift that went on sale in the Indian market in August 2011 - we all expected it to be a far better car in all parameters. Has that been the reality?
Looks :
There is no doubt that the new Swift retains its design DNA. Infact , it is a longer and wider car with smart design lines. You look at the international Swift pictures and you fall in love with it. However , India is the land of fuel economy which means a car ought to run on thin tyres. The lower variants of the Swift , ie , the LDI / LXI / VDI / VXI wear thin tyres as compared to the top end ZDI / ZXI models and believe us , the Swift in these lower trim levels looks completely out of proportion. Come on Maruti , even the Figo wears wider 175mm tyres as opposed to 165mm on your lower trim Swift models. Infact , as the rear has become wider , the thin tyres simply rob the car of good looks!
Interiors:
We all thought that a longer and wider car would mean more cabin space. False. Pit a car that is smaller on the outside , the Liva , next to the Swift and you will get our point. The front seat space is generous however sit at the back and your knees will easily rub with the back part of the front seats. Do this in the Liva or other rivals and you will be surprised! Ditto for the boot space - the loading bay is now upwards and the overall space is still limited to rivals like the Fabia or the i20. And we are not even talking about the Jazz here!
Pricing:
The new Swift petrol range starts at Rs 4.22 lakh and does make for a very good buy. However , the problem comes in the top end ZXI model that sells for Rs 5.53 lakh. At this price , one can pick up the entry level Jazz at Rs 5.50 lakh which has best in class cabin space , best in class boot space , better interior quality , a more practical cabin , a better brand value and an overall better experience!
On the diesel front , the Swift starts at Rs 5.17 lakh - again good value for money. However , the trouble comes with the VDI variant which is their best-selling model. The VDI is for Rs 5.61 lakh - 7k more than the LIVA GD. The Liva offers you more space , better low end grunt from the engine and ABS as standard. The Liva also beats the Swift in the ARAI certified fuel economy figures! The biggest problem though is the huge waiting period for the Swift diesel.
Would you be willing to shell out the booking amount and then wait indefinitely for your set of dream wheels to arrive without any confirmation from the dealer whatsoever? Share your comments here!
Content courtesy:
It was bound to happen. Whenever One of the three German luxury car-makers introduces a new model , we cannot help comparing it with the other two. How then could we resist this temptation when we got our hands on the all-new Audi A6 3.0 turbo diesel? Sharing centre-stage with it are the popular BMW 530d and Mercedes Benz 350 CDI. However , writing this comparo is not an easy task. It wasn't that complicated a few years ago , because each of the three brands used to have very distinctive characteristics. BMW was the obvious choice for a driving enthusiast , Mercedes-Benz for those who liked to be chauffeured in the lap of luxury and Audi for those who wanted a bit of both and some exclusivity. It's not that easy any longer , as BMW has become softer to drive , Mercedes has become rather spry and Audi claims to be all that and some more. As they say , the taste of the pudding is in the eating. So let's get going.
It's interesting that we picked the diesel variants even though all these three cars also come with petrol motors that promise to be the epitome of refinement and are , more often than not , quicker off the mark. This change of heart is also visible in the recent luxury car purchase trends. Let me clarify , more people nowadays prefer diesel luxury cars to petrol ones. This is not only due to the price difference of over Rs 25-30 per litre , but also because these oil-burners are now capable of staggering performance and yet are cleaner with low CO2 emissions. They are also unbelievably low on vibration and noise.
The top-of-the-line 3.0 TDI is not the only diesel variant , for Audi are planning to introduce a smaller 2.0 TDI version soon , which will cater , if i may say so , to the mass segment of the luxury range. But for now let's stick to the Audi 3.0 that comes with all the boxes checked and its very competent rivals.
Design And Style
The Audi A6 is a spitting image of its elder sibling , the A8 , albeit a size smaller. Now the A6 looks more aggressive , especially from the front. The large single-frame grille carries bevelled upper corners and the wide air intakes add to the effect.
What make this car stand out are the optional LED headlights , which extend outwards and are placed in an angle to give the car a sporty stance. The strong shoulder-line runs through the side of the car , beginning at the headlights and meeting the trapezoidal tail-lights at the rear. These back-lights ably complement the LED headlamps and look great when they light up , specially after dark. The car runs on 225/55 R17 tyres , which may not make it as appealing as low-profile tyres , but we soon found out that it did amazing things to the ride quality and braking. The boot lid bears the outline of a spoiler lip , hinting at the car's ability to reach high speeds. The Audi is the longest and wider than the other two cars under consideration here , but smart exterior design like its sleek pillars and coupé-like design help in disguising this virtue. Surprisingly , the 5-series appears to be the biggest in size , thanks to its muscular design and the long , countered bonnet. It also has the largest wheelbase of 2 , 968 millimetres , which is closely followed by the A6.
The BMW also sticks to the family design as it resembles big brother 7-series quite a lot. Personally , I preferred the looks of the last generation five more than the current one. But with time the new 5-series grows on you. The bulging kidney grille and the bangle-eyed headlamps make a great pair. The sloping roof-line and the Hofmeister kink in the rear underscore BMW's design philosophy.
Coming to the three-point star , even the E-Class carries some design highlights from the bigger S-Class. It has crisp lines and seems to be crafted like a business suit. It is the oldest design of the lot , yet it is ageing gracefully and still manages to hold your attention. In dimension , the E-Class is the tallest at 1 , 471 mm , but remains smaller in terms of length and breadth. This also translates into smaller cabin space. The 245/45 R17 tyres give it a nice proportion , but at the cost of the supple ride quality Mercedes-Benz are know for.
Interior
The Audi's interior is very futuristic , with a great combination of wood , chrome inserts , soft plastic and fine-grain leather. It maintains the plush feel with the right dash of sportiness. Push start the car and the large centre display swoops up in style. The high-resolution graphics the MMI display offers are unparalleled and far superior to Merc's Command and BMW's iDrive. The seats in the Audi are well padded , offer good lumbar support , look rather sporty and can be adjusted in various ways to suit the driver's need. There are plenty of cubbyholes and the steering , like the other two cars' , has gear pedal-shifts. The rear seats are low and comfortable. The best part of the cabin is that even though it has a coupé-like roof , it feels airy , thanks to the sleek pillars and low dashboard. This makes driving and specially parking highly pleasurable.
The BMW interior design is very basic and lacks the flair of the new-age Audi design. The dashboard is split , distinguished by good quality black and beige plastic , but might feel high for an average Indian , hampering visibility. There is less clutter and it may appear to be bland to some. The iDrive also seems a little cumbersome to navigate through. The driving position is great. The seats are wide but firm and not as padded as the Audi's. The BMW has recently received some technology upgrades such as a reverse camera to assist parking , a satellite navigation system and a heads-up display , to name a few. It also has two screens and plug-in sockets for the rear passengers who can plug their Xbox for games or even watch Hollywood blockbuster as the chauffeur struggles through the traffic. The build quality and material used is top-class , but appears bland in the face of competition.
The all-black dashboard on the Mercedes is very neatly stacked and allows extra elbow room because the gear-shift is placed on the steering column. The Mercedes' build quality is unquestionable and in no way behind its rivals. The E-Class interior , until a couple of years ago , was the best in the segment. With time , however , it has started looking a bit dated. Even the equipment level is comparatively low with no reverse camera or no satellite navigation and limited controls on the Command system.
Powertrain And Technology
All these three cars have three-litre motors under their hoods , the Audi and Mercedes having the V6 arrangement and the BMW staying true to its tradition of in-line six. The A6 uses a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission , while BMW's eight-speed and Mercedes' seven-speed use the conventional torque converter. The Mercedes and BMW are rear wheel driven saloons and the Audi uses the quattro system to power all four wheels , endowing each car with a very different driving experience.
The Audi has an advantage as the four-wheel drive system ensures that there is no front washout on loose gravel or wet roads. This gives the driver of the A6 supreme confidence while carving quick corners.
The Audi is powered by a very capable 2 , 967-cc turbo diesel engine , which is rather quiet for a diesel and which can churn out 248 PS of maximum power. Although its healthy 500 Nm of torque is 40 Nm lower than each of the other two cars , it spins into action at just 1 , 400 RPM , whereas the Mercedes and BMW have to wait until 1 , 600 and 1 , 750 revolutions , respectively , for the torque to kick in. Under the three-point star hood is a 2 , 987-cc , 229 PS , 540 Nm mill , which , on higher revolutions , can be heard inside the cabin. The BMW's in-line six 2 , 993-cc motor is a delight for an enthusiast. The 0-100 km/h figures , like the power specs , do not vary much , with the A6 stretching its neck to become the fastest , the BMW a fraction behind , followed by the Mercedes. It's not just because of their flat-out performance that people buy these cars , but ease of use in the city. The linear fashion in which the Mercedes delivers power is what makes it special. It is not like the Audi's free-revving and very peppy mill and lacks BMW's strong top end , but has sufficient power for daily use and one would hardly feel the difference in power unless one drives all three cars one after the other.
The Mercedes' seven-speed gearbox also takes a fraction longer to react , but the gear shifts are smooth , though not as slick as DSG. The BMW , on the other hand , has a great ZF eight-speed transmission that'll compliments the powerful motor , squeezing every ounce of juice from it. The gear shifts are quick and precise. Although the engine can rev up to the red line , it is not as refined and smooth as the A6's. Inside the Audi , the driver is insulated from NVH – it hardly has any , comparatively speaking. The all-new 3.0 TDI has set a new benchmark in the segment. It feels happy to kiss the red line and is resilient even when pushed to the limit. We managed to take the car way past 200 km/h , yet there was no sign of strain whatever. The power-band is so well spread out that there is no sign of slack. It seems as comfortable crawling on the stop-start , chock-a-block City roads as on open highways. Its silk-smooth performance sets it in a class apart from the rivals.
Ride And Handling
This is one of the most interesting parts of this shootout. These German manufactures have blurred the distinctive traits they were known for until now. Take , for instance , the BMW. It has become softer. The Mercedes has moved towards the firmer side and the Audi lies somewhere in between. The A6 and 5-series feature adjustable air springs , while the E-Class features coil springs with variable dampers. One of the reasons for this sudden transformation is the tyre size. With time , BMW adapted to the Indian demands and , as I mentioned earlier , this car runs on 225/55 R17 rubber , like the Audi. This has improved the ride quality at low speeds and hardly feels like the older BMWs. When it gains momentum , though , a good amount of road bumps filter through the cabin , shaking up the car occupants and unsettling the car's composure. Having said that , the new electronically assisted steering of the Six is comparatively heavy and seems to offer the quickest response. It does give good feedback , but is not as responsive as the previous Five's.
The E-Class rides on low-profile tyres and , though not exactly unsettling , it is on the stiffer side , which is very unlike Mercedes. When you do the pedal-to-metal , the ride improves as the conventional frequency selective damper stiffens up to absorb the road irregularities , giving it an ideal high-speed ride quality. The steering is light and , like the car , feels a little laid-back and not as sharp as the Audi's.
The A6 has adjusted the 'Comfort' and 'Dynamic' modes perfectly to the T. With its dual personality the Audi can take low speed and rubber-smoking speed in its stride equally well. The 'Comfort' mode makes the ride quality a posh experience at low speeds and , when you feel like pushing the envelope , all it takes is a push of a button and you feel as if you are riding on rails. There is hardly any body-roll. It remains comfortable throughout. On the steering front , the A6 again takes the lead by perfectly balancing its sporty yet comfortable characteristics. The perfectly weighed steering has a quick response and offers surgeon-like precision.
Verdict
The BMW has a stunning engine , but lacks refinement or performance of the Audi. It has adapted to the Indian buyers' needs and has become softer than before , but still the ride quality remains harder than the Mercedes' and Audi's , because of the run-flat tyres which have harder side walls compared to normal tubeless tyres. It still does not offer a space-saver spare wheel and the overall design lacks zing.
While the Mercedes is about 100 kg heavier than the kerb weight of both the BMW and the Audi , the E-Class remains solidly built , evidenced by things like the thud made by its tank-like doors when they are shut. Though it has a poor fuel economy and does not involve the driver as much , it remains one of the plushest rides in the business. In the last couple of years the Mercedes has aged gracefully. It is not as swank as the Audi. The three-point star comes with a long heritage that guarantees admiration.
Priced at Rs. 47.26 lacs (ex-showroom , Delhi) the A6 made things easy for us by staying ahead in all the parameters. It is the fastest , its 3.0 TDI is quiet , velvet-smooth and free from any clatter or vibration that diesel motors are known for. Its LED lights are a segment first , while the ride quality and handing have taken things to the next level. Its adaptability makes it extremely driver-friendly. Stacked with technology , the interior is exceptionally well finished and has the right touch of sportiness. This offering from Ingolstadt has set a new benchmark in the luxury segment of cars and the competitors sure have some catching up to do.
Content courtesy:
Driving down the Pune-Mumbai expressway for the umpteenth time , i couldn’t help wondering if an invisible line separated a highway car from a City car. A car which is sturdy and steady at high speed and a car which carries the passengers through the city's hustle and bustle as if in a palanquin. But then , there are certain pre-requisites that a car must fulfil on both the highway and within the city – good looks , good fuel economy , ride quality and driveability. The question is whether car-makers keep One of these qualities as their object and develop their cars around it , making a compromise on the rest of the points , or whether they actually give equal importance to all these attributes and work towards a complete package. The answer is simple. Those who adopt the former approach limit their target audience and those who believe in the latter address their target audience in entirety.
After about four years of unchallenged supremacy in the mid-size petrol sedan segment , the Honda City has been challenged by another player , the new Ford Fiesta , which boasts of a 'funkier' styling , better interior and much improved drive quality. The challenge has been accepted and the result would be decided on the skills and performance shown by both the players.
Exterior And Interior
The new Ford Fiesta certainly looks like nothing the Indian market has seen before. The styling is very futuristic and would appeal to the young looking for a change from the usual swaying lines and long frames. Those petal-like stretched headlamps , body-coloured bumpers , a matte black front grille wearing the Ford emblem in the middle and trapezoid lower grille set within fog-lamps on both the sides – all these announce the arrival of the new Fiesta sedan straight from the international market. The design is the same as that of the Ford Fiesta super-mini globally , but with a small boot at the rear. Compared to the bejewelled front , the rear of the car looks rather simple , consisting of tail-lamps shaped like raised doe-eyes and a sharply curved arch to lift the boot. Fifteen-inch wheels fit the wheel-arches well and give the car a proportionate look.
The Honda City , on the other hand , comes with the tried and tested formula of a perfect mix of lines and edges that lend the car its sophisticated yet macho look. The basic theory that works in the longevity of a car’s design is 'minimalism'. The more simple and old-school , the better it is.
Open the door of the new Fiesta and you have a loaded dash waiting to be explored. The quality of the plastic and the fit-and-finish of the interior could have been better , though. Dual tone throughout the cabin with silver trims looks like a genuine attempt to add a sci-fi feel to the car’s cockpit , but the company seems to have gone a little overboard with it. The dash comprises a multimedia interface just above the a-c vents , with numerous buttons underneath to play with. The menu with its folder-within-a-folder setting demands a lot of driver’s attention and it is highly recommended not to fiddle around while on the move. Steering-mounted controls make surfing through radio channels and other such tasks easier and the car even boasts of being the only one in the segment with cruise control. A small cubbyhole under the air temperature controls does store away the tid-bits , but doesn’t lend itself to any major use. As a matter of fact , the storage space throughout the cabin feels inadequate , including that in the boot. The meter cluster just above the steering wheel is shaped like two eyes and looks magnificent at night. The Fiesta has ample leg room in the front and headroom at both the front and the rear , but the car suffers in knee-room at the rear. The hand-rest on the rear seats is rather awkwardly placed and feels too high for one to rest one's elbow.
Against this , the City might have a simpler cabin , but every inch of the cabin speaks of good quality and fit-and-finish. The car has the most basic features that one would expect , but the quality of the knobs and buttons is first-class. To match that , the car also has a very good seating area , with ample legroom for the rear seats and a cavernous boot.
Drive And Handling
Now is the time to see which of these two has more juice and is a mechanical marvel. The Ford Fiesta comes with a 1.5-litre Ti-VCT engine and promises to deliver a peak power of 110 PS at 6 , 045 RPM and a maximum torque of 140 Nm at 4 , 500 RPM. The Honda City , on the other hand , comes loaded with a 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine and delivers a peak power of 118 PS at 6 , 600 RPM and a maximum torque of 146 Nm at 4 , 600 RPM. The difference in the power and torque figures speaks for itself. What is surprising here is that despite achieving the maximum power and torque at comparatively lower RPM than the City , the Fiesta doesn't perform as well as its competitor.
Besides , the Fiesta is heavier by 21 kg , because of which the low power figure takes its toll on city driveability. Because of a weak low and mid range , the car demands frequent gear shifts. The 0-100 km/h acceleration test showed that the Fiesta lagged behind the City by about 1.5 seconds.
Nevertheless , the Fiesta scores on all counts in the handling department. Its steering is precise and sharp and its negligible body roll makes it go round corners with great confidence. The Fiesta’s stiff suspension shows its merits and demerits in one go. On the one hand , it gives the car a good handling and stability , but , on the other , the ride quality goes for a toss. The seats with their curled up sides offer comfort to the arms , too , and hand-rests are not missed much.
As for the City's handling and ride quality , its handling may not be as sharp as the Fiesta's and the car may feel to be a little on the soft side , but that doesn’t make it any less stable either. The softness rather makes it comfortable to drive within the city.
Fuel Economy
The Honda City's i-VTEC engine is surely more efficient than the Fiesta's. Delivering nine PS more than the rival and returning 17.7 km to a litre (against the Fiesta's 11.5 km) , the City creates a win-win situation for the driver in terms of both performance and fuel-efficiency. While gearing up for this big fight , I believe the first and foremost consideration for the company should have been making the engine efficient. With good fuel-efficiency , the battle is half won , especially in a market like India.
The Verdict
The battle has been a rather close one , but the verdict is clear. Priced at Rs 10.61 lakh (OTR , Pune) for the variant we drove (Titanium+) , the Fiesta is dearer by almost Rs 70 , 000 than the City and this doesn’t seem to work in its favour. The Fiesta may well be considered the second choice in the segment , but it doesn’t get to wear the crown. The car is sporty from the way it looks to the way it drives and is power-packed too , but not enough to dethrone the segment leader.
So the final word is that the new Ford Fiesta is a good car with nearly all the right ingredients , but pales in comparison with the Honda City. An engine tweak and a little more attention to the interior might tilt this balance in the future.
Content courtesy:
The C-Class is where most people begin their relationship with Mercedes-Benz. In India this is the most affordable and compact sedan on offer from the renowned company , making it the preferred car of most first-time seeker of the premium badge. It is difficult to express in words the emotions that One experiences sitting behind the three-pointed star. The company skilfully blends its 125 years of engineering expertise and some clever marketing to make the pleasure of owning and driving a Mercedes unique. So much so , that they have succeeded in making mundane jobs seem better and interesting.
As the Indian economy and spending power grows , more luxury car-makers are joining the bandwagon. Sighting the growing competition in the 'affordable' premium segment , Mercedes-Benz have given the C-Class a much-needed facelift along with a few essential engineering changes. According to the company's plan , the 2011 'C' has to keep the momentum going at least until 2013 , when an all-new C-Class will make its global appearance.
Thanks to our pals in Mercedes India we got a short spin in the new C-Class almost a month before its scheduled India launch and , in typical Car India fashion , we managed to squeeze out a complete road test. Although the German company has not officially released the technical specifications of the Indian version , here's what we observed during our short stint with the 'C'.
This is a mid-life cosmetic polish-up and not a complete make-over , so don't expect the car to grow in size , which is seen in most complete model changes. There's a new front bumper , which resembles the bigger E-Class around the snout and it also has a more prominent grille surround with the air intakes re-contoured. It loses the conventional fog-lamps , which are replaced with a set of snazzy new line of LED lights. The reshaped car is more blithe and the company claims a drag coefficient of just 0.26. The 2012 version gets a new treatment for the headlamps , which are longer and flared towards the ends , hinting at inspiration from the styling of the elder sibling , CLS. The lamps now come with Bi-xenon lights with LED turn indicators. The rear design gets a tweak as well and the tail-lights continue the LED bling.
The interior gets a thorough makeover and now has a hint of the E-Class. The dashboard looks more modern , sophisticated and a lot more appealing. The new texture feels great and the brush metal trims add to the sportiness. Sitting in the middle is a high-definition colour display similar to the 'E' and the music system switches are neatly stacked below it. The new steering loses a spoke , gets brush metal treatment and looks sportier. No pedal shifts on the steering , but you can nudge the gear stick to shift up or down. The front seats have electrically adjustable height , lumbar support and backrest and offer adequate bolstering. The rear seats , however , have a short squab , which limits under-thigh support , although the legroom and backrest angle are just about right. The infotainment system also doubles as a Sat-Nav system and can also connect to your phone using the Bluetooth. In spite of being right at the bottom of Mercedes-Benz's impressive line-up , the interior quality and overall finish is second to none.
The Mercedes C200 still sports the CGI or common-rail gasoline injection motor. It's turbo runs off the exhaust gas pressure from the engine and hence makes it more efficient than a mechanically driven supercharger. The motor still produces 188 PS of peak power and 285 Nm of torque , but is now mated with a smooth seven-speed G-TRONIC auto transmission , replacing the old five-speed unit. It constantly provides the optimum engine speed and virtually imperceptible gear changes. When changing down , the 7G-TRONIC delivers fast mid-range sprints by skipping individual gears. The CGI is a refined petrol mill , tuned to provide better fuel economy than just road ripping performance. The fuel economy has improved – driving on the highway it returned a decent 16 km per litre.
Adding pleasure to efficiency are a slew of BlueEFFICIENCY features that have been fine-tuned to minimise noise and vibration and to enhance your driving experience. Now that the C's kerb weight has gone up by 45 kg , it takes 9.42 seconds to get to 100 km/h , making it a fraction of a second slower than its predecessor and just about matches 0-120 km/h. In the standing kilometre sprint , however , the new car shaves off almost two seconds compared to the outgoing model.
Mercedes cars are always about refinement and the 'C' feels no less composed than before. There is always adequate performance at hand and a brisk unruffled drive is yours for sure. The steering holds its line competently with consistent feedback from the wheel , though it could have been more direct. The car we got was the top-of-the-line Avant Garde variant , equipped with 17-inch low-profile tyres (225/45 R17) , which did have an impact on ride comfort , although the soft suspension setting did manage to disguise most of it. Stability control is standard now in all Mercs and doesn’t grant you too much leeway , as compared to some of its competitors.
On the road what you get is a planted feel of the chassis , the quietness of the interior and a range of new equipment , creating a good first impression for buyers hunting for a sedan of this class. The new Mercedes C-Class continues to be a competent all-rounder and the sparkling star on the bonnet promises to deliver a feel-good factor for car enthusiasts in all age-groups. You are spoilt for choice , but you cannot go wrong with this car. UPDATED: The C200 CGI Avant Garde was launched on 7 September 2011 with price tag of Rs. 29 , 52 , 999 for 200 CGI Avantgarde and Rs. 26 , 53 , 000 for 220 CDI Avantgarde.
Content courtesy:
It is every automobile enthusiast's dream to visit the Ferrari factory in Italy and drive One of their cars at least once in the lifetime. The Ferrari brand possesses such magic that it brings out the child in you: i saw fellow journalists in their forties and fifties behave like little children in a candy shop when they visited the Ferrari brand shop!
Over the past 10 years I have had occasions to visit a number of car manufacturing plants all over the world. Most of them look similar. The Ferrari factory at Maranello , however , is a different ballgame altogether. To keep the climatic conditions uniform throughout the year they have greenery inside the machine shops with plants growing indoors. This is the first time I have seen something like this in all the manufacturing facilities that I have visited so far.
For me it was very fascinating to watch the cylinder head intake and exhaust ports being polished and gas being flowed for better breathing. The connecting rod and crankshaft were also polished to reduce oil drag. Such effort is put in only when you build a race engine. You hardly ever witness such love and passion in the regular engine assembly lines.
It is always a pleasure to drive a car like the Ferrari 458 Italia. However , it gets even better when you watch the car being put together from scratch. The 458 combines history and innovation with its V8 engine configuration and state-of-the art technology.
The dark red car that I got to drive had a red carbon-fibre interior , which looked drop-dead gorgeous. Once you turned the ignition key , the engine bursts into life and settles down to idling speed. The exhaust note at idling is like any other car's and you can potter about the town without being noticed.
Once you have adjusted your driving position and strapped yourself , you engage the drive by pushing a button on the centre console and pull the right paddle shifter to engage the first gear for the first time in your life. In our case the navigation system had been programmed to takes us into the mountains around Maranello. The drive through the town of Maranello was quite enjoyable. The Italia behaved like a pussy cat at low speeds. The steering was light and one did not have to wrestle with the steering wheel at low speeds. The ride quality was quite smooth; no bone-jarring or brain-rattling business here.
Once we crossed the City limits and hit the highway , the 458 began merrily cruising along at 60 km/h in the seventh gear. When I started using the power on tap , however , it metamorphosed from a pussy cat into a cheetah. The moment we started negotiating the mountainous section it came into its own and I began pushing the car more and more round the corners. The 458 now became an extension of my body , as it were. It would follow the line that my mind wanted it to take.
This car is so involving to drive that you become oblivious to the world outside. On the one hand is the fantastic handling and , on the other , its phenomenal power delivery and , finally , the music from the exhaust that takes you into a trance.
At one point , as I was doing in excess of 160 km/h , we flew over a big hump and the car became airborne for a while. The cameras kept on the floor hit the roof. When the 458 landed , however , it was none the worse for this little bit of adventure , nor did it lose its composure even by a fraction.
This is probably one of the best cars I have driven to date and definitely the most fun and involving car to drive.
Content courtesy: