Harmaan: So Bert, we’ve got the new Wagon R’s with us this month. Do you think it’s any funkier? I quite like the itsy bitsy chrome on the front grille, though I think the designers overdid the headlamps. Nice tush, though.
Bert: Sure it’s got more character than it did before; at least the gawkiness is gone.
Harmaan: Yes, and on the inside, I like the aluminium accents on the steering wheel in the VXi variant, available unfortunately on the petrol only model. The Duo, with the LPG kit, seems to skimp on some accessories, like power windows and a tachometer. Crucially, Maruti has offered airbags and ABS as optional, but I wonder why these acknowledged safety features have been omitted from the Duo’s options list?
Bert: Well, in the first place not many customers have shown interest in the safety aspect. The Indian consumer is still averse to personal safety. Cost effectiveness is still prime in his mind. The additional costs involved in equipping his car with essentials such as airbags or ABS just do not figure on his list of priorities.
But hey, safety is not a prerogative to price and I don’t see why someone who may not be able to afford it should not feel safer with these basic implements. Which is why Maruti is looking at introducing this as an option on other variants as well. After all it is just a fitment at the end of the day and hardly requires any structural changes to the car.
Harmaan: As far as the driving experience is concerned, I think the poor clutch gets a bit jerky, especially with the A/C on. And the gearbox is nothing to write home about either.
Bertrand: Not much work has gone into refining this box. It’s still the same and just as sticky. The ratios have been retained and the box ideally matches the torque curve. The jerkiness is by virtue of its light flywheel not being able to soak in all that power until spinning at optimum revs. However once on the move the stick moves into its gates with ease. Not as positive as I’d like it to be but nothing that makes me want to pull out my hair. And I have known some cars in my life that have made do that.
Harmaan: Maruti has persevered with the electric power steering system, and it’s great when in town, or while parking, but lacks feel at speed.
Bertrand: Yes, that is characteristic of many electric power steering systems. While the effort is negligible and makes for painless manoeuvring especially in the city amidst dense traffic, the flip side is the lack of feel. But then the steering works wonderfully for its purpose, which is best utilised in a city and not on the race track. In fact Maruti should have made the steering system speed sensitive, which would have enhanced the driving feel and given greater confidence while at higher speeds.
Harmaan: Ah, but the ride is extremely good for a car in its class, definitely better than anything from within Maruti’s stables, though maybe not as good as the Indica. But then, I’m sure most of our readers are already well acquainted with the Wagon R.
Bertrand: Definitely, the ride quality is one of the better aspects of this car. In fact I have seldom come across a small car that handles the rough with the smooth with so much finesse. I loved the well-planted feel when she is rolling across some rough roads.
more coming soon
new Wagon R and there is this old Wagon R - overdrive
Chevorlet Optra and Skoda Octavia comparison from Overdrive
You have to admit the Octavia has aged pretty well. Seven years since its launch in India (a decade internationally) and the Octavia has yet to run out of steam, so much so that when the latest generation Octi was launched in the country she had to get a new (and rather unfortunate) name (Laura) so as not to confuse buyers. Even today, with strong competition in the D-segment (Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic) the Octi continues to sell well and that, in the main, is down to the diesel engine under its hood.
With diesel Octis selling so well you have to wonder why other manufacturers have waited for so long before hitching their wagons on to the diesel bandwagon. Sure there was the Elantra but the Hyundai didn’t have half the image of the Octavia - something that’s so very important in this segment. And so, for seven years, Skoda has had the segment all to itself.
Not any more. General Motors (who, if you haven’t being paying attention, now sells more cars in India than Honda and Toyota ) has finally given the Optra a new lease of life by shoe-horning a 2-litre common-rail diesel engine, freshening up her nose and slapping on an enticing sticker price. On the face of it the package looks brilliant but is it enough to knock the Octi off her pedestal?
Design & Engineering:Traditionally handsome Octavia no match for the contemporary Optra
Astonishing, isn’t it, for a decade old design to look attractive today. But the Skoda manages just that - to look both classy and upmarket despite Octis roaming the city-side in hordes. Of course with so many of them around no longer will you get noticed when you pull up in an Octi; that job is best left to the Optra Magnum.
The Optra, styled by Pininfarina, was always a handsome car. With the new nose borrowed from the SR-V hatch (with the addition of the bold, aggressive bow-tie grille) she gains a more contemporary air and of course visual differentiation her from her older cousin. Viewed in isolation the teardrop headlamps don’t seem to gel with the angular tail lamps and chiselled muscular flanks but on the road it all works well making for a stylish, upmarket ride to arrive at the club in.
From the inside too the Chevy’s in a league of its own. The swoopy two-tone dash with its fake wood inserts, chrome rings round the air-con vents and beige leather upholstery is a livelier and more pleasant place to spend time in compared to the Octavia’s sombre black. Of course the latter feels better built, like a tank even, but if we’re being honest, the cabin is too dull, the seats too hard, the controls too heavy, the rear seat back too upright and space (head and knee room at the rear) at too much of a premium.
In contrast the Optra’s cabin is so comfortable you could spend days in it. The seats are plush without being too soft, rear passengers are treated to great ergonomics and ample head, knee and shoulder room and you’ll immediately notice that there is a plethora of nooks and crannies to throw knick, knack and mobiles into. On practicality and comfort it’s a no-contest.
Engines & Performance:Optra simply astonishes with her pace
Crank up the Octavia and its 1.9-litre direct injection 8-valve diesel engine shudders into life, settling into a noisy rattle at idle. Once warmed up the old-school engine pipes down considerably but...
more coming soon...
Splendour doesnt look like splendour anymore!
This could have been big news. It would have streaked at light speed around the Earth and all the great motorcycling nations of the world would have sat up and listened. The incredulous reaction would have poured in from around the planet, ‘I can’t believe Hero Honda stopped the beloved old Splendor... I’ll miss the black stripe... Why?’ etc. Fortunately, all of that is conjecture.
The standard press conference question, ‘Will this model replace the old Splendor?’ (other examples include, what is the price?; R&D expenditure; sales targets; when is it available...). Sorry about that, Hero Honda clarified that the old Splendor would carry on and the NXG would wear Splendor badging, some new clothes, the new motor from the CD-Deluxe and as an option, alloy wheels.
We got to ride the Super Duper Splendor ++, er... NXG at the Hero Honda Safety School in Gurgaon where we also rode the CBZ X-Treme. On a Splendor, the school’s fairly small network of roads seemed more to scale and truth be told, I enjoyed the morning spent in the saddle. The NXG feels very light, and requires very little effort to get stuff done. The drum brake up front looks like a bit of an anachronism now, but works as advertised. The 5-spoke alloy wheels weigh the same as the spoked version and cost only Rs 1,000 more, which make them a great incremental upgrade.
The motor feels at ease, refined and certainly has good bottom end torque. I could roll back on the throttle in top gear at as low as 13 kph and it struggled but wouldn’t stall. The bottom bulge does reflect in the weaker top end, and the NXG begins to run out of breath as soon as you’re past 70 kph. But given that its primary customer will probably ride at about 40-50 kph at best, the bike feels quiet, sorted and yes, very much like a slightly updated new Splendor. Wearing a good tubular double cradle and 2.75-18 MRF tyres at both ends (What? No Mystery or Magic?), the Splendor feels — like the Super Splendor or the Glamour — capable, but neutral to hard cornering antics. Ride quality is great over sharp bumps and decent in general too.
The new body panels are quite neat, the tank looks a little Caliber-ish from some angles, but the knee recesses are nice. I wonder why HH didn’t go the whole hog and give it a flush fitted gas tank cap, though. The sidepanel works better on the NXG with the dark mass of the lockable black compartments under the tank too. Oh and the NXG has an aluminium grab rail.
Having buzzed about for a good morning’s worth, the impression I got was the Splendor NXG was a very clever product. It carried forward all of the best parts of the Splendor, and still managed to feel fresh and renewed, which is what Hero Honda were aiming to do with the NXG. Well, they’ve done it. I believe HH could have replaced the old Splendor with the NXG in one fell swoop, but as they say, it ain’t broke...
source:BSM
Renault Logan - Diesel too !
Sure, the company went on to develop the Scorpio, a more modern SUV than what they were making till then. The Scorpio's runaway success should have made Anand Mahindra think that they could get on with a proper passenger car project on their own. Instead, he decided to tie the knot with Renault two years ago. And for good reason too. Building a modern, monocoque passenger vehicle was Mahindra's strength and the company and its vendors needed to learn the art.
It needed huge investments to put up a new, different kind of factory, and more importantly, there was no time to waste on developing an all-new car from scratch. Renault had already developed the Logan, a car that was conceived as a low-cost yet contemporary automotive package for developing markets. It started its life as a Dacia in Romania (a subsidiary of Renault) where it was a huge success, and even spoilt west Europeans liked the idea of a no-frills yet no-nonsense automobile. Though it was developed as a 5,000-euro car, it retails at around 6,500 euros in various European markets today.
So why should Renault offer the Logan to Mahindra? Simple, the French giant could not ignore the Indian market for long and they wanted to learn – with an Indian partner preferably – the skills that are required to build affordable cars in a sustained manner. The current joint venture for building the Logan is for just 50,000 cars, and it may or may not get extended. Perhaps Mahindra will continue to build the Logan and pay Renault a royalty for some time. In the meanwhile, the Renault-Nissan combine will have its own car plant and new small car projects on stream. As for Mahindra, they would have a smooth entry into the passenger car market with a car that is 'right' from day one and they can build on this strength and make more passenger car models in the future.
Palio Stile - whats FIAT thinking?
Eight years ago, India was at the threshold of another war with its western neighbours. Men, weapons and shells flew on either side. Our IT guys were too busy trying to fix the Y2K problem, with doomsayers predicting another meteorite shower just over earth. While people lost their lives and their sleep, Fiat India woke up from their slumber, dumped the Magneti Marelli carbs for Mikunis in the Fiat Uno and missed the opportunity of placing a bigger, 1108cc carburetted FIRE engine built by Fiat South Africa. Eight years later, Fiat India is back on another resurrection platform and seem hell bent on improving on their past mistakes. And their new ally is that same 1108cc engine they should have put in the Uno in 1999 in the first place.
The Palio, one of the cars from Fiat's much-vaunted A178 world platform, has spent more than five years on Indian roads since its mega launch in September 2001. Its most successful variant, the 1.2 had earned its fair share of bouquets, brickbats and sobriquets. So much so, that Fiat even did a 'neighbour's NV, owners pride' number. Neither worked and in 2006 when Fiat tied up with Tata to retrieve its diving fortunes, the Palio was the first to go to the smithy.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Fiat Palio Stile 1.1, Fiat India's great hope for 2007 till the Grande Punto and Linea debut next year. And if you were to gaze at the spec sheet, you might feel a tad disappointed. The 1242cc, 72 bhp 8-valve engine has been replaced by a 1108cc, 56 bhp 8-valver. Torque is now rated at 9.2 kgm versus 10.4 kgm for the outgoing Palio 1.2. Doesn't look good, does it now? But maybe you are jumping the gun. Kerb weight is down by 25 kg, price is down by nearly Rs 50,000 and fuel costs should be down by a further 500 bucks fuel tank-to-fuel tank if you have a lead foot. Now are you interested? Maybe a rev-limit that goes all the way up to 7100 rpm might add sparkle to your eyes, but don't fret, peak power comes in at 5250 rpm, making the 1850 additional rpm not reason enough to stop eyeing that used Type-II Honda City VTEC.
Slot the car into first and the same ol' Palio gearshift quality can be nearly enjoyed. It may be a tad notchier than the 1.2's, but I'm quite ok with it, considering I have lived with some rather forgettable ones from a couple of other manufacturers. Don't expect to ride on a torque wave of sorts, 'cause despite the fact the full force of it arrives at 2750 rpm, you still need to cane that engine to be going anywhere. Mid-range though is decent with enough power to keep you moving with the traffic. Unlike the 1.2, the 1.1 has considerably altered the character of the car, quite like the slotting of the diesel engine in a Swift has done to its character. It does behave a lot like pre multi-injection days, but if you do enjoy an engine that begs to be caught by its throat and has controls that are on the heavier side, you should be happy with the net result.
Once you are done checking maximum speeds through the gears (1st does 45 kph, 2nd 84 kph and I saw 110 kph in 3rd before I ran out of road, a cliche ), head for a corner. I'm not sure why Fiat has allowed the car to pitch a lot. As soon as you downshift and start building momentum as you exit, the lateral movement is a fair bit. So much so that the spring and wheel arch must be enjoying the game of shadow boxing. If that's disconcerting, the AC blower noise might probably beat it to the top slot. It's quite noisy at settings three and four. Also it cuts in a little too early when you stop for a signal, but its ability to cool can't be faulted. There is though a perceptible strain on the engine during idling and even a tendency of the AC to get caught in an air-lock as our test car whistled away a couple of times at traffic signals.
The interiors are still the same, but with some changes to the trim and colours. The centre-console and AC louvers have a steel finish that could be best avoided, the lower half of the dashboard is in beige (some inspiration from the Xeta, perhaps) while the steering boss has a slightly off-white shade to it. While overall fit is fine, finish has much to be desired with sharp edges around the instrument binnacle. Space is still one of the Palio's strong selling points with the ride still as good as ever, beating even some new C-segment cars to the podium.
The Palio was one of the best looking hatchbacks in its segment and just about manages to stay in the top echelons. The new headlamp design, which looks as if it's been lifted from a BMW or Volkswagen, merges with a chrome grille. The blend is nice, but sort of robs away some character that the erstwhile Palio exhibited in sackfuls. The new tail-lamp cluster too loses the artistic effect of its predecessor, being more utilitarian than a work of art.
At the end of it all, I'm not sure, whether waiting for eight years was the brightest idea since the invention of the wheel. Back then, the Uno with 55 bhp would have been a good idea and could even have made life hell for the carb Zen. But today, if a city commuter with loads of space, good ride quality, a company claimed average of 15.5 kpl and a price tag that starts at just under Rs 3.5 lakh, ex-showroom Mumbai is all you desire, maybe giving the Palio a second chance is not a bad idea after all.
source: BSM
Bajaj vs TVS - was this that bike?
You’ve already read reams about the big fight in the Indian motorcycle world. So we’re going to skip that and talk about the motorcycle that fuelled this flame, er... fire, instead. With the Victor GLX sales curves dipping like a stricken fighter jet, TVS bosses asked their designers for something new. A motorcycle that could match their flagship Apache for looks and sweep the competition and potential customers off their feet. It still had to satisfy the utilitarian needs – fuel economy, convenience and performance.
TVS unveiled the Flame on August 31, 2007. The new 125cc motorcycle looked really good from the word go. One of the best looking motorcycles in India, the Flame sports a lot of international design cues. TVS’ designers clearly thought outside the standard template that is applied to most motorcycles in the segment. The KTM Super Duke-ish mini-fairing, the Suzuki GSX-R1000-style triangular exhaust lead the list of bells and whistles which include a digital speedometer, alloy wheels, a front disc and an electric starter, most of which are becoming the industory norm now. The Flame also sports a neat lockable, water-bottle-sized cubby hole ahead of the tank, which will prove really useful in daily use. The plastic tank adornments incorporate the indicators and complete the look, but they have their own utility value too. They give TVS innumerable styling options when upgrading this motorcycle without any new tooling costs.
TVS turned to AVL to help design the new 125cc engine and improved age-old swirl port technology by incorporating TVS’ variable ignition technology (VTi) and designed a new three-valve engine head that houses two spark plugs. The engine, dubbed CCVTi, was powerful, efficient and it also almost landed TVS in a law suit with Bajaj. TVS threatened to sue for libel.
Now, after the dust has settled a bit, TVS maintains their innocence and Bajaj will consider moving courts once the Flame is launched. Bajaj also launched their new 125cc entry level motorcycle the, XCD, ten days later. Although it isn’t a direct competitor of the Flame, what remains is to be seen is how the two newest 125cc bikes in the Indian market will settle into the pie.
TVS’s new 125cc 4-speeder offers 10.5 bhp at 8250 rpm with 0.98 kgm at 6,250 rpm of torque and is an eager motorcycle. The gearbox clicks positively as well but it’s a shame that they didn’t have a 5-speed gearbox on offer. With adequate low-end grunt and a near-the-front top speed (110 kph approx), the Flame could be leading the 125cc segment performance charts. The gas filled shocks effectively absorbed the few bumps on the track while showing great handling prowess.
TVS said that the Flame, which is in its final stages of development, will be launched in the next three months, which means the manufacturer will (once again) miss the festive season sales spurt. Although TVS hasn’t given us an indication of the pricing, we expect the Flame to be on par with other motorcycles in the executive commuter segment.
Pulsar 180 DTSi - new Baby
The motorcycle has been christened ‘The Phantom’ by fans all over the internet – pure anthropomorphism. The new head lamp is flanked by very obvious narrow-eye pilot lamps. And the pilots are separated from the big one by matte-ish black plastic, which gives it the effect of Walker’s mask. The headlamp is in a fairing that is mounted lower than the older one, making the bike look lower and sleeker. Tank aside, all the panels are brand new. The SV1000-ish tail piece looks very sleek and has twin vertical LED tail lamps. The new side panel has a new vent and more angular lines. Both are shared with the DTS-Fi, which is likely to go on sale in early December.
At the greasy end, the bike wears a slick new clutch with a very progressive, light action and it offers positive and light gear shifts, thanks to a revamped shifting mechanism. Incidentally, these two changes have also been added to the current Pulsar 150 (as in it looks the same as the ‘normal’ Pulsar). To return to the 180, the gearing is unchanged, but the engine has new cam timings, a new airbox and re-tuned exhausTEC to pump up the midrange without affecting the torque and power peaks. This makes the bike feel light and effortless on the move. Riding at the track, fast progress was easy and it felt like I was doing much less work than on the last 180 I rode there. The motor also sounds quieter and more refined than the previous one, and incorporates an oil-level window and yes, is still in gorgeous matte black.
Apart from the panels and the name, the 180 also gets DTS-Fi goodies. This includes the LCD speedo/analog tacho dash. You get an accurate, easy to read digital speedo, overrev/low fuel light, bright idiot lights, two trips and a digital fuel gauge. It also gets clear, self-cancelling indicators. Plus there are contact-less backlit switches and in a Pulsar first, an engine kill switch as well. All this goodness comes wrapped in the old price tag, which means the new 180 is going to be excellent value for your money.
From the saddle, the Pulsar feels low and you feel like you’re sitting really tall. It feels odd until you get used to it. Then you can get on with blasting away with the new midrange. Like all the 180s, this one is fast, but since power comes in early and stays till the overrev light begins to flash, gear changes aren’t always needed to make quick overtakes. All you do is roll the ultra-light , still very crisp (the DTS-Fi feels even crisper) throttle on and shoot forward.
I found the new 180 to be less work, especially when hustling along, than the previous generations, as in I did not have to worry too much about which gear I was in and stuff like that. Corners, that should have been strictly second gear, could be taken in third, or even fourth without too much difference in overall progress. In traffic, you’re likely to run a gear higher and end up saving a bit of fuel in the process. Handling remains stable and thrilling, and the brakes are excellent as usual.
The new Pulsar 180 DTSi is on sale (yes, they just slipped it into showrooms), and as we’ve said, comes feature packed for the old price (roughly Rs 64,500 on-road Mumbai). The orange one is listed as a (no cost) limited edition, and the other colours continue.
Bajaj is likely to launch the 223cc fuel-injected Pulsar DTS-Fi at the end of November, but won’t say anything about when the updated Pulsar 150 can be expected.
0 to 100 in 9.8 secs ...all that in diesel !
Deserted highway. Daybreak. The cool night inhabits our eyelids still, but is fading. Wafting, utterly isolated from the romance, at 120-odd kph, is our metal cocoon. The freshly minted daylight flutters loudly behind it like an unsecured tarp. But the indulgent smile I’m about to allow myself vaporises when I realise that the speedo needle disagrees. It points obstinately at 184 kph and it’s still climbing. Now, I’ve ridden and driven a lot faster before so I know what 184 should feel like. The horizon should feel like a viable destination, my vision should narrow so the old porridge in the cranium can process the info and it should not feel this serene. But the Optra Magnum pays no heed. As long as I have the rightmost pedal buried, the needle continues to climb. How much more of this can it take?
The question is answered, and only because the road runs out. I lose my nerve and the space I need to carry on like this at 191 kph. From the inside, it certainly feels like if I buried the throttle pedal permanently, the speedo needle would go all the way round, snap the arrestor pin at the end in half and just keep on going. Until it reaches zero again.
In the passenger seat with me is Rohin Nagrani, who has been twitching a little more violently with every 10 extra kph that passes under the needle. When we finally roll to a stop, he reboots, starts breathing again, his eyes refocus and he says, ‘My word!’ Or at least that’s what I make of his short, abrupt, fairly excited exclamation.But he should have known. Ditto I. The new Optra Magnum is no nose job. Under the hood is a 1991cc motor which bristles with 118.8 bhp, and more importantly 32 kgm. Let me put that in perspective. 32 is roughly 8 kgm (only) less than, let’s see, the BMW 525D or the Volvo S80/XC90 and about the same as a Mercedes-Benz C220CDI. Whoa! So when you roll off from standstill, the poor front wheels start spinning wildly. Even after you’ve lifted off in sympathy, there’s enough torque on the trailing throttle for the darn things to keep screaming for a while longer. Welcome, for the umpteenth time, to the new diesel age. Just to get the four-letter word out of the way, GM calls theirs TCDi – we’ve also driven CRDi, CRDe, TDCi and iTDC. Okay that last one is not a diesel engine, but a tourism promotion department of the guv’mint, but you get the drift. Rohin, as usual, has all the jargon in the right order.
‘Basically, it’s a two litre common rail developed by GM-DAT. It is their first diesel engine [which makes it a very impressive effort]. This engine is also likely to power the Captiva SUV, but with a few more horses in the corral and a variable geometry turbo. It retains four-valve sohc format and uses common-rail diesel technology to great effect.’ The engine is impressive and its bulging muscles are almost a byword. You almost expect to see the bonnet skin ripple like a well-tuned forearm would when you lay into the loud pedal.
It isn’t perfect though. When the needle plumbs under 2000 rpm, the car feels like it’s waiting... for the needle to be bounced back above two-grand, so the action can restart. The sweet spot is 2200 to about 3700 rpm where the performance begins to tail off progressively. If you like mechanical noise, you can visit the twilight zone just under the 4500 rpm redline whenever you like. In traffic, the gearing seems to fit. I can’t remember anything about the in-traffic stint, so the car must have behaved itself very well, indeed.
I do remember that it absolute smokes everything off the line when the big shiny thing turns green. 60 kph comes in 5.06 seconds, which is faster than the Octavia by 0.6 seconds approximately. 100 kph comes up in 9.84 seconds, which is a significant three and a half seconds faster than the Octavia. In gear acceleration is good too. Both the usual standards, 80-120 kph and 100-140 kph can be smoothly hammered in one gear – third and fourth respectively – without any hitches.
The five-speed gearbox is almost sporty. The biggest change is the normal dog-leg reverse gear slot, as opposed to the earlier collared, next to first, slot. The shift feel is much better, it slots nicely but full-bore, all-out acceleration messes with the first to second shift – which, Rohin tells me is a very Daewoo trait. However, the rest of car is a different story.
The reason why visual 120 equals actual 180 is the isolation that the Optra Magnum excels at. Like the petrol sibling, the Optra is very Merc-like on this count and you are properly removed from your surroundings. GM’s first diesel sedan since the Astra has a well-weighted steering wheel that returns monosyllabic feedback; the suspension and chassis more or less speak that halting dialect as well. Which prompts me to classify the Magnum as a driver’s car (as in chauffeur) – which is not a bad thing at all in many, many books.
The ride is of a familiar, deliberate, indestructible-feeling quality that many will appreciate. It makes the car feel large, heavy and also plush. It also thwarts any attempts you make to listen to the contact patches. Braking, similarly, is sure, strong and quick. But it also involves a bit of guesswork. Every time I used the brakes hard, my attempts at fine-tuned modulation invariably involved listening intently for sounds of lock-up. Or ABS coming on and saving my skin. As you can probably guess, the solid chassis package’s handling traits are also damped a bit by the same phenomenon. Corner speeds have to be reined
in until you have spent enough time to gather experience
and hindsight.
But to be completely fair, this isn’t new information. The petrol Optra was similar and was never going to be singled out as an enthusiast driver’s ride. So, I firmly belted Rohin into the driver’s seat and took up position in the rear seat for a while. I instantly folded into the standard busy executive ergonomic position (no I didn’t fold the front passenger seat-back on to the dash). With crossed legs, a pretend laptop sat on top, and an appropriate frown of concentration, the Optra becomes a potentially 190 kph office. The rear seat feels spacious and comfortable, and Rohin’s attempts at lane changes failed to dislodge the pretend laptop, which is great unless you’ve been whinging at the office for the replacement of your aging motherbrick.
Let’s take a look around the insides. Thankfully, the A-pillars are regular, slim units so the car does not suffer SX4-style continent-hiding blind spots. Our test car was the top-spec LT, so both front seats get airbags, leather interiors (steering, seats and all), a pretty likeable Alpine music system (upgrade speakers for near-audiophile sound though) and alloy wheels. The main key has buttons to lock, unlock and spring the boot open (the other one doesn’t, which strikes me as a bit odd, but what do I know). The aircon is not the automatic variety but twiddle the knobs and Siberia arrives pretty quickly.
If you were to use the driver’s seat – and there is no reason why you should not – remember to lean hard on the throttle pedal to have a laugh. Okay, seriously, if you are driving, you should find the front seats pretty comfortable over long distances. GM have taken care that the diesel motor does not make the Magnum nose-heavy, although we suspect that the heavier motor is one of the factors that robs the steering of feel.
I do have a bone to pick, though. As you can see from the pictures, the Optra Magnum wears the SR-Vs nose. But, while the SR-V Sport package, for instance, looks rather fetching, the Magnum looks just okay. The askew number plate mounting on our test car messes up the front-end a little in the pics, but the curved headlamps are, in fact, at a slight odds with the rest of the angular, masculine looking car. Our test LT trim variant costs Rs 11.67 lakh on-road in Mumbai. That’s roughly Rs 1.3 lakh less than the cheapest Octavia you can buy. However, to equate trim levels between the Octie and the Magnum, you would need another Rs 2.7 lakhs. In my world that is a whopping load of cash. Whoa!
Two moons have passed since I first shattered a morning with this car and it’s grown on me. Driving in traffic, I don’t really miss the feedback. I enjoy my sybaritic isolation, and every time the road opens up, a long hard lungful for the engine is enough to dissipate any lingering doubt. The new Chevrolet Optra Magnum is an interesting buying proposition. It makes great sense in value terms and has a diesel engine that’ll take your breath away. It won’t give you the ultimate handing rush, but after you spend some time inside, you will get used to that. What you won’t get used to is the sheer speed it gathers when you allow it to
Fastest Bike in India from India - Bajaj Pulsar DTS FI 220
Some people are upset about how long it has taken Bajaj to get the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi off the AutoExpo'06 showstand and into showrooms – a bit more than a full year. Regular sales are expected to begin next month. We haven't seen a launch like this before, with so much speculation, excitement and lots of information preceding the launch. Enthusiasts (and indeed, the competition) knew a fair bit of what was coming and this fuelled the anticipation of one of the most important motorbike launches in India recently.
There are a number of reasons why the 220 is such a fulcrum. First, the market. With margins under pressure and competition rising, the segment in focus is the premium segment – one which Bajaj has more or less 'owned' since they launched the first Pulsar years ago. It is where bike makers can make half decent per-unit margins and inasmuch, the sales 'subsidise' more price-competitive segment sales to some degree. Second, the premium bikes have (admittedly on a smaller base) grown at a pace that far outstrips the sales of entry/executive commuters. This is where the action is.
Third, most bike makers realise that we are ready to hop, skip and jump up the pecking order. What remains to be seen are the actual volumes. The flop that was the BMW Funduro and the long but ultimately futile attempt to launch the Yamaha Drag Star are signs of scared MBAs out there who won't nod 'Yes' to big bikes,
unless they see precedents.
The 220 should set that precedent. Enthusiasts already know the impressive spec list by heart. There is lots of new technology on the bike, including fuel injection, tubeless tyres, projector headlamps, LED tail lamps etc, each with a clear benefit and application. Despite which, Bajaj have pulled out a rabbit-from-a-hat price tag. All that costs only Rs 83,595 on-road Pune.
we road tested the bike, and it is no less impressive in the flesh. We aren't sure that making all Pulsars look so similar is such a great idea, but the 220 does have presence. The 220cc motor is good for 20.5 bhp – it destroys all previous 0-100 kph and top speed times for bikes. But making a bigger motor go faster is easy. What is really great is the 220's dynamic ability. Despite being a fair bit longer than the smaller Pulsars, the 220 is very quick and confident in corners, and most bikes in India would find it hard to keep up. That it rides very well over broken roads and brakes with great composure is a bonus. What we're saying is that on the whole – product, packaging and pricing – Bajaj have more or less hit the nail square on the head. I wouldn't be surprised at all if there aren't enough 220s to go around. Rs 90,000 has a way of disappearing when broken up into EMIs.
If this happens, it will send the right signals to other marques. The Hero Honda Karizma, already rumoured to be in for upgrades, will feel the brunt of the heat. Its displacement and price put it directly in the 220s crosshairs and in its current spec, it will find the road uphill. Unexpected 220 sales volumes will also push companies like Honda and Yamaha, who in product range terms are at the cusp of entering the premium segment with competitive motorcycles. Rumours are rife that Yamaha have a 220-sized product in the final stages. Even if untrue, it's a good rumour. If I were Yamaha, that's what I'd be doing.
The Bajaj 220, in essence, is opening a door to higher displacements to the average Indian motorcycle enthusiast. Bajaj have already stated on record that they have a larger displacement platform in development. We expect a 300 or 400cc single around September 2008 to be the first product from that platform. Other manufacturers, including the three Japanese marques, are also looking for ways to directly import bigger capacity motorcycles to India shortly. Like we said, this is where the action is.
Hero Honda CBZ X-Treme
From the time the tricolour bike was shown at the Auto Expo to the time when it finally breathed its last, the Hero Honda CBZ was an icon. Not only did it polarise opinion, it (re-)introduced us to what a bigger capacity commuter with sporty intent could be like. And now, the CBZ name is back, in X-Treme guise.
The talking point, undoubtedly, is going to be the looks. Hero Honda (and by extension Honda) have finally got alloys on a 150, which could mean the beginning of the end of spoked wheels on their line-ups (hey, one can hope, right?).
The CBZX gets 18-inch Karizma alloys in black as well as identical tyres. But while the blacked out bottom looks contemporary, the styling package is a formal tux, in pink. The CBZX, unlike its predecessor, looks a bit awkward, especially front-on. It is substantial, mind you and feels it, but you do have to get past the bulging front indicators and the disproportionate pilot lamp. The seat is a cross between a motocrosser's up to the filler cap type and a sportsbike's stepped unit, but looks aside, it felt firm and comfortable.
Leading from the rear are the LED tail lamps, which Hero Honda claims are an India first. Not. The Pulsar 180 was on sale first, fair and square. However, it has successfully beaten Bajaj to the split grab rail.
Congratulations to all appropriate parties, I think. And finally, we have non-metallic bright colours on our bikes, hallelujah! The CBZX looks shattering in the flat, almost molten orange. Wonder how good it would have been had it been pretty.
Hero Honda CBZ X-TremeThe instrument console is a step forward too. The brushed metal finish looks classy. The large speedo, smaller tacho, fuel gauge and lights are a complete set, it's clear, easy to read and complete. Among the other details, I love the dinky new brake pedal. It has a little toe guard for my big toe and a smart, all-chrome tab to press down on.
But fortunately, I discovered that my apprehension on the styling front is evened out by the rest of the package. The blacked-out motor (black is the new purple?) looks very much like the Unicorn's and externally only a couple of the covers have different detailing.
Like the Unicorn, the 149.2cc engine's bottom and middle bulge like a gravity-afflicted gourmet's belly. Which, for the CBZX at least, is a great thing. But once revs rise, I thought the top-end rush was good, but not on par with the CBZX's brimming over low/mid grunt. And while the Unicorn shares these traits, the CBZX felt significantly more powerful. While Hero Honda have not tweaked the Achiever-spec motor in basic configuration (bore, stroke, compression are identical), power rises to 14.2 bhp (first 150 to make more than 14 bhp, then), in the process moving the power and torque peaks up the rev range by a bit. But, while all this was going on, the CBZX has also gained about six kg over the competition. Not that you'd notice it – open the throttle from idle, in as high as third gear, and the CBZX leaps forward like someone poked it in the hind with a fairly pointed stick. This also means easy wheelies, easy overtakes and low-rev, high-economy commuting.
Surprisingly, some of the preview bikes had spongy discs. I'm sure it won't be the case with the on-sale models, the discs are the usual 240 mm jobs that all our bikes seem to have, so there isn't any model-specific reason for the sponginess.
The Hero Honda CBZX is quite likeable once you get past the styling. It's just that the visuals aren't come-hither, something all of us were expecting thanks to the CBZ badge. That apart, you have a very competent, torquey motorcycle, built well, with a good brand name on the cover. At Rs 56,500 ex-Delhi, the CBZX is one grand more expensive than the Bajaj Pulsar 150. Can the CBZX directly challenge the market leader? Styling apart, it seems to have the goods.
New AVEO
The Aveo saloon is over a year old in the Indian market but, sadly for Chevrolet, not too many people seem to be going for it. So the company has now decided to give the car its first minor makeover.
The Aveo now gets refreshed interiors, with chrome lining on the air con vents and gauges. The company also claims that the new car will have an improved gearshift, enhanced throttle response for better acceleration and an improved cabin that will be better insulated from noise, vibration and harshness for its occupants.
There’s also an all-new ice blue colour, which was first seen on the Optra a few months ago. These additions will be available on all three variants of the car.
Also in a bid to change its current image of a manufacturer of high-maintenance cars, the company has announced its ‘Chevrolet Promise’ scheme.
Under this scheme, the company will take care of routine running costs, including oil and filters changed at regular service intervals for three years or 45,000km (whichever is earlier). Buyers can pay for this scheme at the time of buying the car or through EMIs.
The ‘Promise’ scheme prices vary according to car. It costs Rs 12,999 for the Spark, Rs 14,999 for the Aveo U-VA, Rs 15,999 for the Aveo, Rs 17,999 for the Optra Magnum (petrol) and Rs 26,999 for the Optra Magnum (diesel).
source; autocar
The new Ford Endeavour
As far as Indian SUVs go, there’s nothing to beat the Ford Endeavour in terms of sheer size and road presence. And with an ex-showroom price of a little over Rs 13 lakh at launch, there was plenty of SUV for your money.
Since its launch in 2003, some 7,000 Endeavours have left pothole-sized marks on Indian roads, crossed ravines, forged states and even made their impression on parliamentarians.
But they all had a common complaint. The turbocharged diesel engine with 115 bhp was just a tad underpowered and the handling was too much in the league of a large American SUV.
So, all Ford had to do was tweak the existing package and make the Endeavour more acceptable to a wider buying audience. Easier said than done, as they went about changing 75 per cent of the parts in true Ford fashion. It still somewhat looks the same, but the changes are more than just a cosmetic facelift. Yes, the new Ford Endeavour is out.
The erstwhile Endeavour was a chrome celebration with the shiny finish on every third panel. This one has lost some of it to make way for a cleaner design. Gone is also the side-cladding that gave it some butch appeal. New headlamps surround a deeper front-grille that is still wrapped in chrome. Other changes include new tail-lamps and 16-inch wheels, but they don’t appear too different. On, the inside though, the tale is slightly different. There is an all-new dashboard with wider air-vents, a newly designed centre-console and instrument binnacle and a 6-CD MP3 player.
The centre-console gets a silver-garnish, while the limited edition adds wood panelling and beige trim as well. The space on the inside is still the same even though there have been changes to the seat design. So expect to continue sitting with your knee caps facing skywards at the rear.
Where the Endeavour really relishes the sight of the sky is in crossing mountains and mounds with relative ease. Never balking at the thought, the new Endeavour continues the tradition but with added power and torque. Producing 141.5 bhp, the new Endeavour utilises its proprietary common-rail technology TDCi to cure its underpower malaise. Torque is up too, with 33 kgm available from as low as 1800 rpm. Ford claims that the torque curve stays quite flat for another 1200 rpm, which in theory should make it quite driveable as well. Ford have also made changes to the suspension settings and made the chassis stiffer to improve handling while adding dual-stage airbags and ABS for safety.
This though hasn’t stopped Ford from increasing the price for all the added bells and whistles. With prices starting at Rs 15.44 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai) for the 4x2, the new Endeavour is Rs 60,000 to Rs 1 lakh dearer. The Endeavour’s closest competitors —the Hyundai Tucson and Mitsubishi Pajero — are priced higher. While an increase in price was always expected, the new Endeavour still remains the most affordable amongst premium diesel SUVs.
City or Fiesta? economy ?
Source: BSmotoring
Petrol car buyers tend to stay away from diesels the way strict vegetarians would react when offered a steak. For them, it wouldn't make a difference whether it is well done or rare – they are not going to touch it in any case. But what if the diesel option is from the current common-rail fed, stretch-the-litre, save-the-planet brigade? Well, petrol followers may take a test drive, but that is about it, right? Not so, as Ford India found out after the recent fuel price hikes.
The Ford Fiesta TDCi is converting ardent petrol car owners like never before. And to add oil to the fire, Ford recently made a quick price correction at the dealer level, and bingo!, the Fiesta 1.4 Exi TDCi is now bumper to bumper with the base model Honda City Exi. In Mumbai, both cars can be yours for roughly Rs 7.5 lakh on-road. Brilliant, isn't it? So which one would you choose, a super refined, recently facelifted City or the brand new Ford that's the talk of the town? Time to take a closer look.
The lines
The Honda is as futuristic as the Fiesta is traditional. From what we have heard, not many people spend money on 'I Love My Honda' stickers in India. That means the quintessential booted car that the Fiesta represents has an advantage. The City is put together in a meticulous fashion with narrow shutlines and beautifully aligned plastic-metal interfaces. The Fiesta exudes European solidity from the blue oval to the blue oval. I personally prefer the sci-fi Honda looks but I know a lot of people who would buy the Fiesta because it looks 'right'. Honours even, then.
Living in
Again, the Fiesta represents a world of cars that India was ready to skip thanks to cars such as the City. The instrument console, though it harks back to the nineties, is purposeful. That said, Honda has gone in for no-nonsense instrumentation and ergonomics which make it easier to drive the car. There is a certain feel-good factor about belting up in a Fiesta – it feels solid and you are immediately set for a long drive. If the Honda feels flimsy, it is because it is engineered to be light – the doors click shut in comparison, while the controls are lighter to the touch and feel. Seriously, the clutch lever of the Fiesta diesel feels far too heavy after you have spent considerable time in a City. The seats on offer from Ford are better for long drives, especially those of the driver and passenger. Both cars have adequate rear room, with the Honda getting a small advantage thanks to space liberated under the rear seats. Your legs, once folded, can
be accommodated better in the City.
On the road
The Fiesta diesel is modern enough to fool you into believing that you are driving a petrol car – even inside the city. Well, almost. It takes a while to get used to the slightly heavier clutch and the slower acceleration. What helps matters in favour of the Fiesta TDCi is the fact that Honda has not given the base City its most powerful engine. The 77 bhp of power and 12.8 kgm torque developed by the 1497cc econo-marvel of a petrol engine ensures that the 68 bhp 1399cc diesel burner of the Fiesta feels more than adequate. The Fiesta though has the advantage on the torque front, with the diesel motor developing 16 kgm of the stuff pretty early in life. While just about a second separates both in the sprint to 60 kph, by the time the speedo reaches 100 kph in the Fiesta (17 seconds), the City will be a spec on the horizon (13 seconds). Both cars are capable of cruising at a steady 80-100 kph on highways and it takes a downshift in them before you are ready for an overtaking manoeuvre. Well, if you want sheer performance, both Honda and Ford offer you 100 bhp engines (psst... that too at a discount).
Saving fuel
The best figure that we have managed with the Fiesta TDCi is 18 kpl on a Mumbai-Pune Expressway run – with the car easily averaging 90 kph plus. The City, with the IDSi petrol engine, is pretty frugal too and it is not unusual for it to record 16 kpl on good highways. Inside towns, the Fiesta diesel would still return around 14 kpl, while the City drops to the 11-12 kpl mark. That said, our test City recorded 14 kpl for the suburb-metro-suburb runs – which is pretty impressive.
Dynamic feel
The Honda is a fine automobile that will do extremely well on neatly surfaced roads. But as the roads deteriorate, most people who wish well for their cars reduce the speed of their Citys. The Fiesta, on the other hand, offers a more mature ride quality even on potholed roads. In short, the average speed that you carry on a bad stretch of road will be higher with the Fiesta. The finely balanced City can be a tad boring on a nice and winding road while the Fiesta's underpinnings give you the confidence to push the car around corners – which makes it quite fun. It is entirely another thing that the diesel burner needs to be kept on the boil for you to cross the fun threshold.
Decision time
The odds are turning towards economical cars these days, and in the Fiesta TDCi Exi, Ford has a very strong case. Mind you, in the last quarter alone, Honda sold more than 10,000 Citys despite heavy competition. In comparison, Ford managed to do close to 5,000 units. Can the Fiesta 1.4 Exi diesel tilt the scales for Ford? Well, a lot of people who buy the Honda City opt for it because they are in the market for a refined, reliable and premium product – which the City certainly is. Of course, its economy is a bonus. The Fiesta too is a contemporary product that drives extremely well and is quite refined for a diesel offering. In its case, the economy is not just a bonus, it is its raison d'être.
Maruti Swift Petrol vs Diesel - review by BSmotoring
Source: BSmotoring
This story was supposed to be done by my colleague Srini, since I had written the driving impression for the February issue of Business Standard Motoring magazine. We were fast approaching the deadline, and SRK, as I call him for no particular reason, was yet to type 'matter begins' on his comp. I tried all modes of editorial harassment. Waking him up at unearthly hours and demanding the story never worked because Srini can hold a proper telephonic conversation even while he is fast asleep. He even interviewed the designer of the Rolls-Royce Phantom like that once. I even tried embarrassing him in front of colleagues half his age, but to no avail. The sympathy card that painted the painful picture of poor me waking up at four in the morning for four consecutive days to file copy, and thereby endangering his blissful married life, fell on deaf ears as well. At the end of all these attempts, he would utter something absolutely prophetic, like, 'I can still
do it'.
Since I wanted the March issue of the magazine to come out in the 2007 calendar year and the fact that he was putting together the almost biblical Commercial Vehicle Guide meant only one thing – I was going to write this story. 'Honey, set the alarm clock at four again, please'.
Ever since Maruti launched the diesel version of the best-selling Swift, readers have been demanding to know which one to go for. Answering that is not really a worry for me, since I have put in considerable mileage on both the petrol and diesel Swift by now. Let me take you through it then.
Buying
We have been getting enough queries on this subject to start a new magazine called Which Swift? for public consumption. The enticing looks of the Swift combined with the fuel consumption figure of the Fiat-derived diesel engine that is fast reaching mythical efficiency status compounds the problem. Add to that the price tag of the Swift, and the issue can be narrowed down to this – Swift VXi Petrol at Rs 4.6 lakh on road (Mumbai prices) or a Swift diesel at close to Rs 5 lakh on road. I am tempted to finish the story at this moment by saying that you should buy the Swift ZXi the way I did only because a. you get all the safety features, fat rubber and automatic aircon and, b. because Maruti-Suzuki is tired of playing Santa and may stop building the ZXi with all the bells and whistles sooner than you think. Alright, you don't want to spend so much money on a hatchback and want to choose between the petrol and diesel, so now we can tell how these cars fare.
Living
The Swift diesel is a very sorted out car. Sure it does not get proper foot gear, but lot of work has gone into it to ensure that the joie de vivre factor of the Swift is intact. The four-cylinder 1248cc oil burner develops 75 bhp at 4000 rpm and a stupendous 19 kgm of turning force at 2000 rpm. Compare that with the petrol's Esteem-derived 1298cc inline-four, that produces 87 bhp at 6000 rpm and 11.3 kgm at 4500 rpm. So both engines have their strong points, the petrol develops more horsepower outright, while the diesel wins the torque sweepstakes. Still, the same ingredients that make up for an extraordinary small diesel when seen alone fail to impress when driven back to back with a petrol. Crank the motor and the diesel makes enough noise for everyone around you to know that you have got a diesel under the hood. At idle, the noise is only marginally high though. While you just cannot hear the 16-valve petrol idling inside the cabin, the diesel rumble is audible and a very tolerable amount of vibration tells you that you have ticked on economy instead of refinement. Not a promising start then for the Swift diesel.
On the move, the humongous torque of the multi-jet diesel motor together with a turbocharger that wakes up early ensures a 0-60 kph run under six seconds. Petrol is quicker, but marginally so. While the second gear in the petrol model can take you close to an indicated 100 kph, the diesel begs for a shift around 81 kph. And by the time the diesel hits 100 kph, the petrol is away and gunning for another galaxy. Excellent mid-range grunt of the diesel is its saving grace though. Enter fourth gear at around the 121 kph mark, and you will have the petrol car very much in sight again. Both cars are capable of doing 160 kph top speeds, with obviously, the petrol reaching there first. So if you want maximum performance and thought the diesel can deliver it, sorry folks, the petrol is still where the action is. The commendable part is that the diesel does not disgrace itself.
Saving
If you have a 70 km per day commute like mine, you will end up saving enough money to justify another child with the diesel. Before you get all excited and get to work, let us check the maths here. Let us fix the price of fuel at Rs 50 for a litre of petrol and Rs 40 per litre of diesel (no decimals please). Assuming that I commute 25 days to work, I will be covering 1,750 km a month. I will then need close to 145 litres of fuel with my petrol Swift, which returns 12 kpl in severe traffic conditions with the aircon always switched on (can't take pollution, noise and toxic fumes). That costs me a whopping Rs 7,250 a month. The same distance covered by diesel meant that I used just 120 litres of fuel, which amounts to Rs 4,800 only. The saving is Rs 2,450, and let me tell you that a good CBSE school would charge you only Rs 1,000 per month for a child. The rest you can use to buy cheap video games (trust me, modern children don't need food once you put them on a video game diet). That was super metro economics we were talking about, and if you are lucky to live in more peaceful places, you can extract maybe 14 kpl from the petrol. In such a scenario, the diesel will put a thumb on its pretty nose and return 21 kpl
easily. There!
More living
The ride quality offered by the Swift diesel is decidedly better on most driving conditions than that of the petrol. This is thanks to new springs and dampers that have gone into the diesel to compensate for the heavier powerplant. Still, the ride height remains the same for both cars. While the petrol model feels fragile and makes heart-breaking 'thunks' every time it hits a pothole, the diesel version tends to behave like a mature adult who has seen many ups and downs in its life.
Sure, the petrol car is easier to drive and park, but the diesel (as Srini helpfully pointed out as I was nearing the end of my article) is more suited for driving in traffic. He is correct for a change. The petrol model likes to rev and when you don't get a chance to do that, you end up riding the clutch. The diesel can chug along in third or even fourth at 20 kph without any engine knocking. I tried this out and realised it was true till the engine died on me in the middle of traffic once. The point is, the diesel is more driveable in traffic thanks to the gearing, but what needs to be added here is the fact that the controls are a tad heavier (especially the clutch) and your calf muscles will start an argument with your brain as you get stuck in traffic-crawl mode to reach home.
Which one then?
If you don't do serious commuting and will be using your Swift for occasional and pleasurable activities like family picnics and wedding runs, then the petrol car is what you need. And yes, if you are a petrolhead, I don't need to stress on the fuel option in any case. If inter-city driving, long commutes and dropping relatives in another part of the subcontinent (one bad habit we Indians are pretty proud of) are things you do with your car, then the diesel makes more than perfect sense. In such a scenario, the additional money you may end up paying for the diesel model is more than justified. And yes, if the roads in your area is not up to scratch, the diesel with its ride quality is a better idea too. Being a thoroughly modern engine means this Swift diesel will need only as much maintenance as the petrol even in the long run. Simple, isn't it?
Ford Fusion Diesel - Was this required?
Source: BSmotoring
Sadly, not many cars for less than ten lakh rupees make your hair tingle. And not many engines do. But one that does is the 1.6 Duratec in the Ford Fusion. It's so responsive and so willing to leave a trail of rubber on the tarmac that you wonder why people even bother tuning their engines and try to pump out even more horsepower. That precise short-throw gearbox, that lovely steering that responds to every input and the high speed stability of the car that makes it such a complete driver's vehicle.
Unfortunately, it is also the year of the diesel, the year when people have discovered torque over horsepower and greater mileage capabilities than ever before. That too, without too much of a compromise on performance. And since Ford do have their record breaking 1.4 Duratorq available, they decided to drop it into the Fusion and sell some more of the brilliant crossover that has been somewhat of a slow mover.
It wasn't so easy as that, if so they thought. Our bureaucrats made the job a tad difficult, rendering the Fusion just outside excise benefit. So the R&D team at Ford's Chennai plant immediately took a filer, shaved the bumper off by 3 cm to fit inside the 4-metre restriction and had the Fusion diesel ready for us to test and you to buy.
I have been quite a fan of the Ford Fusion concept. A crossover based on a car platform with 15-inch wheels, reasonable space, clever seating and a great ground clearance, it has all the ingredients for a sensible and practical adventure vehicle. So with a diesel engine, the mating of the two concepts makes for a very compelling buying decision. At least on paper. So how does that translate in real life?
You hit the road, what else. Around town, the Fusion TDCi is in its element. Given its compact dimensions, the diesel is not very different to drive compared to the version that drinks unleaded. The steering feels a tad heavier than the petrol, but has more feel due to the extra weight of the diesel engine sitting between the front wheels. Weighing in at 1,180 kg, it is about 70 kg heavier than its petrol sibling and 30 kg heavier than the Fiesta diesel sedan. Sixty eight horses to move such a mass might seem less, given how some smaller diesels make more power, but it is not so much of a problem. With 16 kgm of torque available at 2000 rpm, the torque rating too is the same as on the Fiesta diesel. There's not much difference in real world driving performance, when you potter around at sub 3000 rpm levels, the kind of speeds one does under most conditions. It pulls away calmly, just the way the 1.4 TDCi has been doing in several thousand Fiestas on the road. For whatever it is, it is a very refined small diesel engine. The Fusion might not have as much sound deadening as the sedan, but it still feels quite smooth as the various parts move around, under the hood. A well lubricated unit with a short-throw gearbox and you have some of the reasons why rivals have found it very difficult to remove the Fiesta diesel from its perch. Which is good news indeed for the Fusion.
On the highway, the car felt unstressed as we cruised along just below 2000 rpm. Though once I nailed the throttle and the car crossed 90 kph, it tended to feel unwilling to get to serious speeds. From there onwards, till the top speed of 160 kph, it was a bit of an effort. For a 1400cc diesel engine, it feels a bit lacking on horsepower, crucially on torque. The Fusion diesel was a great opportunity for Ford to make the oil-burner more exciting, and I for one would have liked to see more torque lower down. For instance, the Suzuki Swift diesel produces 19 kgm of torque at a couple of hundred rpm lower, which makes it quite a blast to drive. In the Fusion, the lack of torque necessitates more downshifts to build up momentum. The large frontal mass coupled with slightly different overall gearing too makes the Fusion a bit sluggish over its sedan sibling, with 100 kph coming up in 17.87 seconds, some 1.5 seconds later. Some tweaking around with the ECM and turbo boost pressures would really have done wonders.
But there's no arguing with the Fusion's underpinnings. We took off on an interesting road that had its own set of variations, from tarmac to gravel to slush and a pre-tarmac base made of small rocks. Through all of it, the car held up very well, the re-worked dampers at the front making the ride a bit plusher than the slightly hard edged suspension settings on the petrol. It also meant that the interior trim was less susceptible to working itself loose and hold on for thousands of kilometres of abuse. Since we didn't have to spend time holding on to fallen off plastic parts, we could lay one eye on the road and the other on the interiors. Those who have driven the pre-facelifted Fusion would remember the tacky finish on the plastics and its tendency to fade off in the heat and grime of our conditions. By sharing some bits with the Fiesta and improving the overall quality, the current Fusion feels like a much better place to live in. The rubber-like criss-cross weave finish across the top half of the dashboard and minor changes to the upholstery and other bits have considerably changed the overall appearance on the inside. Grabbing hold of the steering also is a wonderful experience, with good use of materials and well designed points to place your thumbs. It takes a while to get used to the driving position where you sit slightly higher and you sit on rather than sit in those seats, so some amount of additional cushioning here could have helped.
The 300-km loop around Mumbai and some city driving later, some points came to the fore. One, at 16 kpl overall with the aircon running all the time, the Fusion diesel is nearly as cheap to run as the Fiesta diesel. It is not too quick at high speeds and could do with some more oomph, but for all its practicality and sensible features, it is reasonably priced at Rs 6.59 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi – thanks to the excise duty benefit, no doubt. I though would still take the one with the 1.6 under the hood. No, not what you're thinking – this one produces 90 bhp and nearly 20 kgm of torque, yet sips on diesel and is available internationally. Then there's no confusion with the Fusion.
Apache RTR 160
TVS has done the unthinkable — changed the Apache’s character by giving it a good helping of oomph.
Bring out the hair dye, carve out a tattoo and pull up some low-waist jeans and you conjure up the carefree youth of today. Dive into his mind and it doesn’t take an Einstein to realise that his needs from a bike are rather unique—his machine has to be a rebel, zippy and also one that won’t dent his pocket. The all-new Apache RTR 160 is TVS Motor Company’s effort to meet this young Indian head-on.
Why abandon an image that’s nicely accepted? The RTR looks very similar to its precursor, yet it infuses an extra dollop of sporty character into the original Apache platform. Styling changes are few but well executed, like a racy Ford GT-like stripe bisecting this sharply chiselled bike from head to tail. There’s also the black theme that’s fast becoming de rigueur across bike segments. Move closer and the RTR delights with thin pinstripes running along the wheels as well as bright rear suspension springs. The new Apache instruments are digital, with rev counter remaining analogue. Twin trip recorders, a fuel counter, time-clock, digital speedometer, odometer, neutral icon, high beam icon, turn signal icon, low fuel warning system, low battery level and even a service due warning icon are on offer within this amber backlit display. And voila, its cockpit is far smarter, with clip-on handlebars and all-alloy steering clamp section bearing the new RTR logo. Highlights include smart mirrors, fantastic alloy-finished levers and adequate grips, while switchgear remains standard.
Classy touches are an alloy brake pedal and footrests. The Apache 160 retains an identical fuel tank and body panels, but has now upgraded to clear lens turn indicators, and an LED tail-light system on its raised stern. The rear fender and silencer exit area are altered while the numberplate region is now illuminated.
The old Apache motor adopts a new cowl and has undergone major changes, to up capacity from 147.5cc to 159.7cc on the new RTR. The larger capacity RTR uses the short-stroke mantra to become quicker-revving. This air-cooled and twin-valve unit has received several internal tweaks, including attention lavished on its inlet and exhaust ends, clutch and gear processes as well as the combustion chamber. The gearbox remains a five-speed unit, shifting in the ubiquitous one-down and four-up pattern—the RTR 160 differing from the Apache 150 to use a sporty toe shift lever.
Thumb the RTR motor to life at idle speeds and it’s apparent much fine-tuning has gone into achieving a perfect and powerful exhaust beat. The clutch feels well weighted, and completely judder-free even when strained to launch the bike hard for quick acceleration. Gearshifting is effortless too. The new RTR 160 shares gear ratios with the Apache 150, filling them better with its now 15.2bhp peak power developed at 8500rpm. While our stint with the bike was limited to a few hours, the RTR felt like it accelerated convincingly faster than all its smaller 150cc segment rivals. RTR is an acronym for Rapid Throttle Response and the bike lives up to this with its quick response from any region of its powerband. Power delivery kicks in close above idle, building viciously with a small step in its mid-range as revs rise to a scream when pulling towards the red line. The short-stroke motor holds high revs with ease and loves being given the stick. We were pleased to find the new RTR offering enough oomph to still display stout pull while shifting from fourth to fifth gear just under its red line at speeds hovering around the 100kph mark. While we have yet to strap any test gear to the new bike, our seat-of-the-pants estimate is that it should achieve a true top whack somewhere close to 115kph. Vibes seemed to be isolated to bearable limits, no doubt helped by the RTR’s use of rubber-mounting for its footrests.
Ergonomics are unlike any 150, with the RTR 160’s footrests being clearly rear-set, and its clip-on handlebars dropping the rider significantly lower than on the Apache 150. It’s worth mentioning the riding position can be slightly altered using simple tools to shift the handlebars a few millimetres. Tall riders will enjoy the ‘bars set slightly further away from them.
These changes make the rider sit further into the riding saddle which helps the inner thighs grip the tank surface in a better manner. Riders who don’t like sporty bikes will be advised to skip the RTR 160 and stick to bikes like Honda’s Unicorn. With its added power, the RTR stretches its twin-downtube frame closer to its limits, and wheelbase on the new bike is up to 1300mm, with the use of a 17-inch front rim and 18-inch rear, shorn with TVS rubber. Kerb weight is nearly the same, while suspension front and rear has been reworked extensively to embrace the new sporty character, but remains in similar format front telescopic forks and twin gas-charged rear shock absorbers mated to a rectangle section swingarm. While our purely trackside experience on the RTR was too brief to pass concrete judgement on its ride quality, this TVS felt like it was set on the sporty and firm side, with improved straightline stability and sure-footed and neutral cornering manners.
Anchors have been beefed up considerably, with a massive 270mm petal disc used in front, and the rear retaining its 130mm drum. Brake feel is potent and razor-sharp, the bike managing to hold a straight line even under heavy emergency stops. A petal disc arrangement helps the disc rotor disperse heat faster and makes its appearance in India for the first time.
Seen overall, the Apache RTR 160 makes a clear divergence from TVS’ philosophy. Rather than a half-hearted job trying to keep everyone happy with sporty as well as little commuter-friendly personality blended in, this model makes a bolder statement. The RTR is not here to please the commuter. This TVS is clearly going to delight the discerning biker, with racy styling, a relatively larger bore, quick revving short-stroke powerplant and sporty riding stance. The latest Apache should become the sought-after true-blue sports bike among its competitors—and lends itself nicely to the phrase ‘race on Sunday, sell on Monday.’
FACT FILE
- Price Rs 57,500 (est ex-showroom) On sale June 2007
- L/W/H 2020/730/1050mm
- Wheelbase 1300mm
- Ground clearance 180mm
- Fuel tank capacity 16 litres
- Kerb weight 136kg
- Engine layout Single-cylinder, air-cooled, four-stroke 159.7cc
- Power 15.2bhp at 8500rpm
- Torque 1.33kgm at 6000rpm
- Specific output 95.1bhp per litre
- Power to weight 111.7bhp per tonne
- Gearbox5-speed, 1-down,4-up
- Front suspension telescopic forks
- Rear suspension Gas-charged shock absorbers, rectangle section swingarm
- Front brake 270mm petal disc
- Rear brake 130mm drum
- Wheels 6-spoke, aluminium alloy
- Rim size (f-r) 1.85 x 17 – 2.15 x 18 inches
- Tyre size (f-r) 90/90 x 17- 100/80 x 18 inches
VERDICT
Racy Apache RTR 160 sure to grab the Indian enthusiast’s pulse.
Courtesy: AutoCar India
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The Indian car scene
The Indian costumer is today at the top of the ladder with the entire world eyeing for his pocket and they are here to please. But, the Indian manufacturers aren't lagging behind either. Old players like Mahindra have slowly grown out of the shell of manufacturing rugged jeeps to manufacturing comfortable SUVs. They now stare at world leaders such as Toyota in the eye and are able to comfortable play their cards.
The past year has seen major launches like the Honda civic, Maruti swift, Ford fiesta and so on. These products show the surge that has taken place in the mind of the international automakers that the Indian car market is in fact quite big. Today, the Mercedes S class that once graced the garages of only those who could afford to import one is available ready from the showroom. Audi and BMW are here with the latest generation of their machines incorporating all the technologies that count.
The current trend among auto makers though has primarily been towards incorporation of technologies such as Common rail direct injection, seen as CRDi, CRDe, DICOr, TDCi among various other brand names. Another paradigm shift is the incorporation of fuel injection and the complete elimination of the carburetor. Although these which were initially aimed at making the car more eco friendly have eventually ended up making the car much more reliable, responsive and also economic.
The other major breakthrough has come in the form of safety measures, which once restricted to just seat belts have now been extended to not just passive safety devices like collapsible steering columns but also active ones like the Anti lock braking systems, electronic brake force distribution, Sustained release air bags etc. These are now available on basic models such as the Wagon R and the Santro Xing also.
The level of expertise and immense talent available in India has led to another new way for the car industry to grow, outsourcing! Yes, today the Toyota Innova gearboxes for cars around the world are in fact manufactured at the Toyota facility in Bidadi. Same is the case for Hyundai which exports its cars from India to Brazil. Tata which has struck deals with companies in Europe was able to market the Indica as the City rover in the UK.
The car industry in the US is definitely on a meltdown, but the reason is simply the fact that far more sensible ways of manufacturing are available worldwide. Another reason for the same is the economy and environment consciousness that has erupted among the current generation, favoring the purchase of small efficient Japanese cars against big American V8s.
One area in which the Indian car industry does lack much though is in the area of alternate fuels. Although CNG and LPG do find their way into the car as aftermarket add on equipment or as is the case with the Wagon R and the Optra CNG, company fitted. There still isn’t a car that has substituted the use of non renewable fuels. This might well be where India should concentrate its R and D effort if it must step up to being the next big car manufacturer of the world ....
Courtsey: CarsinIndia.com
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