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If you need to make a car really attractive – I mean really stinking hot – low is the way to go, Marcello Gandini, designer of the fabulous Lamborghini Countach, knew this. American hot rodders who ‘slam’ or lower their cars are aware of this trick. And now so are Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen. Both these German companies have spared no effort in adding considerable sex appeal to their volume-selling saloons by making low-slung, coupe-like avatars of the same.

Under the skin of this car, as the name suggests, is a Passat. All the mechanical bits are the same: the chassis, the suspension bits, the gearboxes and the engines. Mercedes pioneered this fourdoor coupe trend with the ClS, built on the popular E-Class platform, and the Passat CC is Volkswagens take on the same theme. Volkswagen’s has been slightly more honest than Mercedes by calling the car a Passat, but the ‘CC’ part is slightly confusing. That suffix normally suggests a coupe-cabriolet with a folding metal roof – not accurate in this case.

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The car I’m driving from Paris to the northern coast of France is the most alluring one of the lot, with a 280bhp 3.6-litre V6 and four-wheel drive. The spec and the low-slung contours of the body give this car a sense of occasion, something a regular Pasat just can’t muster. Your eye naturally follows the contours of the body, and the beautifully crafted headlights and the heavily bevelled and layered bumpers give the CC a sense of solid craftsmanship. A sharp beltline running back from the front wheel arch to the ellipsoidal taillamps adds considerably to the sleek look, as do absolutely gorgeous turbineblade alloys Volkswagen has also used a couple of visual tricks on the roof and windscreen of the car to make it appear even more rakish (the top of the front windscreen is blackened, as is the base of the rear screen.)

There’s a sense of drama as you climb into the cabin, too. The doors are frameless (with no surrounds for the windows), and this truly drives home the coupe-like feel. I get into the rear seat first, as that is where most Indian owners will sit, to see just how obstructive that low roof will be. But I’m pleasantly surprised. I’m expecting to have to duck considerably before I clamber into the rear seat, and there is some amount of ‘watch your head’ involved, but not as much as I expect. But once you’re seated, there’s actually plenty of headroom. So much for the myth that adults can’t sit in the rear of a coupe without putting a crick in their necks. You also have plenty of legroom, very supportive seats and a good amount of room in the footwell. What Indian customers will surely miss, though, is room for a third occupant in the rear. The rear seats have a storage box in the centre, and that makes it impossible to seat three.

It’s also slightly disappointing to find that, while quality levels are clearly some of the best you will find on an everyday VW, the interiors are not as plush as those of the Phaeton or even a well-specified Touareg. The dash and the fascia are lifted from – you guessed it – the Passat, and quality and fit/finish are only as good as the saloon can manage, rather than any better.

You do, however, get a superbly crafted three-spoke steering wheel, chrome-ringed dials and more electronic goodies than on an Airbus A380. Among them is a lane departure warning system that ‘reads’ lane markings on the road and makes small steering corrections to keep you in the lane. The CC gets radar-based cruise control as well; it accelerates and brakes the car for you with the help of radar. Put together, these systems almost give you a car that can drive itself. I wouldn’t want to be the test engineer certifying this system for our chaotic roads, though; the comedy or disaster potential would be massive. They’re great features, but clearly not for Indian conditions.

The CC also disappoints a bit from behind the wheel. It is not quite as quick as the looks promise. Yes, the car has 280bhp, but it also has a heavy V6 and four-wheel-drive system. The power-to-weight ratio, as a result, is 170bhp per tonne, which isn’t bad, but the fact that the motor needs some waking up means it doesn’t possess that effortless pace that you expect in a car like this. Still, at speed the DSG twin-clutch gearbox makes it easy to keep the motor in the punchy part of the power band and performance is quite strong. VW claims a 0-100kph time of 5.6sec, which is pretty good. But you have to work the motor harder than you should. Wish it was more responsive too. Stability and ride quality, however, are first rate. You get the option of choosing a ‘Sport’ or ‘Comfort’ damper mode via a button near the gear selector, and the CC is well set up for both modes. Ride quality is very impressive in Comfort mode, while Sport changes the demeanour of the car considerably. However, the electric steering system and the basic suspension design mean that, although the CC has decent levels of grip, it’s not an enthusiastic handler. There’s little eagerness when you turn into a corner, and that – a high amount of capability but a general lack of enthusiasm – sums up the Passat CC driving experience nicely. That’s a shame, especially when you know VW can produce cars like the Scirocco that are dynamically a world ahead. With basically the same bits – just like this one.

Volkswagen is considering importing the passat CC into India, but it is likely to look at a more practical motor like a 1.8 TSI petrol or the rgular 2.0 TDI. The CC is priced at a premium of roughly 12 percent over the Passat saloon in European markets, but VW will have to add a bit more to the sticker price in India as the CC is likely to be imported only as a fully built-up car. Still, the Passat CC makes a really strong case for itself at an expected Rs 35 lakh for a model like the 2.0 TDI. Cheaper than rivals like the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class, this four seat VW will provid a larger, sexier Profile and a fair bit of excitement. It’s not really sporty, and the fact that it’s a strict four-seater will limit its appeal, but as an image builder for VW and you, it should get the job done.

For the past 10 years, the Honda City has been the king of the mid-size segment. Challengers have come and gone but none have truly managed to snatch the City’s crown. The SX4 on the strength of its sheer value pipped the previous city in our comparison test (June 2007), while the Verna and Fiesta with their own suite of strengths haven’t been pushovers either. However, despite strong attempts from rivals, the City’s popularity has never been in doubt. Honda has moved the goalposts once again with the new City which, now in its third avatar, is dramatically different and better than before. But it is significantly more expensive too, which means it will have to be that much better to trounce its rivals. So is it really that good?

Design & Engineering

Park these four cars together and the City clearly stands out. It looks a class apart thanks to its stunning design and generous proportions. The new city’s styling has nothing in common with the model it replaced, which is just as well. Even after selling 1.76,000 copies, many just couldn’t get used to the awkward proportions of the previous City. Honda’s engineers were acutely aware of this and wanted to make amends. Dubbed the ‘arrow shot’ design to signify the tension in an archer’s bow, the new City is made up of tightly skinned surfaces. The taut styling with lots of sharp cuts and the striking front and rear lights gives the new city a certain dynamism the other cars in this test simply can’t match. If only the new City sat on alloys and fatter tyres to do full justice to its brilliant shape.

In contrast to the new City’s sharp and edgy contours, the Hyundai Verna with its smooth and rounded shape looks bland. In fact, there is nothing exciting about the Verna’s looks, save for the prominent grille and aggressive air intake in the bumpers. The short stubby boot makes the car feel smaller than it actually is but the generous glass area hints at the space inside. And the pull-tyre door handles feel good and the doors shut with a nice thud, revealing the good build quality.

The Ford Fiesta on the other hand doesn’t feel as solid – the doors shut with an unsatisfying clang. It’s the smallest of this bunch as well and compared to the City appears a segment down. The Fiesta received a minor fact-lift less than a year ago which has given it a sportier look. A new grille, larger headlights and an aggressive-looking bumper are the new bits while the rest of the body remains unchanged. On the ‘S’ model, side skirts, a rear spoiler and chunky 195/55 R15 tyres hint at the Ford’s sporting pretensions. After all, this is the driver’s car. More on that later.

Maruti’s SX4 is the wild card with its unconventional proportions and appears to be a cross between an SUV and a saloon. The oversized wheels and extra height make it tower over the others but it’s an appealing shape all the same. There are some nice stylistic touches like the front quarter-glass which dips into the beltline and the acutely curved headlights.

All four saloons use the conventional non-independent, torsion beam and stabilizer bar at the rear. All use the independent, MacPherson strut stabiliser bar up front. All use ventilated discs up front and drums at the rear. While the SX4 and the City use electrically-assisted power steering systems, the Fiesta and the Verna steering get hydraulic assistance.

Interiors

Like its exteriors, the City’s interiors are brilliantly designed. The ‘arrow shot them’ continues inside with the dashboard arching towards the central console. The multidimensional dash is well sculpted and there are plenty of stylistic elements which meld well with the functional aspect of the interiors as well. You. Won’t mind spending time in the big, comfy front seats and in fact they are the most comfortable of the quarter. From here, it’s easy to reach the big air con knobs, the power window switches fall to hand naturally and the short gearlever is within easy reach. The Civic-derived steering wheel feels good to hold too and comes with audio controls. Cubbyholes and storage space are aplenty, but Honda has left out the twin glovebox feature that the earlier City had. The sound system, cleverly designed to run off a memory stick or an iPod, is a pretty high-tech one but be warned some of the old-generation iPods won’t work. CD player? Shockingly there isn’t one You can opt for a dealer option CD/MP3/DVD player with a screen that fits on the ceiling. You’ll have to pay Rs 16,000 extra for it.

Run your hand over some of the plastics used and you will be disappointed as they don’t have the same quality feel of the previous City. The shiny centre console in particular looks a touch downmarket and the huge air con knobs point to further penny-pinching. There is no climate control and the recirculation mode slider looks quite rudimentary in a Rs 9 lakh car.

The Verna too has iffy plastics, especially the hard-looking central console and small storage, storage box that has a tacky feel to it. The faux wood doesn’t feel luxurious either. The interior design, like the exterior, is not exactly exciting and the smooth dashboard isn’t hugely functional either. The glovebox is small and there are o recesses above it but the useful slot below the steering wheel and large door pockets make amends. The Xi version we tested is short on equipment, but the top-of-the-line XXi comes with alloy wheels climate control, fog lamps and a CD/MP3 player, which makes it among the better equipped of this lot. The fiesta has solidly built interiors with meaty switchgear and hard-wearing materials. This car has a nice. rally car-like driving position. The tall gear lever and the sporty steering wheel give you a clue of this car’s intent – sportiness. However, the feel of the interiors is more functional than luxurious and the design isn’t as upmarket as either the SX4 or the City. In fact, it is substantially lower priced than the City too. However, it feels the best built of the four cars.

Step into the SX4 after you’ve been in the other cars and you’ll feel like you are sitting one floor higher. This is not a bad thing as it makes getting in and out really easy, thanks to the high seats. Visibility from this lofty perch is good too but the thick A-pillar does mar vision around corners. If you have upgraded from a Swift to an SX4, you will find yourself in familiar surroundings. The steering wheel, switches and gear lever are carried over. While the SX4 is generously equipped, the materials used don’t have a quality feel, including the factory-fitted leather trim.

Owners of these cars are likely to be chauffeur-driven, so the rear seats are important too. The City wins quite easily thanks to maximum room and generous under-thigh support. But remember, rear seat comfort isn’t as good as in the previous City, which was unbeatable thanks to its near-perfect seating position. Rear seat comfort in the SX4 is definitely a notch below the City’s. The seating position is nice and high but limited legroom and limited space for the third passenger (due to the high floor tunnel and armrest that protrudes when folded up) mark the Suzuki saloon down.

The Verna has loads of space but again seating is not quite the class best thanks to a low ‘hip-point’ and a lack of under-thing support. The seats are nice and soft and have a useful 60:40 split which makes up for the disappointingly small 352-litre boot. The Fiesta comes last when it comes to rear seat comfort. Though the seating position is quite ideal, the overall lack of space is simply not in the class. The narrow door opening don’t’ help either.

Engine, Gearbox & Performance

Honda wants to see the City back on the performance saloon pedestal and is pulling no punches with its powerplant. This 1497cc i-VTEC engine (which shares the same block as the motor in the previous city) maybe the smallest in this group but it’s the highest on tech. It has a full-fledged VTEC system that controls intake valve lift and lots of exotic materials to lower friction. It’s by far the most powerful of this lot churning out 116bhp at a very high 6600rpm. Peak torque also comes in at a high-ish 4600rpm. The engine is the smoothest of the lot and has a sweetness that you only find with a Honda. It’s pretty responsive but the widely spaced gear ratios work against it and the midrange feels quite ordinary. The action however is concentrated in the final 2000rpm of the rev band where you feel a distinctive kick till the 7000rpm limit. The City is the quickest by far, our-accelerating its nearest rival, the SX4 to the 100kph mark by nearly two seconds. And despite the tall gearing, it’s quick in our in gear acceleration tests too which speaks volumes about this engine’s flexibility.

The Ford’s 1.6-litre Sigma engine makes a ‘mere’ 101bhp and doesn’t rev as high but the low gearing makes it the most responsive and it’s particularly quick off the line. In the real world, we enjoyed the Fiesta’s motor the most. It’s not as Fiesta’s motor the most’ It’s not as quick as the City but the Fiesta’s Punchy and linear power delivery makes it a delight to drive. Adding to the fun factor is a smooth engine that enjoys visits to the redline and a delightful gearbox with a short, snappy throw.

The SX4’s engine develops similar power to the Fiesta, has twin cams and four valves per cylinder as well, but doesn’t feel anywhere as nice to drive. Apart from the strong midrange where a thick slug of torque makes overtaking effortless, the lack of low-end grunt and a reluctance to rev eagerly limits this engine’s appeal. The SX4’s engine feels best on a part-throttle and is essentially best for sedate motoring.

The Verna’s motor despite being equipped with variable valve timing engine is the least impressive here. Low-down grunt is not impressive, and throttle response is quite dull. In-gear acceleration is pretty average, the despite the car having the second biggest power output. The culprit here is the widely spaced out gear ratios and specifically, the big gap between second and third gears. It’s quite a refined motor though if you don’t ask too much of it and rewards those who like to potter around at a leisurely pace. The gearshift is pretty good but again, like the engine, doesn’t like being hustled and is not as quick-shifting as the Fiesta’s.

Ride & Handling

The Fiesta stands out as the most entertaining car to drive. The combination of a brilliant steering, well-balanced chassis and terrific grip give it a dynamic edge over the others. The Fiesta’s steering in particular is sublime. It’s quick, accurate and throws back the right amount of feel. But what really sets the Fiesta apart is the delicious way the front end bites. This is the least under-steering of all the cars and the handling is delightfully neutral. But the ride on the stiffly sprung Fiesta S is nowhere near as compliant as either the City or the Verna. There is a distinct hard edge to the Ford; it thumps through potholes and road noise tends to filter through too. But the Fiesta’s overall poise is so flat and consistent that you won’t have much cause to complain. The only real downside to the Fiesta’s road manners are the brakes which lack initial bite and need quite a shove to work well.

The Honda has the best compromise. The suspension has a suppleness that was never present in the earlier City. This means that over most surfaces and at most speeds, you won’t find any reason to complain, the long wheelbase City effortlessly soaking up the road with ease. If there is a hint of stiffness, it can only be felt with sharper bumps and on really bad roads. The City’s sorted ride hasn’t come at the cost of handling either. The steering is a huge revelation and unlike the Playstation-like feel of the earlier City, the new model comes with a lot more feedback. Improving the City’s steering was one of Honda’s main tasks and the key reason why its electric steering’s motor was upgraded from 40 to 60 amps to dial in more a feedback. Like the Civic, the City has a responsive and quick steering feel but it’s nowhere near as linear as the Fiesta’s. There’s good front-end grip, but you have to watch out for the slightly soft rear which tends to get unsettled by mid-corner bumps. We were also disappointed by the amount of ambient noise that entered the cabin. Penny pinching has been done somewhere.

The Verna throws up the Limitations of an overly soft setup the minute you attack a corner. There’s a fair degree of body roll and the narrow tyres let go well before the chassis reaches its limits. Mid-corner bumps affect the car’s composure and the Verna generally doesn’t like being hustled through corners. The light, lifeless steering, which is great at parking speeds, is completely out of its element here, However, the ride remains the best of this group. At low speeds it absorbs bumps without letting too much reach the occupants. As speeds increase, the long travel suspension soaks up bumps without upsetting the car too much either. Again, the Verna proves itself as the unenthusiastic driver’s choice, which is not always a bad thing.

The SX4’s setup on the other hands is too stiff to be comfortable at low and medium speeds. It gets skittish over mildly rutted roads and every small bump puts you offline. There’s massive torque steer and the inconsistent steering feedback forces you to constantly make corrections under hard acceleration. It’s not all that bad though. The SX4 has the best ground clearance, so you can confidently sail over bad patches. The tall dimensions means there is a considerable amount of body roll but there’s plenty of grip from the very wide 205/60 R16 tyres. For everyday driving, the SX4 proved to be the most practical, not giving a second glance to speedbreakers or potholes over which the City would be forced to crawl over. In traffic as well, the SX4’s height is a huge advantage and gives you a psychological edge in the cut and thrust of urban driving.

Fuel Efficiency

Honda’s claim that the more powerful new City consumes the same amount of fuel as the old City i-DSi is not entirely true, but it’s pretty close. We got 10.1kpl in the city and 16.5kpl on the highway. Compare that to the old City’s 109kpl and 16.6kpl respectively. But what’s important is that the new City, despite being the most powerful, is distinctly more fuel efficient than its rivals, a fact which speaks volumes of the i-VTEC engine. Playing no small role either is the 1,100kg. kerb weight, the lightest I the group.

There’s not much to choose between the others which return near-identical figures in the city cycle. We expected the Fiesta S to be more efficient but it is thirstier than the regular Fiesta. We put this down to the 20mm wider tyres which may have increased rolling resistance. The SX4 could have been more fuel efficient too for the same reason. We feel the massive footprint of the Suzuki saloon makes it thirstier than it should be. The Verna loses out on the highway where a figure of 13.8kpl puts it at the back of the pack.

Autocar Verdict ( Honda City | Ford Fiesta | Maruti SX4 | Hyundai Verna)

We have to say that it’s the Fiesta s which stole our hearts with its brilliant driving experience. We kept asking ourselves why this car isn’t doing as well as it should. We found the answer when we moved to the rear seat which is where a lot of owners will reside. The Fiesta now feels half-a-size too small and lacks the luxury touch to give it the all-round talent owners now demand.

The Verna is a good all-rounder. It does everything well but is not exceptional in any one area. And that is its problem. The driving experience though pleasant is quite underwhelming and the Verna’s lackluster nature pulls down the excellent value proposition that it otherwise is.

If it’s value you are looking for, then it’s the SX4 that is the car to beat. It’s got the best equipment levels and comes with Maruti’s low cost of ownership promise. It is pretty good to drive too and the huge ground clearance gives it a unique advantage But despite all this, it’s still no match for the all-new city. Despite being shamefully under-equipped and the most expensive too, the City trounces the competition in other areas. The brilliant styling, the flexible engine, economy, comfort and sheer technology make it a clear winner.

The first real jaguar was also one of the first post-war supercars. A favourite with royalty in India, the XK120 is also the car that helped build jaguar.

This is a car I have been itching to drive since I was sixteen. Not any Jaguar XK120, but this particular car, BMU 1259, the car you see on this page. At the time, of course it was impossible. Not only did I not have a license, the car itself lay in a barn in Aundh, near Satara in Maharashtra. In no condition to be driven, the car was in desperate need of restoration. But that didn’t prevent my friend Baba and me from dreaming. The car belonged to his father, the erstwhile ruler or Pratinidhi of Aundh, and hadn’t muved for many years. We planned who would restore the body, which workshop we would get the straight six overhauled in, which Jaguar specialist would supply us parts from the UK and most importantly where we would drive it after the work was done. But that dream came to an abrupt end as my friend tragically lost his life on a Yamaha V-Max.

Now, two decades on, current owner Vikram Singh is about to let me have a go in this ravishing beauty. We’re in Jaipur, where he lives, and we have an early start planned. Jaipur traffic gets particularly crazy after nine in the morning, as oversized mustachioed Rajput pride meets road rage and narrow cart lanes. The last thing you want to do here is subject the rolling sculpture that the XKi120 is to this mayhem.

On the morning, palpitation and excitement are massive. What would it be like to drive? I already know close to every detail that there is to know about the car. I know that the 3442cc straight six on this car makes close to 180bhp due to mods the car came with (the standard car makes approximately 160bhp). I remember the car weighs in at around 1300 kilograms and that means it has a phenomenal power-to-weight ratio. I also know it has a unique double wishbone torsion bar suspension that does not use coil springs, giving it good front-end grip. And that despite having the power-to-weight ratio of a modern sports car, it uses a leaf sprung rear suspension and drum brakes. Drum brakes! In a car that can do 200!

Just then Sir William Lyons’ masterpiece comes burbling into view, up to the hotel porch. I can see only part of the car, the nose and the windscreen, but what a sight. I’m grinning like I can’t remember. It looks like a silver sculpture, as headlights, bonnet and wings flow forward like a surfer’s dream wave breaking over. I see more of the car as I walk forward and follow the line down the side as it drops and then rises again over the rear wheel arch.

If it’s difficult to imagine the effect this car had when launched, just think of the Bugatti Veyron. It must have had a similar effect Every other car in its time had a vertically placed radiator and freestanding headlamps. And few made more than 35bhp. Legend has it that Jaguar founder Lyons only decided to make the show car at the very last minute And has mere weeks to complete the design and mount it on the new Mark V’s chassis But it sure dosen’t look like a hurried job.

Back in the car, the motor is ticking over extremely smoothly, with as much refinement as a modern car. Incredible for a car that was made in the 1950s (this particular car was made on May 22, 1951). Of course, it helps that the compression ratio is only 8:1.But at the time even this was too much for the post-war low-octane fuel. Most people, his own engineers included, thought Lyons to be a nutter for such extreme specification on a road car. Lyons had insisted that this be the first production engine in the world to have twin overhead camshafts and pushed really hard to achieve his target. The rockerless came were places in an oil bath, there were seven huge bearing and, like good drag car, all the important bits were forged and not cast.

Getting into the car is not a problem if you are the passenger. The shallow doors open wide and you can enter quite easily. For the driver though it’s much harder. The massive XXL pizza-sized steering wheel come sin the way and you need to slide your thigh through after sitting on the seat. The cutaway doors leave you strangely exposed and the first impression you get is of the massive bonnet stretching far ahead of you, the pontoon headlights poking out. No modern car has a bonnet quite this long and tight turns take some getting used to.

What you also need to keep telling yourself is that this car was the fastest and most potent sportscar in the world when launched. But that still is 50 years ago. My brain goes into a tailspin during the first few kilometers behind the wheel. More than anything else, this car rides and corners like the Ambassador I learned to drive on. It really feels that sloppy at low speeds. And for this, the once fastest car in the world, ride quality is puzzlingly good. It takes all of Jaipur’s bad patches in its stride and the tall tyres and longish wheelbase do a sterling job. The steering, however, feels more marine than automotive in its manner of functioning. The car first rolls a bit and then turns, there’s quite some play in the system and Lord help us if a stray runs out onto the road. You have to muscle the brake pedal to get the drums to works, getting your hip into it at times. And if you hit the brakes too hard, the crossply tyres are adept at doing the samba.

A wide circle comes up and I gently ease the 120 into the long corner. After the initial roll, the Jaguar actually settles down in the corner quite nicely and I can even muster the courage to add a dash of power as I exit. As I get more confident and go quicker, the cat finally starts to come alive. The steering feels more direct, the car loses some of its ponderous manner and a semblance of a natural balance emerges. Of course, the antiquated tyres don’t help much and the brakes don’t get better but then I suspect they need more than just a bit of work.

The XK motor is clearly the best bit on the car. It literally purrs when in the lower part of the power band, pulls cleanly without any jerks and, as on a large-capacity V8, you don’t need to make too many gearshifts. This fantastic flexibility lets you get away with driving in the wrong gear most of the time and that makes this car a fantastic cruiser. Lyons had increased the stroke of the motor to improve torque output and this has worked a treat. It also helps that this car had no emission norms to comply with.

The motor, however, does its best work once the counter-clockwise rotating tacho needle winds itself up past 3000rpm. Performance is now very strong, with the car taking too hoof. The note of the motor deepens, you attain modern car levels of acceleration and the surge in power carries on as you wind up the tacho. BMU 1259 is an old girl, but oh how I’d love to do an acceleration test. It sure feels like it can reach 100kph in eight seconds, and there are not too many modern cars that can do that. And though we don’t go anywhere near the mark, 200 in a well-tuned car feels eminently possible. What a car! One of the first real supercars, a car worthy of the name.

Jaguar-Land Rover hangs like a millstone around Tata Motor’s neck. The balance sheets of these British brands are awash with red ink and with no financial help form the British government forthcoming, the Tata Group may have to sell its family jewels to bail out what it saw as a prized piece of the industry not even a year ago. With domestic sales having gone pear-shaped, Tata Motor could well do without the gigantic drag of jaguar-Land Rover. However, as they say, hindsight is 20/20 vision and not many could have imagined this unprecedented meltdown of economies that is crippling the world. This global recession has even caught out Ratan Tata, a visionary who always dared to dream and usually came out the better for it. So what made Tata pay US$ 2.3 billion to previous owner Ford, for these two icons which may be worth half that amount days? Global ambition, the chance to catapult Tata motors onto the world stage and the opportunity to own two icons of the automotive world are the obvious reasons. But the less obvious ones are those that the outside world wasn’t privy to at the time of sale.

What tempted Tata (and early bidder Mahindra too) was a raft of exciting models Ford spend many years and billions developing, which were reaching fruitions. These models had the potential to change the company’s tumultuous history and put it on the road to prosperity.

Proof of this is the Jaguar XF, launched just over a year ago to universal acclaim. Though the XF was launched amid the uncertainty of Jaguar’s future, it didn’t deter customers from buying a car capable of beating the best that Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz could offer.

For Jaguar to outclass these German giants was a staggering achievement. XF sales were rocking soon after launch and even in this deep recession, the breakthrough XF is managing to prop up the company’s sales. Jaguar has to now bravely hang in there, explore new market with the hope that good products will eventually prevail.

Hello Tata

Under new Indian ownership, it was only a matter of time before Jaguar found its way into India and Land Rover increased its presence (the SUV brand has a lone distributor for the entire country). But tin spite off all the doom and gloom. Jaguar is all set to make its debut in India with a bang. It has too. Not only because Jaguar’s ultimate bosses reside here but also because it make commercial sense. India is one of the few countries where the luxury car market has grown significantly. Beside with zero presence here, the Jag  brand can only grow. And under Tata’s wing, Jaguar-Land rover has serious clout which it is taking full advantage of.

Tata has selected Ceejay House, one of the city’s swankiest commercial properties, in Mumbai’s Worli area to be Jaguar (and Land Rover’s) corporate showroom, which will be managed by the company and not a dealer. Swarms of engineers and technicians have been sent to the UK for training and senior executive from other luxury brands have been poached in readiness for the grand launch of jaguar-Land Rover in India, around the end of March.

But even before the official launch, Jaguar has bagged an order from Taj Hotel Group for over 100 cars. No doubt, it’s a case of one Tata Group company helping another but this is an order Audi, BMW and Merc would die for. It’s a brilliant sampling exercise as well. The Taj’s VIP customers (read potential buyers) get to enjoy the Jaguar experience in either an XF or an XJ.

Will all this be enough for Jaguar to make a dent in the luxury car segment which the German brands have completely dominated? Jaguar’s early history in India has been lost for generations (see box), so it can’t bank of its strong heritage and pedigree. Curiously, it might be the latest chapter in the company’s history – its acquisition by an Indian conglomerate that could inspire people to covet the Jaguar ‘leaper’ instead of the ‘Star. However, jaguar’s success, like any other car maker, will finally depend on how well suited its cars are to Indian tastes and conditions.

Jaguar plans to launch the XF and XJ saloons, which will be direct import from the UK. The XF will be the core model but the plan is to initially bring in top-end variants of the XF, notably the 5-litre petrol V8 followed by the bread-and-butter V6 diesel.

Hitting The XF Spot

We got our hands on the XF 2.7D that goes head to head with the Mercedes-Benz E280 CDI and BMW 530d. Later in the year, a 271bhp 3-litre V6 diesel is likely to be introduced.

Driving the XF on Indian roads puts it in the right perspective and answers (if a bit prematurely) all the questions owners would ask. How does it drive owner potholed roads? Is the ground clearance enough? Is it comfy at the back? This import we drove for a good two days on Mumbai’s roads may not have the final spec of the showroom cars but gave a good indication of what to expect.

Against the backdrop of Mumbai’s car parc which is dotted with econo hatches at one end and a sprinkling of Japanese and European luxury cars at the top end, the XF stood out like a million bucks. The Styling, under the direction of Ian Callum, is simply beautiful and a breath of fresh air after the functional and simpler lines of Mercs and Audis. There’s lots of historical influence in the XF like the aluminium window surrounds, a throwback to the 1959 Jag MkII, or the distinctive meshcored oval grill that is influenced by the original XJ of 1968. The ‘power bulge’ on the bonnet is inspired by the E-Type and looks brilliant even from inside the car. Indian buyers may not recognise these historical cues but what’s clear is how well the designers have blended the old with the new to fashion a shape that will remain timeless. The coupe-like roofline adds to the grace of the car (but not to the headroom) and the overall poise of this Jag simply reeks of class, which will be reason enough for many to buy it.

Welcome Inside

If the exterior isn’t convincing enough, then the interiors will have you completely hooked. In fact, it’s the drama of the interiors that truly sets the XF apart from anything else. Nothing comes close.

The start-up procedure, which the company calls the “Jaguar handshake’, is a theatrical experience owners will never tire of. Press the engine start button and it light up and pulses like a heartbeat. The vents swivel open and a polished metal rotary knob (which is the gear lever) rises out of the flat console between the front seats. Twirling the deliciously weighted knob selects P R N D S while manual control over this six-speed auto is offered by way of paddles behind the steering wheel.

It’s not just the way the SF’s interiors come ‘alive’ that will entice owners. The cabin is exquisitely crafted with soft stitched leather, fine woods and superbly finished aluminium. The detailing is terrific. The cool blue lighting is utterly unique as is the way it lights the power window switches. The cluster is not backlit but swathed by light from above and looks brilliant at night. Other superb bits are the feather-touch switches that turn on the interior lights and open the glovebox. The functional info display unit is a touch-screen as well. The overall quality and ambience of the XF’s cabin make a 5-series and E-class feel as personal as a hotel lobby. But there is one flaw. The rear seat is just not generous enough for the XF’s chauffeur-driven clientele. It’s seriously short on headroom, while legroom and under-thing support can’t match either the E-class or 5-series. It would be a good idea for Tata to monitor passenger feedback from Taj’s chauffeur-driven XF fleet.

Smooth And Sublime

Performance is not the diesel XF’s forte. It’s heavier than its rivals and less torquey and powerful too. It doesn’t leap forward like the shatteringly quick 530d but eases ahead in a somewhat urgent manner that suits the Jag’s elegant manner. What it lacks in outright punch, it makes up in linearity and the engine is delightfully smooth and silent. The paddle shift works reasonably well but this is a car that felt best left in ‘D’ to amble along in Mumbai’s traffic. Ground clearance is a bit low and tall speedbreakers do pose a problem but otherwise, the Jag felt completely at home. The ride is simply outstanding; rarely have we come across a car that smoothens Mumbai’s decrepit roads as well as this one. The XF’s ride is far more supple than an E-class and the 5-Series feels like granite in comparison.

The perfectly weighted steering and the overall poise of the chassis keep the driver relaxed at all times. When Jaguar officially announces the prices for the XF, we don’t expect it to be cheap. As an import, it will have a cost disadvantage against the locally assembled E-class, 5-series and A6. It may not match the functionality of the Merc, the excitement of the Bimmer or the avante-garde appeal of the A6. But it more than makes up with its subtle charms. The soothing refinement, the masterful cabin and the sheer elegance that only the Jag offers is sure to find many takers, especially with those looking for something different and special.

With 200bhp at the front wheels, it’s not too difficult to explain how there is wheelspin in second gear. This is not your ordinary luxury Lancer. This monster has been poked with rods, tortured in a garage and has had its organs flown in form various parts of the world to make it what it is now. Engine, turbo and even the ECU have been tweaked and tuned to get the extra edge.

The owner is, according to his elderly neighbour, far from sane. For Prasad Divadkar, no amount of money is too much to ensure that his car goes that much quicker. From the time you get off the clutch it’s clear that it is more than regular Lancer-quick. Still, It’s not really evident till you get past 5000rpm when the Garret GT25R Turbo kicks in. That’s when everything goes out of whack. It feels like everything around you has suddenly gotten a whole lot slower. Bhoom! Once the wheelspin stops, your head is pushed back into the headrest. It’s absolutely mental, the Apexl exhaust screams away to glory just begging you to keep going.

Keep your foot down, and the car won’t let up. Nail a shift right and you’re rewarded and then get it right again and your reward is even more performance. It’s relentless. The power simply never seems to taper off.

There is enough power to keep you happy while overtaking on the highway and even if you have to keep changing gear in the city, who cares? The sound of the blow-off valve going off is enough to make you forgive its vices. Under its VIS carbon fibre hood lie some seriously outrageous modifications: the original 1.5-litre engine has been swapped for a 1.8-litre (4G93T) GSR motor with forged Arias internals mated to a front-wheel-drive transmission and a Cusco two-way LSD (Limited Slip Differential). Other modifications include a GReddy Ultimate piggyback ECU and front and rear discs lifted off an EVO IV. All this adds up little by little to send this car rocketing from 0-00kph in just 7.22 seconds. Well, that’s not proof enough of how quick this car is because there’s just too much wheelspin. It takes just 4.6 seconds to go from 80-120kph too.

Even on the outside the car is quite a stunner, its inky blue paint shining in the afternoon sun. The first thing that hits you is the massive front bumper which looks like it’s from the EVO VI. As your eyes wander over the car, you notice the massive 17-inch black SSR rims wrapped in 205/40 Yokohoma rubber and all the way at the back is a big VIS carbon fibre spoiler.

While you’re still trying to figure out what’s missing, it hits you that there are no door handles. The doors open at the push of a button. Neat! In a ‘Fast and the Furious’ kind of way!

The insides of the car are far from good looking, it’s more basic functionality than anything else. The dashboard now houses a whole array of Defi gauges which indicate everything from engine temperature to boost. The stock seats have been thrown out and replaced by sweet and comfortable Ten20 Racing seats.

This is certainly not a place for families. If you have a Lancer that you’re itching to get up to par, then get in touch with Krupesh Patel from Electra Automotive in Chennai, who I responsible for tuning this car, on +919884049269,

It would cost you around Rs 15 lakh to get your Lancer to this point. It could also get you into a lot of trouble every time you pass a police barricade, but imagine being able to smoke an SL500, or even put a Porsche Boxster S owner to shame. Sounds like a deal now, doesn’t it?

Here’s a quick refresher in M-classification. The original Mercedes ML, the W163, launched in 1997, was criticised from the start for crude on-road behaviour and a low-rent interior that made it sit uneasily with the three-pointed star’s status. Still, it found enough buyers around the world to keep it in production for nine years.

Mercedes responded in 2006 with the W164, which is longer and wider than the outgoing M-class. Significantly, it was built on a steel monocoque chassis rather than the body-on-ladder frame of the earlier car. It’s been on sale in India since 2007.

The car you see here is the new W164. it’s not all new. Changes are restricted to a minor facelift and an update of the interiors. Restyled headlights, a more aggressive chin, a bigger lower grille and rectangular exhaust pipe exits are part of the facelift. Minor as these changes are, they instantly make the earlier car look a generation old and this is something Mercedes-Benz is very good at doing. Just look at any of the E-class’s facelifts for proof.

With the ML, the designers have created an aggressive-looking car, with dramatically cut wheel arches protruding from the body and a recessed area between the wheels, not unlike that of an X5’s. There are also AMG-style vents on top of the bonnet, a lightly re-styled bumper, along with more traditional off-roader cues such as in imitation sumpguard and sills. Overall, the effect is extremely positive. It’s also got a very slippery shape (for an SUV) – the drag coefficient is 0.34, making it easier for the 2987cc V6 diesel to push the ML to its 215kph top speed.

This OM 642 motor in the ML320 CDI is similar to the one in the E280 CDI saloon – a 3.0-litre quad cam V6 diesel, making 234bhp an 54.5kgm of torque – sufficient to haul the car to 100kph in a very impressive 9.1 seconds. It’s impressive because the car weighs over two tonnes.

Few will complain as the car’s modest initial acceleration builds up, gathering force with revs and speed. Few will find reason to complain about the gearshifts either – the seven-speed ‘box is typical Mercedes fare – quick enough and without the head-nodding accompanied by regular fast-acting autos. The new steering-mounted paddle shifts are easier to use too, though you shouldn’t bother with overriding a transmission well suited to the authoritative power delivery of the engine.

The ML is suspended by double wishbones at the front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear. Mercedes’ Airmatic air suspension is standard on Indian cars. It features Auto. Comfort and Sport modes, lowers the car automatically by 15mm at high speeds, and raises the touch of a button. The permanent four-wheel-driver system splits the engine’s power 60:40 between the front and rear axles, but the extra control required for off-road driving is managed electronically.

Merc’s 4ETS traction control uses the anti-lock braking sensors on each wheel to juggle the power delivery, while the Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR) feature controls descents. Pressing a button on the dashboard puts the ML into off-road mode; it changes the behavior of the automatic gearbox, adjusts the throttle map and switches the anti-lock and traction control to off road use. Mercedes has an optional ‘Off-road pro’ package, which comes with a low range transfer case and locking differentials giving the ML real off-road prowess. Then again, very few Indian customers demand serious off-road capability from their MLs.

On the road, in the suspension’s ‘Comfort’ mode, the ride is slightly lumpy at low speeds, but as soon as you get to moderate and higher speeds, the suspension evens out the road beautifully. Straightline stability is fantastic even at doubleton speeds and that coveted ‘Mercedes-cabin-hush’ is enhanced by the very distant wind and road noise. The engine makes a distant thrum when you accelerate hard, but is otherwise very refined.

Set it in ‘Sport’ mode and you’ll be surprised by the relative ease at which you can hustle the big Merc down a twisty road. While it is no BMW X5, the handling is predictably neutral and the steering is sufficiently accurate and weighty to make this an enjoyable experience. It is only when you try tightening your line mid-corner or scrubbing speed that you realise no amount of electronics can cheat the laws of physics.

Coming to the interiors, what’s new is the steering wheel, the paddleshifts and the bigger screen for the audio system. The front seats are comfortable and wide, the cabin is built out of quality materials, and the colours used are appealing. However, the design isn’t as appealing as that of a BMW or an Audi an there’s that little issue with the black surround for the audio system, which feels downmarket.

At the rear the seats are again comfy and supportive and rear passengers get dedicated air-con vents. This car is a pure five-seater; you’ll have to go for an Audi Q7 if you want the two extra seats.

Forward visibility from the driver’s seat is good for the most part but the tailgate –mounted spare wheel seriously limits rearward visibility. You can order your car without this, but then there’s no place to put the big 19-inch spare wheel. You’ll be forced to stow it away with your luggage in the boot. Run-flats are an option, but we shudder to think of how they might affect the ride. We also can’t understand why Mercedes makes you pay extra for essentials like a convex mirror on the far side rearview mirror and electric steering adjust.

We can understand the 5.1kpl and the 10.5kpl fuel economy figures we got in the city and highway cycles, and given the car’s weight, they did not come as a complete shock. The M-class weighs a staggering 470kg more than a Mercedes-Benz E280 CDI.

Mercedes Ml320 CDI

Autocar Verdict

Tweaks Make The M-Class A Lot More Desirable

The new m-class is nothing truly radical. It looks nice. but there’s nothing to make you look a second time. It seats only five and its off-road potential is largely untapped without you adding options. It doesn’t have the driver appeal of the X5, nor the sheer presence of the Q7. The M-class however scores because it does so well the things that make or break these cars, namely on-road ability, a brilliant, refined diesel engine and a comfortable ride. It’s a finely judged compromise.

From the moment the i20 was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show last year, it was clear that Hyundai’s new supermini was intended more for customers in Stuttgart and London than those in Surat and Ludhiana. This new Hyundai has been designed and developed for Europe where it aims to battle with established rivals like the VW Polo, Ford Fiesta and Opel Corsa. But since the i20 is made only in India, it’s almost impolite not to sell it in the domestic market as well.

Hyundai launched the i20 in India a few months after its global debut but what we get is the base 1.2 Kappa model to take advantage of the huge tax benefits for cars shorter than four metres and with engine smaller than 1200cc. A 1.4 petrol and 1.4 CRDi diesel option will be available at a later stage. So how good is this made-for-Europe hatch? Does it suit Indian tastes and can it establish the Hyundai brand in the small but critical premium hatchback segment? Read our full road test to find out.

Design & Engineering

Hyundai’s European design team was clearly briefed to give the i20 pleasant but inoffensive styling and that’s just what they have delivered. In fact, they have gone beyond its brief to fashion one of the better looking Hyundais in recent times. An oft-used cliché is ‘photographs don’t do it justice’; in the i20’s case, this is absolutely true. The i20’s wide stance and prominent nose really stand out and, as it drives past, you notice the strong character lines on its flanks, which adds to the tautness of the shape. The bonnet and nose borrow unashamedly from Mercedes’ SLk, but it works. Another Atandout feature is the large for lamps housed in prominent blisters on the lower bumper. Perhaps Hyundai’s designers were so caught up with the front that they ran too close to the deadline as far as the rear is concerned. The end result is a very generic butt, which could be straight out of ‘Hatchback design for dummies’. It does gel with the rest of the design, but it doesn’t have the unmistakable element that the front does.

While it’s good to look at, the i20 is well put-together too. Europe is a very important market for Hyundai, and a Korean-engineered ad Indian-built car has to satisfy the demanding buyers in that market. The build quality is obvious the moment you grab the chunky door handles to open and shut the nicely weighted doors. This is indicative of a car that can last well for years on our roads.

The i20’s mechanical layout follows the absolute supermini standard with MacPherson struts suspending the front end and a torsion beam axle at the back, damped by gas-charged shock absorbers all round. Electric power assistance for steering is about the most radical item on the spec list and makes this is the first Hyundai in India to get it, All versions of the i20 ride on 14-inch rims but tyres sizes vary. The base version (Magna) gets steel wheels shod with 175/70 R14 rubber, the higher-end Asta (pictured) gets a 185/65 footprint.

Interiors

The i20 gets a well designed and functional cabin, albeit not one that moves the game forward in any significant way. On the plus side, the Hyundai is certainly spacious, with decent accommodation in the front plus a good range of seat and steering column adjustments. It’s possible to sit one-six footer behind another in reasonable comfort and three abreast at the rear is not a big squeeze either. The seats are well bolstered and comfy, but don’t hold you snugly the way the Fabia’s do. The seat upholstery boasts an adventurous design, and the fabric is hard-wearing too. A boot capacity of 295 litres is decent for this class of hatchback and the flat load area and wide tailgate aperture and 60:40 split rear seats, makes the most of it.

There are lots of cubbyholes for oddments, and the cooled glovebox is one of the largest we have encountered on an Indian car. However, the space ahead of the front passenger is wasted; Hyundai could have scooped out another receptacle on the dash to hold odds and ends.

Where the i20 scores is with the amount of equipment it’s loaded with, especially the safety kit. The Asta version gets six airbags and seatbelt warning lights for all five passengers-certainly a first for a hatchback. Another first are the electric folding rear view mirrors, a feature which is becoming increasingly useful in the city.

The i20’s centre console features electronic climate control and an integrated music system with steering-mounted controls. The toggle switches are easier to operate than rollers or buttons. The Asta also has USB connectivity, in addition to an auxiliary port, so you can plug in your iPod or MP3 device. A multi-information display on the dash tells you the outside temperature, time, day and date, and also journey information. It’s slightly confusing to use though; the large ‘Trip’ button cycles the rather garish screen through various information functions.

Strangely, the i20 does not have a vanity mirror under the sun shades, not even the passenger side. For such a well-equipped car, this is a small oversight, but one that matters to lady owners.

Though the cabin is well built and feels capable of withstanding the rigours of touch family use, it’s fair to say that it lacks the perceived quality of its rivals. The shiny plastics look downmarket and the dark brown colour isn’t to everybody’s taste. The vents for the air con are also not in keeping with the overall positioning of this car, and the slatted operation to control the direction of air flow feels a little old school.

Engine, Gearbox & Performance

Under the i20’s shapely bonnet sits the same 1197cc kappa engine, which we’ve already seem in its baby brother, the i10. This all-aluminium 16-valve motor which develops the same 79bhp and 11.4kgm of torque now has to haul around a body that is significantly heavier. Clearly, the i20 is no rocketship and the 0-100kph time of 15.21 seconds is a good two seconds slower than the smaller and lighter i10. With its ability to swallow five large passengers and a reasonable amount of luggage, a fully loaded i20 does struggle on the highway, especially when overtaking fast moving traffic. It’s in such situations that you could do with a lot more horses.

For city driving, however, performance is adequate thanks to well judged gear ratios that make the most of the Kappa engine. The engine is fairly responsive for the cut and thrust of peak-hour traffic. However, we would have preferred a little more low end torque as the car really gets into its stride once past 2500rpm, from where it pulls cleanly to about 5500rpm. The redline is closer to 6000rpm, but revving it is pointless as it runs out of breath before that and the soundtrack gets uncomfortably loud. Beside, the long-throw gearshift encourage more gentle progress. The in-gear slogs see the i20 taking a leisurely 16.98sec in our standard 20-80kph run in third gear. This measured performance is indicative of the i20’s nature at large; it isn’t a slouch, but it isn’t exciting either. In fact, it is at lower revs that the i20 feels the most relaxed. At idle, the engine is extremely refined with no vibrations filtering into the cabin. At times you need to glance at the tacho to tell if the engine is running.

On The Road

The lightness of the i20s’ controls is immediately apparent and clearly this Hyundai has been designed around ease of operation. The clutch pedal’s lack of resistance takes some getting used, but the generous assistance of the electric power steering and the light gearshift make the i20 a restful companion in urban environments where good visibility and the impression of where the four corners lie make it easy to find gaps and spaces.

It’s also obvious that the i20’s engineering team has focussed attentions more on comfort  than outright handling prowess. The Hyundai’s soft suspension does a decent job of dealing with speedbreakers and potholes and appears well up to the task of dealing with Indian roads. But, as you up the pace, you begin to notice inconsistencies in the damping. Over patchy roads, the i20’s front tends to bob, which can get uncomfortable; you need to ease off the throttle in such circumstances. There is some body roll too, which means you can’t corner enthusiastically either. The light steering, which is a boom in the city, feels vague at high speeds and the over-assistance can be disconcerting at high speed. The i20 isn’t for spirited driving and feels best when driven at a relaxed pace.

Under braking, the i20 maintains a neutral attitude, and the wide tyres do play a part in this. The i20 has ABS with EBD, or brake-force distribution, which varies the amount of braking to each wheel depending upon the grip available. ABS is an absolute must, especially on our gravelly roads and during the monsoon, and the i20’s system works well, although a little more feel and progression from the pedal would make it better still. ABS however is not available on the cheaper Magna variant.

Fuel Efficiency

Fuel economy can make or break a new car’s fortunes in India, but Hyundai can breathe a sigh of relief. The i20 is a pretty fuel efficient car, with an in-city figure of 11.2kpl and 16kpl on the highway. The i20 is not as frugal as some A-segment cars but given its weight and size, these figures are quite respectable. The Kappa engine is one of the most fuel efficient around and clearly it does the job in the i20 as well.

Autocar Verdict

A very capable but unexciting premium hatch.

The i20 is not a cheap car. At Rs 6.51 lakh, on-road, Mumbai, the big Hyundai is squarely in c-segment territory. But then at this price you get a car that has all the space and features of a saloon minus the boot. It’s spanking new, not jut in India, but in the whole world, which means it’s built to the latest safety standards. And safety is one area where the i20 shines – it’s the first hatchback to get six airbags.

The i20’s user-friendly nature makes it a good companion for city use and the comprehensive array of equipment will keep you pampered. It’s reasonably fuel efficient and with Hyundai’s good service back-up should be hassle-free to run and own.

But despite impressing us in many areas, the i20’s unexciting cabin and bland driving experience makes this a car that’s to be bought more with the head than the heart.

It’s been a relatively short but hard march for Tata Motors in the car business. At times the learning curve has been steep and progress has been slow. But of late things are looking up and every car Tata has launched in recent years has been a significant step forward. The Vista, launched just a year ago, was a quantum improvement over any other car Tata ever made. That makes it a good starting point for the Indigo Manza, the saloon version built on the same platform. With its Fiat power train, massive cabin space and typically aggressive Tata pricing, the Manza has a lot going for it. But for it to succeed, the car has to do much more and not just quantitatively. Saloon buyers are more demanding than those happy with hatchbacks. Comfort, quality, performance and features are important in this segment to take on champs like the Swift Dzire. So just how compelling is the new and fully-loaded Tata saloon?

Design & Engineering

One look at the Manza and it’s easy to figure that this car has been designed from the inside out. The huge cabin and boot identify this as a design where from follows function, and that’s not surprising; this is a Tata car after all. The Vista is cavernous enough on the inside, but Tata has taken its tag of even more car per car to the next level by stretching the Manza as much as possible. The wheelbase at 2520mm is 50mm longer than the Vista’s and the overall length a full 260mm longer than the previous Indigo to accommodate the increased passenger and luggage area.

This, of course, presented a serious challenge to the styling team which has to work with these dimensions to make the car look attractive. The fact that the manza is essentially the Vista right up to the rear doors (to save costs) also limits what designers can do. However, Tata designers have managed to integrate the boot quite seamlessly with the roof. There is a prominent crease along the side, just like in the Vista, that provides some much needed definition. The chrome garnishing on the door handles works well too. But this is still not a car you would buy on the strength of its looks. The bigger, protruding front bumper and massive boot have created huge overhangs and have sent the proportions for a toss. Even on larger 15-inch wheels, the bulky Manza looks under-tyred.

The tail-lights, which sweep back almost halfway along the boot lid, attempt to break the block-like appearance of the rear but unsuccessfully so.

There are some nice details though. The front grille is differentiated from the Vista’s with smart chrome slats and the lights too have been upgraded with triple-barrel lamps.

The Manza does not get the independent rear suspension of the previous Indigo but uses the capable twist beam suspension carried over from the Vista. A big step forward however is the inclusion of anti-lock brakes which, along with the wider 185/60 tyres, gives better stability under braking. The Manza also comes with driver and passenger airbags, putting this car on par with the competition with regard to safety features.

Interiors

Step inside the Manza and you can see how far ahead Tata has taken its game. The interior ambience is quite upmarket and we loved the high-quality seat fabrics. The large seats, though similar to the Vista, have extra bolstering but the cushions, especially for the driver, are a touch too firm. What stunned us was the surplus of space, especially in the rear. This is, without doubt, the most spacious mid-sizer and the Manza even rivals the Accord for width! Three abreast at the rear is no problem and there is plenty of legroom even with the front seats pushed all the way back. Tata engineers are proud of the 28-degree backrest recline angle in the rear but we found it a touch too reclined and would have preferred a more upright stance.

The front seats are generous too and the driver is pampered with adjustable lumbar support and height-adjust for the seat and steering which makes it easy to find a comfy position.

The boot too is huge, swallowing 460 litres of luggage, but the metal bracing (for better rigidity) closer to the seats compromises the boot’s flexibility. The back seats can be dropped however to increase luggage space.

Though the Manza’s dashboard is based on the Vista’s, it looks completely different and is all the better for it. The main change is the instrument cluster which has been moved from its central position back to the traditional location, making way for a mutli-information display which is packed with information like fuel consumption, distance-to-empty and ambient temperature readings.

The new instrument cluster, though a bit small, is easy to read while the central console looks very busy with all those buttons. The large four-spoke steering wheel and dashboard give the insides a grown up look, especially when illuminated at night and we were pleasantly surprised by some fee-good items. The gear lever is finished with a genuine quality feel and the air-con knobs, which work with servo motors, feel far better than the mechanical system that opens and closes flaps. Tata has packed the Manza with steering-mounted controls, electric mirrors plus the usual stuff. The best piece of kit though is the blue5 system which allows you to pair five phones separately via Bluetooth. While the interiors are impressive on one level, look closer and you can spot some quality issues. Fit and finish, though improved, is still not as good as competition. Plastic panel gaps are still large and inconsistent, the door pockets are lined with hard, sharp-edge plastic. Also, the door levers and window switches feel flimsy.

The insides of the Manza maybe the best seen in a Tata yet, but there’s still some way to go before the quality matches global standards. However, the extra space and features more than compensate.

Engine, Gearbox & Performance

The Manza is powered by an engine we are familiar with-the same 89bhp version of Fiat’s 1.3 Multijet diesel that’s’ under the Linea’s bonnet. It’s quite a punchy engine delivering adequate performance and we managed to hit a top speed of 168kph in the Manza, probably a record for a Tata car! The engine’s strong mid-range makes highway cruising effortless and overtaking is quite a breeze. The Manza is quicker than the Linea and there’s a gratifying tug when driven in the right gear. It’s a full second faster to 100kph and by the time the car has reached 150, the gap is more like two seconds.

However, this version of the 1.3 Multijet diesel with its big variable Geometry Turbo (VGT) is notorious for its prominent turbo-lag which we’ve experienced in the Linea. The Manza’s tall gearing further Accentuates this engine’s lack of initial response. Below 2000rpm, the Manza fees sluggish, and it’s only beyond 2100rpm that the motor wakes up and gets into its stride. So while the shorter-geared Linea takes 11.8 seconds to go from 20-80 in third, the Manza takes 13.7sec. And the Tata is slower in fourth gear as well.

As a result, driving the Manza in traffic can often be painful. You either need to constantly downshift or drive in a gear lower than is ideal. The Fiat gearbox thankfully is nice to use but you need a firm push to slot through the gate. Of course, Fiat’s Multijet is pretty smooth throughout its rev range and Tata engineers have worked hard to achieve a high level of refinement. The engine is never obtrusive and at cruising speeds you can’t tell it’s a diesel.

Ride & Handling

The Manza rides on the same suspension as the Vista but it’s been completely re-tuned  with different spring/damper settings and optimised suspension bushes to suit the saloon. Ride comfort has been given priority and that’s instantly obvious within 50 metres of driving the car. The Manza is extremely pliant and soaks up potholes with ease. Even sharp ridges, the kind that catch out more sophisticated suspensions, are smoothened out without jarring passengers. It’s fair to say that the Manza with it relatively soft suspension has the best low-speed ride in its segment. However, at high speeds, the mushy suspension isn’t as impressive. At speed and on an undulating or uneven surface, there is a fair amount of vertical movement. The Manza heaves and pitches quite a bit and at times the front suspension feels out of synch with the rear. The handling too isn’t exactly sporty. The steering has the typical inert and inconsistent feel of the Vista. It’s a little stiff around the straight-ahead position and doesn’t Self-centre easily.

For normal, everyday driving, the Manza is easy to handle and manoeuvre. It’s just that the Tata saloon doesn’t quite have the dynamic finesse to make it fun to drive.

Fuel Efficiency

Using the same engine as the Linea and having a slight weight advantage, we expected the Manza to beat the Fiat’s consumption figures but that wasn’t quite the case. In the city, the Manza returned 11.6kpl which is decent but clearly not the class best. On the highway, a figure of 17.1kpl is again nothing to get excited about. We suspect the tall gearing penalises city fuel efficiency while on the highway, the upright body and truncated boot creating a fair amount of drag. In isolation, the fuel consumption figures are pretty acceptable and with diesels, a kpl up or down usually doesn’t matter.

Tata Indigo Manza

Autocar Verdict

Sensible And Practical Saloon Is Tata’s Best Car Yet.

The Manza is cleary a car that appeals more to the head than the heart. The design is more functional and doesn’t have the flair of the more unmarket Linea. It’s not exciting to driver either and doesn’t quite have the dynamic ability to put a smile on your face. However, what will make you more than happy is the masses of space and high level of comfort, not seen in a saloon in this segment.

Tata in ture fashion has stuffed the Manza with equipment that belongs to cars thrice its price. True, the Manza isn’t quite built to international standards of quality but at Rs 6.9 lakh for this fully loaded Aura + version, we don’t know of any other saloon that’s better value for money.

Need a change in lifestyle? Bored of that saloon? The new Tata Xenon is a pick-up aimed at car buyers.

BACK IN THE late1980s, Tata Motors’ tough-as-old-boots Tatamobile was one of rural India’s workhorses, conquering dirt tracks from Bombay to Bihar. Then in 2005, Tata tried turning the old workhorse into a racehorse with the 90bhp TL. It wasn’t’ much of a racehorse.

Tata now hopes to rekindle some of the old Tatamobile’s go-anywhere appeal with this Xenon, a lifestyle off-roader targeted at the weekend warrior adventure crowd.

It is a long way from its humble origins as the Tatamobile. It’s got muscular flanks, a 140bhp, 2.2-litre DiCOR engine from the Tata Safari, and an image that wants nothing to do with the doodhwala.

Designed by the UK-based Concept by the UK-based Concept Group (the same firm that penned the Sumo Grande), the Xenon does a good job of stepping out of the TL’s gumboots and into a pair of Armanis. It looks similar to the Grande from the front and those bulging wheel arches give it a lot of presence. At the rear, the tailgate gets an embossed ‘Tata’ logo. Tata would do well to give it meatier-looking tyres though. The 205 rubber looks too weedy.

Based on a thoroughly modified TL chassis, the Xenon is whopper – it’s longer than the Audi Q7 and wider than a BMW X5. This is the extended cab version, so it gets four doors and a load bay that is designed to carry 500kg, but ‘officially’ only 220 kilograms.

The Xenon is no car posing in SUV clothes, this is the real deal – a body on ladder frame chassis, a live axle at the rear, load-lugging leaf spring and a proper set of low-range gear ratios – it’s the traditional pick-up, the way American know it.

Climb into the cabin, and anyone who is familiar with a Tata SUV will feel right at home here. The hard, cheap-feel plastics used are the same grey shade and the switchgear works with the same feel as you could expect on a safari or a Sumo.

The big difference is that the dashboard panel gaps seem to be even and fit and finish is now much neater. The front seats are comfortable, they have good bolstering and though they don’t adjust for height, you have a good view out. The dashboard is umcomplicated, with three large knobs to control the air con and a tiny, scroll button near the driver’s knees to control the Borg-Warner 4WD system. It’s not particularly well designed, but there’s a certain hard-wearing character to it that goes well with this car’s image.

The rear seats are surprisingly spacious, but the backrest is a tad too vertical and can’t be adjusted. There is enough thigh support but no place to rest your arms, thanks to the weird doorpad design.

This engine is very familiar in the way it starts. Engage first gear on the extremely rubbery gearshift and you have to be careful not to stall the motor. This engine demands a few revs on the dial before it’ll get the Xenon moving. This is especially true on hill starts. Once past 1500rpm, the DiCOR engine gets into its stride. It’s noisy but peppy and there’s a nice surge as the needle approaches 2000rpm and all the way to 35000rpm where power finally fades out.

With the same power as the Safari and 310kg less to lug around, the Xenon X4X has a real spring in its step. Despite the taller gearing, part-throttle responses are good, and though there’s a lot of whooshing and whistling from under the hood, you’ll be happy with the power.

You will wish the ride was better though. Pick-up trucks are set up to ride better when fully loaded, and this is true with the Xenon too. When unladen, the long travel suspension is absorbent but there is, in general, too much vertical movement in the cabin. It also hates sharp bumps and crashes through them – the kind of crash that makes you wince. You’ll wish the drivetrain was more refined too. The engine is way too audible in the cabin and the driveline ‘clanks every time you get off the clutch. At high speeds over uneven surfaces, a pitching motion sets in – just like in a Safari or a Sumo. It’s disconcerting and forces you to slow down. The Steering is improved though – there’s still some vagueness, but it feels more connected at high speeds.

In town, the vehicle’s massive size makes it cumbersome. Reversing it is quite a pain and most parking slots will have the Xenon’s tail sticking out on to the road. On the flipside, smaller vehicles scurry out of the way once they see the Xenon’s grille filling their rear view mirrors.

But by using the Xenon in town you are missing the point. This is a ‘get-out-of-town free’ car. The outdoors is what it does best. It’s good off-road – the four-wheel-drive system is easy to engage, works well and the suspension seems to be able to take all the abuse you can throw at it. At 200mm, ground clearance is good and the only thing you have to worry about are the road tyres not getting enough traction in the slush. Abuse the throttle on loose surfaces, and you’ll find it’s easy to break traction – the engine’s torque easily overcomes the grip available, the tail will step out and, given the space, you’ll find it quite easy to catch it too.

You’ll laugh at the brakes – despite the improvements (they are now twin caliper discs up front) there is no feel, and they lock up very easily. Believe us, this is the scariest part of this car. A set of wider tyres would have helped immensely.

Priced at an estimated Rs 9.4 lakh (on-road, Mumbai) for the 4WD version, the Xenon is not cheap. Equipment levels are basic – there are power windows, power mirrors, Power steering and an air-con.

Despite its pick-up truck nature, you can register it as a private car (saves you the trouble of running around with taxi plates) – just like the Mahindra Getaway, its only competition. As an everyday car, the Xenon doesn’t make sense – it’s just too big in city confines, and a bit too crude to really give midsize saloons nightmares. But if you need the utility and you like to do things in style, you now know where to look. OUSEPH CHACKO

New interiors, fresher looks, more power and an automatic gearbox for the Hyundai Sonata should always have been?

The name should have been Hyundai Sonata Evolve, because an evolution of the Embera is what this car is. The suspension, chassis and the seats are identical to the Embera and while the engine are the same, they get bit more power. The main changes to the Sonata Transform (the Embera name has been discontinued) are the ones that address the weaknesses of the earlier car, namely, the interiors. To complete the update, Hyundai has given the Sonata a nip and truck of the exteriors as well.

You’ll recognise it for a Sonata, but you’ll notice it has bigger headlamps, a bigger front grille, a new chin and new alloys. The sides and the rear look the same though. These changes have made the Sonata look a bit more grown up.

The real transformation is in the interiors, which get a serious up in quality levels. The big Hyundai now gets dual-zone climate control, AUX and USB ports, six airbags and steering-mounted audio controls. And, unlike the Accord, the diesel automatic version gets a keyless entry-and-go system.

Hyundai didn’t stop short with the equipment. Slide into the armchair-like seats, feel around the dashboard, and you’ll find most surfaces now covered in material that feel at least a few notches up on the Embera. The part-leather/wood steering wheel feels good, the switchgear quality is a few generations up on the Embera, and even the wood finish looks more the part of a luxury car.

The cabin is well thought out too. There’s a big box in the centre console and another one between the front seats. If there were grouses, it would be that the climate control system has too many buttons for it to be instantly intuitive. You’ll also not like the placement of the front bottle-holders – the bottles get in the way of your elbows when you shift gears. Hyundai’s redesigned dashboard still looks traditional in comparison to the Accord and quality is a slight notch below the Honda too.

The Transform retains the Embera’s 2.4-litre petrol and the 2.0-litre CRDi diesel, but both have a little more power. The petrol gets 10bhp more, the diesel adds eight. The eight extra horses came by tweaking the ECU and making a few minor changes to the exhaust system. The petrol’s power-up comes from a variable valve timing on both the intake and the exhaust camshafts (the Embera had this system only on the intake camshaft), a variable length intake tract. The petrol is now available only with a five-speed manual, while the diesel gets a six-speed manual or a four-speed automatic option.

We drove the diesel manual and automatic. It’s nice to know that the Sonata’s forte is intact. The cabin’s spacious, the seats comfy and the ride is absorbent over most surfaces. Now the interiors feel nice too.

The engine is refined for the most part and in the manual, it is quick. Rev it and it gets noisy, and the turbo lag it possesses below 200rpm can get irritating in traffic. But, on the highway, the top three gears are all you’ll need. It pulls strongly, the shift and clutch action is light and overtaking is a cinch.

The Auto is not so impressive. It behaves like an old-school automatic, shifting up every time you lift off the throttle, which is a little unnerving in corners. It’s not all that quick at downshifting and feels like it saps quite a bit of the engine’s power. Also, when you want go get somewhere quick, the ‘box keeps the car in the lower gears, making the engine spin hard, and seem less refined than the manual at the same speeds. It does disguise some of the engine’s turbo lag though. The manual is still the better bet unless you drive yourself in town a lot.

Yes, it may not offer the same driving pleasure as an Accord, or the badge snobbery either, but for sheer space, comfort and price, it’s hard to beat the Sonata Transform’s combination.

Skoda Yeti, the abominable SUV from the Skoda Auto had been spreading grandeur on European roads and it was time that India has its share of the luxury, Skoda Yeti is here to roar the roads wild! A long time coming, India saw the first glimpses of the Skoda Yeti at the Auto Expo 2010 and henceforth the vehicle has been showcased at dealerships across India. But that was only the show car – the international left-side driven Skoda Yeti.

The whole new Indian Yeti is ready to rumble with its endearing looks and a complete no-nonsense styling. Beginning from rear of the SUV, Skoda Yeti has a very controlled flamboyance and musculature like the rear wheel arch; it has very rugged and compact look which works really well with the overall designing of the car. Another very noticeable feature of the car is its right-angular back, which is neither flowy nor coupe’ like. The car has a compact styling and a mixed look of an SUV and that of a city hatch. Though some may find this feature of the SUV a bit boxy but the chances are the Yeti will receive a better welcome than the other massive SUVs in the segment.

The Skoda Yeti has integrated indicators on the back mirrors. The style is emerging like a signature of the Skoda Auto. The Yeti also has the Skoda hallmark of the model named embedded in headlamps cluster. The front detailing of the SUV has the premium upfront appeal that is indicated in the front detailing to the Yeti. The Yeti has super-lavish chrome upfront. Though the back bumper of the car is totally black, the front bumper though makes the statement being partly body colored and partly black-colored.

Powering the Yeti here in India is its 2.0 ltr TDI CR engine, which pumps out the maximum power of 140 BHP at 4200 rpm and a maximum torque of 320 Nm between 1750 to 2500 rpm. The fully synchronized six speed manual transmission gives complete power and control to the driver. For countryside exploration trips, the Yeti seems to be as eager to steer the rough roads and gobble up the miles as you yourself are. The 4X4 system just reins the car in no matter how hard you push it around. It has 6 speed manual transmission systems. The good factor about the Yeti is that it has very controlled turbo lag, all adding to superb driving experience.

For off-road driving, the Yeti features an electro-hydraulically actuated Haldex multi disc clutch which is mounted along the final drive and rear axle diff in same housing. It is a sensible urban sized SUV and that’s what emerged as its USP!

Talking about the interiors, the yeti is available in two trim levels – the Ambiente and the Elegance. For those who don’t want to buy the slightly expensive the Elegance Yeti, the base version – the Ambiente is also of full features like plush leather seating, integrated entertainment consol, nice plastic fixtures, dual airbags on the front seats and the parking censors at the back.

The height and the depth of the steering column is adjustable. Space at the rear seats of the Skoda Yeti is fairly decent as compared to other SUV’s in the Indian market. The rear seats can comfortably seat three individuals at a time. It has excellent back-angle and under-thigh support. Like all high-end cars, the rear seats of the Yeti too get the adjustable AC vent and a bit of storage space.

The rear seats are easily convertible into captain seats. The small lever at the back flip opens a comfortable arm-rest, with inbuilt cup holders. The space gives convenient access into the boot of the car as well.

For Indian buyers the Skoda Yeti is expected around prices ranging from 14.98 Lac for the Ambiente and the 16.18 Lac for Elegance. Hope this expert opinion on buying cars helped you make up your mind for your next buy!

In the battle for premium hatch superiority, the Hyundai i20 and Skoda Fabia trade blows like no other. But which one’s got the knockout punch?

With growing affluence comes a certain maturity in taste. A case in point – the Indian hatchback market. There was a time, not long ago, when you couldn’t sell a hatchback for anything above Rs 4 lakh. Saloon cars with the prestige attached to them were always considered better value than premium hatchbacks, which cost the same, if not more. Today, many customers buy what they need and want, not what society dictates. The all-important boot or ‘third box’ doesn’t have the same importance it once had. In fact, cars with a boot are more difficult to park and manoeuvre in our increasingly congested cities. What a lot of car buyers now want is a car with the space, comfort and luxury of a midsize saloon minus the boot. That’s where the premium hatchbacks come in. They are not bought just for fuel economy or price but for the practicality they offer without sacrificing the feel-good factor.

Hyundai’s new i20 has been conceived to pamper customers in Europe but so was the Skoda  Fabia. It’s the ‘made for Europe’ credentials of both these cars that dictated the level of build, quality and equipment they come with. But in India, can the i20 displace the Fabia, which in recent times has carved a small but important niche for itself? Will the valets be impressed?

INSIDE

It may be alright for cheaper hatchbacks to look boxy, dumpy and ugly. However, the pair before you wouldn’t be able to live down an unattractive fender. No issue here. The i20 is really one of the better looking Hyundais. It has a purposeful stance, no sacrifice to cab-forward practicality and stylistic cuts and detailing are just spot-on. There’s a hint of Mercedes SLK in the aggressive headlights and nasal spine and its tight flanks and compact rear make it a hatch you can actually ogle at.

The Fabia isn’t inconspicuous, it’s just less of an extrovert. The large chrome badge and radiator brooch lend it an air of sophistication and class and in true European fashion the lines are understated and etched with the ravages of tome in mind. Does an Octavia look old? Not really, and that pretty much sums up the design philosophy of this car. The Fabia’s most attractive angle is when viewed head-on, but much of the design’s philosophy is shared with the Swift, which means you can confuse the two if all you get is a quick glance.

But pull open any of the Skoda’s doors and any Swift illusions are rapidly dispelled. Build quality is more tank than tin-top and the car is plusher on the inside than some cars twice its price. In comparison, the i20 feels like a car where the cost accountant’s scalpel has dictated material quality. The design of the dash is reasonably fresh and you can immediately tell that this is a well specified car that has many features. But it lacks that all-important luxury car feel. The dash is a mass of shiny plastic and the shiny, cheap-looking gear knob isn’t impressive either. However, the i20 is pretty feature rich in comparison to its Czech rival. The Fabia has no steering-mounted controls, no iPod, USB connection, no electrically folding mirrors, two airbags to the i20’s six and no electronic climate control either.

The Fabia has some thoughtful conveniences though. All four windows have on-touch operation and what’s really cool is the way any open window will slide shut if you keep the lock button depressed on the key fob. It’s a standard Skoda feature which saves you the bother of walking back to your car to shut all windows to lock it.

Both cars have plenty of storage space inside but the Fabia’s cabin has had more thought put into it. Simple detail like the clasp for toll tickets or parking signage on the A-pillar, the clamp for a pen on the inside of the glovebox lid, and the elastic strings on the door pockets for keeping maps and road books from flapping about. And, the overall stowage is more than the i20, which has a huge cooled glovebox and a big cubbyhole ahead of the gear lever. Still, the Hyundai can’t hold bottles in its doors, and neither does it have any stowage on the dashboard.

But where the Fabia really puts daylight between itself and the i20 is in the quality of its interiors. The Hyundai simply doesn’t come close to matching the Fabia’s grain, fit and finish of the plastic, the materials used on the steering, or the basic rich ambience.

At the rear, the Fabia has more legroom, boasts a higher hip point with better under-thigh support and it’s easier to step in and out of too. But the Skoda’s high centre tunnel makes sit difficult for the middle passengers if there are three at the back. And the back rest is a bit vertical.

The i20 has a one–size-fits-all cabin Visibility out is better than the Skoda and a number of the features on the car are tuned so that short and tall drivers will both be comfortable. The Fabia’s dashboard is higher than the i20’s and, despite the height-adjustable seats, may pose a problem for shorter drivers.

1.2 To TANGO

The i20’s Kappa motor has an extremely silent idle. Smooth, responsive and on-the-ball-from-the-word-go, it’s so responsive initially that it feel like it is a much larger engine. The steering is very light and direct, making it perfect for urban lock-to-lock callisthenics; it is these factors together that make this an ideal car to drive in the city. The only irritant is the sloppy gearbox, which often baulks just when you want to execute a quick shift.

The Fabia’s box is light years ahead, so good in fact it’s genuinely fun to click through a few fears. The steering is slightly heavier though and not as nice to pedal through start-stop traffic. The 1.2 three-cylinder motor is the biggest problem here. It can stall if you don’t use a dash of extra engine speed when slipping the clutch, the motor sounds gruff and labours a bit towards the top end. The saving grace of the motor, however, is the midrange which is quite punchy.

The i20 may be responsive initially but it soon runs out of steam and revving it to the redline produces no additional increase in pace. The i20 though has the more refined motor. The Fabia welcomes you with some torque rock when you fire it up and the motor sounds gruff on the move as well.

But these cars won’t always be city bound. Fancy many weekend trips out of town, and it’s the Fabia that shines on the highway of India. It has better midrange torque for starters and walks all over the Hyundai when you compare ride quality, overall grip and handling. It has the ability to get you smiling on a nice driving road and though you always wish for more power and performance, the Fabia’s brilliant suspension is just perfect for the job. You can drive over pretty much anything and the electrically powered steering gives decent feedback. The i20 runs out of breath faster on the highway and the suspension doesn’t manage half as good a job.

The i20. is more softly sprung than the Fabia and with taller tyres it rides marginally better at very low speeds. Up the pace a bit and the Fabia’s road manners move it into a different world. Under braking, both cars posted identical times and stopping distances, but again it’s the Fabia which inspires more confidence. In our acceleration tests, both cars were neck to neck upto 60kph, but the i20 was quicker to 100kph by nearly a second.

The in-gear times tell a different story though, and it is the Fabia which is a good 3.3 seconds quicker than the i20 in the third-gear slog from 20-80kph. This is a good indicator of real-world performance, and you begin to make allowances for the Fabia’s gruff motor, whose driveable nature makes up for its lack of refinement.

Fuel efficiency is important across the board n India but someone paying upwards of Rs 6 lakh for one of these is not likely to be as sensitive as an Alto or Santro Customer. Still, the i20 has the big advantage here. It’s almost as efficient as a Swift and runs 11.2 kilometres to the litre in the city. The Fabia manages only 9.7kpl. We suspect that the ECU calibration of the Fabia hasn’t been optimized to suit the low octane fuel in India.

SUMING IT UP

The i20 is a well rounded, very capable hatchback that’s well equipped and spacious. It’s the more practical of the two as well as offers a wide sales network and easy maintenance. Throw in the superior fuel efficiency and the i20 is clearly lighter on the pocket than the Fabia. The Fabia’s main weakness is its three-cylinder motor, which is thrummy and needs to be worked  hard. Though the midrange is good, it just doesn’t have the smooth power delivery we would have liked.

However, if you are looking for that all-important ‘feel-godd’ factor, it’s the Fabia that provides the better premium car experience. If feel more grown up, has the more solid build, feels more grown up, has the more solid build, feels richer and is clearly more plush and comfortable. The ride quality is outstanding and so is the Skoda’s ability to isolate you from the road.

The i20 feels like a grown-up econo hatch while the Fabia feels like a shrunken luxury car. That’s what makes all the difference.

Few budget cars are better suited to the cut and trust of urban driving than this pair. But can the Maruti A-star ourshine the 2008 Car of the Year. Hyundai’s i10?

This, in all certainty, is by far the most important comparison test we are likely to conduct this year. Carrying far more weightage than a mere punch up between a couple of city cars, this battle pits two small car producing giants as well as their engineering and design philosophies. And the repercussions of this head to head clash run deeper.

This, simply put, is nothing less than a battle for supremacy. A face-off for the ownership of the best small car title in India. Has Maruti’s new A-star, engineered with literally decades of experience in the market, got what it takes to dethrone 2008’s Car of the Year? Does it have the necessary appeal and technical sophistication to dethrone Hyundai, which has been finishing top of the small car pile since it introduced the Santro over a decade ago? Critically, which is the better car, the one that deserves pride of place in your driveway?

DESIGN & ENGINEERING

Both cars have the same basic function, that of city runabouts, but they differ in their approach. While the i10 is a less radical version of the Santro’s tall boy design philosophy, the new A-star is less practical. More from the ‘style and attitude is vital’ school of Suzuki Swift design, the funky looking A-star wears its heart on its sleeve. It is low slung compared to the i10; the profile of the roof and the manner in which it tapers to the rear clearly mark this out to be a car where function follows from. And the form is pretty impressive.

The A-star’s nose is rounded and really cute, with high-mounted headlights and a low-mounted grille. ‘Pop up’ turning lights encased within the headlight cluster stand out; the car’s designers have also given prominence to the wheel arches and the rising window line as a result of which the rear window is almost triangular. The rear door is also small, not much wider than your cupboard door, and this along with the tiny shallow boot clearly indicate that rear passenger comfort and luggage space are not areas of priority. While many don’t like the look of the car from the rear ad some are still not sold on the front either, it is a design that grows on you.

In comparison, the i10 is built with much more attention to the rear seats and luggage space. Its wheelbase is 20mm longer than the A-star and there is 225 litres of luggage capacity to the A-star’s 129 litres The design is also less radical. While it has similar high-mounted headlight and a low grille, the i10 also features a decorative bikini grille between the headlights. It’s not as sporty looking as the A-star but conventionally correct proportions and crisp detailing means this design is likely to age more gracefully. We all however agreed that the i10’s rear looks more attractive.

Under the skin the rivals are pretty similar. Front-wheel drive, transverse motors and independent front suspensions with torsion beam rears. Discs at the front and drums at the rear are responsible for braking, with ABS available on the A-star only, and both cars use column-mounted electrical power steering systems.

Both cars also use relatively sophisticated front suspensions. The A-star’s is very similar to that used on the Swift, with the Hyundai also using a lower A-arm mounted on a stiff sub-frame. While the A-star seems to have the stiffer chassis, it’s the i10 that has a marginally better build.

Interestingly, a commonality is the fact that both cars are made in India for a global audience. While the i10 is exported worldwide, the A-star is marketed as the new Alto in Europe.

INTERIORS

Sit down in the A-star and you are greeted by a modern-looking cabin, on which Suzuki designers seem to have spent much time. Blending fresh shapes with multiple colours, the cabin and especially the central console are like no other.

The high-mounted vents might restrict vision and are in your face, but they allow for a high-mounted music system, an illuminated shelf and a large storage area at the base, perfect to stack your CDs. The entire dash has an attractive ‘V’ shape and the use of three shades further embellishes it. There are a couple of cupholders and a second shelf over the glovebox but the front door pockets are really shallow.

Settle into the driver’s seat and you soon notice that you are sitting quite low, but it’s comfortable enough. There is plenty of legroom and travel on the large seats and back and thigh support is good. What you miss however is steering wheel or seat height adjust, especially as you are sitting low down. Swift and SX4 bit like the steering wheel, gear lever and vents abound which add to the overall ambience. However, lots of cheap plastic bits and ill-fitting panel seriously detract from the quality of the interior.

The i10 actually feels better built on the inside and more grown up. The design of the dash merges with that of the doorpads and there is a nice flow and maturity to it. You don’t get the feeling that you are inside a basic econo box, which is primarily down to the design, colours and material used. Unlike the A-star, this car uses light, space-enhancing being with black employed where hands tend to soil the light colour. There is some amount of reflection in direct sunlight but this is not a huge problem. The steering wheel is adjustable (but seat height is not), the central console-mounted gear lever is very conveniently placed, and the manner in which most of the controls function gives the interiors an upmarket feel. Also, you get some storage between the seats due to the high-mounted gear lever.

The i10’s driver’s seat is a better place to be seated as you are seated higher which makes for better visibility and superior utilisation of space. The A-pillar is less intrusive than on the Suzuki, the mirrors offer much a wider field of view, and the i10 is also infinitely easier to reverse. In comparison, the A-star has poor rear visibility due to thick pillar. The i10’s front seats are also slender and not as thick as those on the A-star, which again allows for more legroom at the rear. If you are keen on rear seat comfort, it really is no contest as the i10 is far superior for both comfort and access.

The A-star’s doors are tiny, which makes access difficult. What’s more, the roof is low and legroom is very tight. The seatback extends only till the middle of your back and the large front headrest and upward sweeping kink in the rear door mean you feel hemmed in due to the dramatically reduced glass area. The i10 could have had better headroom and more width, but if you want more space at the rear for the same price, you’ll have to look at larger cars like the Indica, the Vista or the Palio.

The A-star ZXi offers more equipment for your money. It comes with four power windows, ABS, airbags, a CD player and remote locking for only Rs 35,000 more than the top-end i10 1.1. Hyundai offers none of these, even as options.

ENGINE, GEARBOX & PERFORMANCE

The K10B that powers the new A-star is a brand-new high-tech motor. Very compact but bristling with modern technology, this three-cylinder engine not only has four valves per cylinder, but also features twin overhead camshafts for better valve control. Despite being 90cc and one cylinder down on the Hyundai, is still makes a similar 66bhp. Suzuki has also managed to keep the weight of this DOHC head down as no rocker arms are used. The long-stroke pistons have short skirts to improve efficiency and reduce mass and the motor runs a high 10:1 compression ratio.

The first thing you realise when you set off in traffic is that this motor is really free-revving, constantly urging you to get a move on. It makes the A-star feel light and agile to drive. The car displays a good turn of foot too when you ask for some extra performance, revving freely beyond 6000rpm. It can quickly change gait from a canter to a gallop, allowing you to surge ahead and that makes this car fun to drive. However, the motor isn’t perfect. It does get thrummy after 4000rpm with a certain amount of discordance emitted from the three-cylinder motor and the midrange isn’t as strong as that of the i10 either. This means you need to downshift more often compared to the i10. There is also some degree of jerkiness when negotiating stop/start traffic as the three-cylinder doesn’t run smoothly. And this motor has an unsettled idle too that makes the cabin shudder.

Despite being smaller than the Hyundai engine, the Suzuki is quicker in the flatout sprint. 0-100kph in the A-star takes 15.30 second and the car manages to pipe the i10 to 140 too. The i10’s stronger midrange however shows up in the in-gear slog where it clearly pulls ahead of the A-star. The iRDE motor is well known for its torquey nature. It is a smooth and refined motor and the i10 is even better to drive in traffic than the A-star. Idle is near-silent and vibration-free compared to the A-star. This three valves per cylinder unit pulls cleanly and silently from very low engine speeds and acceleration in the midrange is very strong too. But spin the motor faster and it feels strained towards the top end, which explains why it isn’t quicker in a straight line. The i10’s central column-mounted gear lever is slicker to use. The next gear is only a flick of the wrist away and it’s much lighter to use too. However, the A-star has a dead pedal that the i10 lack. It has a lighter clutch too.

ON THE ROAD

The nicest part about the A-star is the manner in which it rides and handles. Taking advantage of the stiffer chassis, wide track and high profile tyres, Maruti seems to have found the ideal setup. Ride quality though is not pillow-soft as some stiffness is present. Ride quality however is quite comfortable even though there are some sharp vertical movements.

In comparison, the i10 has a much more plaint setup. It’s more comfortable at slower speeds but once speeds build, the relative lack of body control gets irritating. The front suspension is alright, but large undulations or changes in the level of the road cause the rear to bob. Once you are traveling faster than jogging speeds, the A-star’s superior body control is clearly the more comfortable of the two and you’re not bounced around in the least. There is however some amount of road noise present.

While the i10 is nice and light to drive in traffic, the A-star easily puts it in the shade as you go faster. Like the Swift, the A-star is a car that genuinely is fun to drive. The steering has a bit of a dead zone in the straight ahead, but once you push the car harder and load up the suspension the A-star really displays poise, balance and confidence rarely found in a car of this class. With its willing top-end performance, confidence-inspiring brake pedal and eagerness to tackle corners, the A-star feels a special little car. Shame about the lack of bite from the narrow 155 tyres though as the car soon runs out of grip. The i10 may have provided for easily the best driving experience in its class when launched and it remains a car with admirable driving manners with a well setup front suspension and similar levels of steering feedback as the A-star, but the Suzuki is more entertaining to drive.

FUEL EFFICIENCY

We expected the A-star with its smaller capacity motor to be considerably more fuel efficient than the i10 but we were surprised by the results. We tested, then retested but the A-star was only marginally better in city traffic, with 12.1kpl to the i10’s 12.0kpl. The A-star is not as driveable at low engine speeds and you have to downshifts to a lower gear more often. The i10’s lower gearing in first and second gears also helps. On the highway though the A-star has a clear advantage and overall comes out on top.

AUTOCAR VERDICT

Maruti A-Star

Hyundai i10

The compact A-star with its buzzy and willing motor, easy handling and agility is a great city car. The cheeky styling and funky interiors give it lots of attitude as well. It is superbly equipped with safety features not found in other cars in this price bracket. Fuel efficiency is good and being a Maruti, the A-star should be easy on the pocket. The rear seats, however, are small and cramped, luggage space is severely compromised, and that makes it a less than an ideal family car, a role these cars are more often than not expected to play.

The i10, though around Rs 35,000 cheaper than the A-star ZXi, is woefully short on equipment and feels like a bare cave in comparison. But begin to drive the Hyundai and it’s clearly the more practical of the two cars. It has a strong and smooth motor, far better interiors and crucially offers more space and comfort. It comes out as the more complete car to win this test.

The last-generation Honda Accord V6 was a true sleeper.It could decimate 0-100kph times of regular cars and run away from the then performance king, the Skoda Octavia RS-not bad for a luxury car meant to whisk the white collar to black tie diners.

It had its problems though. Its drinking habits were notorious-drive it hard all the time and it had the ability to turn that white collar to a blue one double-quick-almost as quick as its quarter-mile time.

This eighth-generation accord V6 has got 500cc and 50bhp more than the old car. It’s also got some new fuel saving technology. Sad then that the price difference between the 2.4 and the V6 is now more Grand Canyon than chasm. At Rs 29 lakh, this Inspire variant is so pricey that it is comfortably in German car territory. The big question? Does it appeal to your heart and your head to justify the price? Out test of the ‘wild-man-from-Japan’ tell you if it does.

Trigger Happy

The all-aluminium, 3.5-litre, i-VTEC V6 is the largest and most powerful engine that Honda powerful engine that Honda has ever offered in a passenger car. With 271bhp and 34.5kgm on tap, there are few cars in India that can keep up with it in a straight line. The old V6 felt like a Rottweiler on a short leash, always snapping at the heels of slower traffic. This one does too, but it’s missing some of that immediacy in throttle response that the old car had. Still, the car lunges forward at the slightest tap on the throttle and your right foot has to do a constant dance between the throttle and brake pedal to control the surge. Here, at these low speeds, you’ll also appreciate the space, the soft and absorbent ride, the light, variable ratio steering and the refined engine – things that the typical Accord owner demands. But then again, the V6 is not for the typical Accord owner.

Show it some stick, and performance is blistering. The V6’s mid-range is bulldog strong and there’s no shortage of that lusty top-end performance that Honda engines are renowned for. It’ll breach the 100kph mark in a believable 8.6 second and blow past the 200kph mark like it has a rocket pack strapped on.

The power delivery is linear, the tug is strong and the engine is smooth; there’s everything you would want from a powerful  engine. Performance, especially at medium speeds, shoves you into the seat and you really have to be gentle with the throttle to drive it smoothly. It’s huge fun, hugely addictive and you’ll need the abstinence of a monk to not rev it to the redline every chance you get.

Take It Easy

If anything, the performance is too strong. This Honda motor, as usual, is generations ahead of the chassis it is mounted in. There’s just too much performance on tap for this chassis to handle. The massive accelerating, cornering and braking forces easily overwhelm the chassis and suspension and, as a result, the car seldom feels secure and totally at easy with the pace. It may have the performance to beat the Germans, but it certainly doesn’t have their unflustered composure and grip.

The problem lies in the soft suspension, which seems to be set up for the American market where the Accord is hugely popular. For this reason, it’s a bit of a boat around corners. Push hard and the nose washes wide when you attack a turn. Still, considering that a full 270bhp is going to the front wheels, there’s not much torque-steer to battle with when you put the power down. With time, you will get used to the way it behaves at speed, but this is not a car that is entirely comfortable at going flat out.

It does come to a stop in a respectable 26 metres but we found that after repeated hard use of the brakes, the brake pedal starts juddering. Honda says it is because of the sudden rise in temperatures that makes the discs heat up unevenly. The juddering disappears when the brakes cool down, so it’s only a temporary irritant.

On The Dotted Line

On the outside, there’s little on the outside to distinguish it from the 2.4-the 17-inch wheels, the twin-exhaust pipes and the V6 badge are the difference. The interiors are similar too, the biggest change being the extra wood trim on the steering wheel and the dashboard. Equipment levels are similar (the V6 notably gets a Vehicle Stability Assist program), so in effect, you pay extra for that brilliant engine. It’s available in this Inspire variant and a regular variant that deleted the skirts and that ritzy grille. With prices starting at Rs 28.54 lakh for the base V6, this is a car that is an expensive buy. Surprisingly, it’s not all that expensive to run. We got 6.7kpl in the city and a stunning 12.2kpl on the highway because the VCM (see box) gets to really work its magic during highway driving.

Honda Accord V6

AUTOCAR VIRDICT

Terrific Performance, But Comes At A Price

Here is a car which is semi-sensible and semilunatic. On one hand, It’s got Japanese full-size luxury – space, refinement, soft ride and quality Interiors. On the other hand, it’s got insane power; power that’s not entirely comfortable in the car’s chassis. It’s more expensive than the 2.4 by a huge margin too. If you’re looking for economic sense, this isn’t it.

No, the true appeal of the V6 lies in its brilliant engine. But remember that it doesn’t have the composure, grip or handling that a compact German saloon has. If you enjoy a spot of hooliganism on Sundays and need to be chauffeured on Mondays, this is worth more than a look.



Good diesels are what Fiat is all about but which Italian car would be complete if it didn’t have a rev-happy petrol in its line-up? Beside, to a certain percentage of customers, a petrol motor is the last word in refinement and diesels are just not worth the huge premium they come with. That’s where the Linea 1.4 petrol, which is nearly Rs 1.26 lakh cheaper than the diesel, comes in. But is the petrol motor equally talented? Does the huge having on the sticker price make sense?

Before flicking open the chunky and expensive-looking key fob, we study the specs of this twin-cam, 16—valve engine. A modest 89bhp at a peaky 6000rpm and 11.7kgm of torque at a high-ish 4500rpm in a car that weighs 1240kg implies that the engine will have to be worked hard.

However, first impressions are pretty good. Crank the engine and it settles down to a smooth idle. Slot the tall gear lever into first and you can feel the springy clutch, which has a long travel. As you ease off the clutch pedal and give it some throttle, the Linea noses ahead smartly. The short first gear gives an impression of a willing engine but as you shift gear, you feel a lack of urge from the Linea’s motor. Press the throttle halfway and the engine hesitates before picking up, revealing the gutless bottom end of this motor. You have to use a generous amount of throttle, and the tachometer needle needs to be around the 3000rpm mark before you feel any real acceleration.

Despite the very short gearing, the Linea is hard work in town and the gearbox is in constant use. This isn’t what you expect though, since the Linea feels like a big car and big cars feels best with torquey engines.

What the Linea lacks in low-end grunt, it makes up with an eager engine. It loves to be revved and this all-aluminium motor really starts to come on song past 4000rpm. The raspy engine note makes you fall in love with Italian motors and it’s pretty smooth too all the way to the 6500rpm rev limiter. Flat-out acceleration is modest, the result of a small engine in a big car and the 100kph benchmark comes up in a lazy 15.14 seconds. In-gear acceleration times aren’t impressive either.

On the highway, the engine’s strong top-end gives the Linea sufficient overtaking grunt but the short gearing means cruising is not so relaxed. This also has a knock-on effect on fuel consumption; the Linea did no better than 13.4kpl in our highway cycle. In the city, a figure of 9.4kpl puts it on par with the competition.

If the Linea’s engine let us a bit cold, then the rest of the car continued to dazzle us. The interior is superbly equipped and except for a few cheap-looking plastic bits it’s well finished too. The cabin is not as generous as the Linea’s exterior dimensions suggest but it’s large enough for most. The front seats’ base slopes downwards, so you lose out on thigh support. The rear bench is very generous and like a sofa but headroom is short.

Like with the diesel, we love the Linea’s solid build quality. The ride and handling is also outstanding and quite simply in a class of its own. Priced at Rs 8.10 lakh, the Linea petrol is outstanding value purely from the amount of car you get for this price. It’s big comfortable, has peerless road manners and comes packed with equipment. If only it had a stronger engine to match its size.

Here lies the brilliance of the X6-it is a fantastic blend of the desirable SUV qualities-high ground clearance, presence and a commanding driving position-and the performance and handling of a sports coupe. BMW says the X6 is a Sports Activity Coupe. Think of it as the offspring of an SUV that mated with a sports car. This kind of vehicle will at best be a niche-within-a-niche’ but that doesn’t stop it from being hugely desirable.

There’s a lot more substance under this X6 than its unusual looks would suggest. It shares its platform with the X5, which is not a bad place to start. It’s a more driver-focused version, one that looks sportier than a full-fledged SUV and it is in this blurring of lines that the X6’s appeal lies.

Imported into India directly from BMW’s Spartanburg plant in the US of A, the X6 shares a lot of its interiors, several of its dimensions and a few mechanical bits with the X5. The wheelbase at 2933mm is the same as the X5’s as is the front track. The rear track, however, is far wider than the X5’s partly because of the new rear differential and partly because of those humongous 315/35 R20 rear tyres. Although it is only 55mm lower than the X5 at its highest point, the combination of the sloping roofline and shallower side glazing makes the X6 look incredibly imposing, even intimidating. The steeply raked window line further accentuates the car’s deep body sides and dramatically swollen wheel arches. It’s a design that turns heads, and here, it wins a very crucial victory. The Porsche Cayenne has certainly been toppled by the X6 for visual drama.

Under the skin, the X6 is powered by the same direct-injection, 4.4-litre twin-turbo petrol V8 that powers the 750Li. It is hardly short of grunt with 407bhp and a huge 61kgm of torque from 1750rpm. It drives BMW’s excellent six-speed auto, which has the ability to ‘lock-up’ and behave more like a manual transmission, eliminating the characteristic slushy feel of a conventional auto ‘box. Sending power to all four wheels via BMW’s xDrive all-wheel-drive system, the X6 also debuts BMW’s new rear differential-the Dynamic performance Control (see ‘Under The skin’ box). It makes a huge difference to the character of the car, but more on that later.

Central to the X6’s appeal is the engine. With a diesel-like bottom-end torque that feels more locomotive than automobile, the engine is never sort on grunt. The engine is never short on grunt. The tremendous thrust that this engine musters so instantaneously is so addictive that you have to make a conscious effort to stay at prudent speeds. 0-100kph is dispatched in a scarcely believable six seconds flat and it will cross 200kph in under 25 seconds.

Keep your foot down and it will close in on its 250kph (limited) top speed with the ferocity of a Great white Shark, all the while covering ground at an incredible pace. The gearbox is quick and very obedient, downshifting almost every time we asked it to. The X6’s party trick is its exhaust system. In the 750Li this engine has to be restrained, but in the sporty X6’s it can afford to be more vocal. It idles with a distant hint of an American V8, sounds like a hairy-chested gorilla at part-throttle, and hones in on a refined howl as it closes in on 6700rpm. It’s never ‘public-nuisance’ loud, but its vocal range makes driving through tunnels a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Part of the reason you enjoy the engine’s soundtrack is because the cabin is well insulated from unwanted noise. There’s surprisingly little wind and tyre noise considering the continental width of those tyres.

There aren’t many tall, 4WD cars weighing as much as 2,190kg that feel as agile as the X6. The X6’s optional active steering (it increases assistance and speeds up the rack at low speeds, while reducing assistance and applied lock at higher speeds) is accurate and has fantastic feel. In ‘Sport’ mode, the adaptive drive system swivels the anti-roll bars and adjusts damper rates, so there’s almost no body roll and keeps the X6 supremely stable through corners. You can throw the X6 through corners, the massive 315 rear tyres claw into the tarmac, the xDrive and the new differential sorting out any mid-corner traction issues you might have. It’s a BMW after all.

Which brings us to the ride – you expect the 20-inch wheels and the run-flat tyres to give your kidneys a hard time over anything less-than-perfect tarmac. But happily this is not the case. Yes, the ride is firm and thumps over sharp bumps, but it doesn’t get as uncomfortable as you would expect. Of course, it’s nowhere near the cosseting you get in a Mercedes-Benz M-class.

You would expect a lot of space inside but you’ll be disappointed. The X6 is a pure four-seater and rear accommodation-given the slope of the roofline-is not impressive. BMW has done what it can; there’s plenty of shoulder room and the cabin roof is contoured to allow as much headroom as possible. Legroom is perfectly acceptable, but there’s no getting away from the fact that anyone of above-average height will probably feel cramped, especially given the X6’s high waistline.

Up front, space is fantastic though. There’s enough headroom, legroom and width to make finding a comfortable position on the snug seats easy. The building blocks of the interior are basically the same as the X5, including the entire dashboard, front centre console and door trims. The cabin is a fine place to be in, thanks to its high-quality construction and well thought-out design. If we could find fault with it, it would be that it looks too much like any other BMW cabin.

Oh, and the rearward visibility through that small rear windshield is pathetic. Reversing and parking can be a nightmare in the confines of the city. You do get parking sensor, but a reverse camera is sorely missed. It is an expensive option though.

As expected, fuel efficiency is dismal. With a high kerb weight and a huge engine, this car feels like it can empty a petrol pump if you drive by too fast. For the record, we got 3.3kpl in the city and 5.1kpl on the highway. So, despite the 85-litre fuel tank, you’ll be visiting fuel pumps quite often too. You can take consolation in the fact that the fuel is getting used to provide some serious fun.

BMW X6 X Drive 501
AUTOCAR VERDICT

The X6 costs Rs 1.09 crore. At this price and for this kind of car, desirability, sex appeal and performance are everything. Here the X6 excels. It can outrun most sports cars, stand out of the crowd in most parking lots, and has the added bonus of its willingness to be taken by the scruff of its neck and driven hard. It’s a sports car on stilts. Yes, the ride could have been better, it could have been more spacious, lighter and more frugal. If you need the practicality of an Suv, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for a sports car and an Suv, then here’s both.

BMW launched the X3 in India a year ago but you could have missed it. With only the high-revving but thirsty 2.5 petrol on offer, demand was bound to be limited. SUVs must have a diesel engine if they are to stands a chance and that’s exactly what BMW is now offering is its junior 4X4.

The X3’s two-litre diesel, the same as in the 320d develops 177bhp which gives this compact SUV enough poke to breech the 10-second barrier to 100kph. What is even more useful is the generous amounts of torque accessible from as little as low as 1500rpm to make the X3 driver-friendly in traffic. Add to this the well matched gear ratios and a responsive gearbox and town driving is pleasure. While the 2.0d will never invigorate the driver in the way a smooth petrol six-cylinder can, in-gear performance is strong – 20-80kph takes only 5.7sec, which is good for a car weighing 1825kg. It doesn’t fall short on the highway either. There’s enough grunt from the engine and it can effortlessly maintain triple-digit speeds.

The 2.0-litre displays few of a diesel engine’s less endearing characteristics. There is slight clatter from cold, but once the oil is warm this engine is mostly refined and at cruising speeds, it is barely audible. It’s only under hard acceleration that you can feel the ever-so-small vibration through the steering wheel. Even at the rev limiter, where most diesels sound agonisingly strained, this engine seems unstressed. It does lack the cultured, mechanical whirr of the BMW’ six-cylinder diesels though.

BMW’s diesel motors have earned a fine reputation for low consumption and the X3 delivers an impressive 9.3kpl in the city and 12.5kpl on the highway, which is pretty good considering its weight and large frontal area.

The X3 also handles like a BMW should. It sits on an E46 3-series saloon chassis, which is not a bad starting point. There is no ladder-frame chassis or air springs here, only a set of MacPherson struts suspending the front wheels and trailing arms tying down the rear, with anti-roll bars at both ends.

It also has BMW’s xDrive, a permanent all-wheel-drive system. Working via a multi-plate clutch, it divides power in a 40:60 ratio between the front and rear axles under normal conditions. It is also able to re-direct almost all the power of the engine to one single axle, if conditions demand it. Clubbed With the traction and stability control systems, grip is outstanding and the way you can hustle it through twisty roads is scarcely believable.

The X3’s hydraulic steering rack comes as a pleasant surprise too. At parking speeds, it requires less effort to twirl than a 3-series. Speed up, and it becomes amazingly accurate and confidence-inspiring. It doesn’t have the saloon’s sharp off-centre responses, but this may be a concession given to make it friendlier off-road. With 201mm of ground clearance and hill-descent control, it can handle a bit of the rough stuff too, but ultimately you’ll be restricted by the lack of a set of law range gear ratios.

Pleasant surprises continue when you discover the ‘not-so-BMW’ ride. Yes, the setup is stiff and at lower speeds, sharp vertical movement over bumps is tad excessive, but the ride is never harsh and the suspension never crashes through craters. This is largely due to the Pirelli Scorpion road-biased tyres, which are not ride-corrupting run-flats. And yes, the X3 gets a full size spare wheel.

Stepping into the X3, you’ll find the seating position is midway between climbing up into an SUV and sliding down into a saloon. You won’t like the patchy cabin quality either which stints on essentials like the iDrive. The layout itself is sensible and attractive, but the shiny, finish of the centre console (especially the wood finish) is not good enough for a car of this price. That aside, the interior is a fine place to be. The high seating position provides the X3 driver with a clear view ahead, making it easy to place the car in tight traffic, yet it is low enough that you feel in touch with the road.

The X3 has more room than you’d expect, even for rear seat passengers. The seats are supportive, with enough shoulder room for three. The cavernous boot is a surprise too – it has a low sill and a humongous 1560 litres of space with the rear seats folded.

The Nevada Saddle leather brown seat upholstery on our car was a point of contention between the testers. But BMW has an extensive options list to suit your taste. Of course, some of the options are exorbitantly priced, like the panoramic sunroof, which costs a cool Rs 1.5 lakh, or the Xenon lights package, which costs Rs 1.1 lakh.

The equipment list is generous though. The driver’s seat is powered and has seat memory, there’s a six-CD changer in the centre armrest, parking sensors, climate control, auto lights, wipers and cruise control come standard. There’s no iDrive system though.

The X3 2.0d costs Rs 47.41 lakh. It’s a negligible Rs 1 lakh cheaper than the petrol X3 but to put it in perspective, it’s a whopping Rs 11.5 lakh pricier than the 320d saloon with which it shares many bits. The price difference would have been less if, like the 3-series, the X3 was assembled in India but like all imports it is subject to punitive duties.

BMW X3
AUTOCAR VERDICT
THE IDEAL BIMMER FOR INDIA, EXCEPT FOR THE PRICE.

The X3 diesel is brilliant. The fantastic handling, decent interior space, good ground clearance, adequate power and acceptable ride are what really appealed to us. The fact that all this is wrapped in a compact, easy-to-manoeuvre package only sweetens the deal. We may even prefect this car over the 3-series as a driver’s car Sacrilegious as it may sound. there are downsides though. For some, for whom size and presence are important, its compact dimensions may work against it. BMW also forgot to tick the box marked affordable – it’s an import, so it costs Rs 47.41 lakh after duty, and that’s expensive. still, if you can ignore the price and get behind the wheel, you will find the diesel X3 to be the most appropriate BMW for India yet.

However, the auto ‘box does a good job, especially in traffic. Gearshifts are smooth and the gearbox always seems to select the right gear for the situation. This ‘box also overcomes some of this ‘box also overcomes some of this 148bhp, 2.0-litre common-rail diesel’s inherent turbo-lag and smoothens out the power delivery. Upshifts are quick and in manual mode in hang on to the selected ratio until the redline, at which point it automatically upshifts. If there is one grouse, it’s the sluggish kickdown; the ‘box hesitates before shifting down and can make tightly timed overtaking manoeuvres quite tricky. However, the auto ‘box hasn’t seriously blunted the Captiva’s performance. It can still cross 180kph and reaches 100kph in 12 seconds, which is not far adrift of the manual car’s time. Fuel economy though is penalised and the Captiva returned 7.8kpl to the manual’s 9.5kpl in the city cycle.

The rest of the car is almost the same. The interiors are well equipped and the seats get progressively more comfortable as you move from the rear to the front. The tiny third row is best for small kids, the middle row is comfy, albeit a bit short on thigh support, but the front seats are really generous with good height which give the driver great visibility. However, the D-pillar does limit visibility while reversing.

There’s lots of kit too like powered seats, climate control, parking sensor and that nifty compass/ air con info/trip computer display.

Four-wheel drive hasn’t changed the Captiva’s dynamics significantly. It still has the same mushy and benign handling, thanks largely to the lifeless steering and a ride quality that feels a bit unsettled at low speeds. It’s not a sloppy car to drive but it’s not sporty either.

Should you buy the Captiva auto? It depends on how important clutchless driving is to you. In this case, you have to pay a lot for features like four-wheel drive that you won’t really care to use. You might want to think about this one before spending the extra cash.