A question of convenience

Introduction Fact files – the Honda Brio gets five-speed automatic torque convertor gearbox from the City – first in segment, but without paddle shifts. The company claims ARAI fuel efficiency 16.5kpl. The Honda Brio automatic will be launched on 18 October and will be available in two variants – S(O)...

Apr 20, 2025

On Sail soon

Introduction Let’s get the elephant in the corner out of the way. GM India doesn’t have a proper offering in the premium hatchback segment, and that’s where both the numbers and the money lies. Even relatively new players in the Indian market like Renault and Volkswagen are making a concerted...

Apr 20, 2025

Change of guard

IntroductionIt is India's largest selling car and clearly the most preferred among first time car buyers. For good reason too - The Alto is cheap to buy, is fuel efficient and comes with the peace of mind of Maruti's huge service network. It hasn't been losing steam either managing 20,000...

Apr 20, 2025

Brawn Again

Introduction The Tata Safari has had quite a fan following. It has been the favourite of low-key politicians, budding builders and local goons, besides some men who felt the need to project a macho image with the car they drove. And, the Safari without doubt has been conveying this 'macho'...

Apr 20, 2025

Night rider

Introduction Why change something that is not broken? Porsches has been using the same philosophy for years; closer to us Maruti has successfully applied the strategy for its best sellers like the M800 and the Alto. But Ford has changed the Figo already. It still sells in decent numbers, so...

Apr 20, 2025

Honda Amaze i-DTEC FD

Introduction Even without turning a wheel, there’s a sense that Honda has got it right, yet again. And this stems from the fact that present among us for the very first drive of this new car are the engine and product development heads. And as our interaction reveals, they aren’t...

Apr 20, 2025

Hyundai Eon vs Maruti-Suzuki Alto 800

OverviewThe ideal first step. Both these cars are bought mainly by first time car buyers. But the debate rages on about which of the two one should settle for. AUTO BILD INDIA finds the answer.Till a few years back the decision to buy your first car was fairly a straightforward...

Apr 20, 2025

Scaling Scala AT

Introduction There is a surge in number of automatic cars in the Indian market, not just in the premium segments but also in the hatchback and entry-level sedan segment. And there is nothing wrong with that if you look at the traffic conditions in metros across the country. Of course,...

Apr 20, 2025

2013 Audi Q5

Introduction Let me admit that I wasn’t really looking forward to driving the petrol Q5. After all, even if you are a person with enough money to drop on a car that costs as much as a house in the far-flung suburbs of Mumbai, you’d still want the performance *cough*efficiency*cough*...

Apr 20, 2025

BMW 3-series

Introduction Sachin Tendulkar launched this in India! That itself is enough for me to go bonkers over. But the excitement didn’t die when I got what I wanted;by the end of second day with the 3-Series I just didn’t want to return it. The 320d Sport Line is not the...

Apr 20, 2025

Honda Amaze first drive

Introduction Diesel. It is what powers eighty per cent of new cars sold in India today, and diesel variants are proving not only more efficient, but quicker than their petrol counterparts as well. Honda, as a Japanese manufacturer, has never had a wide range of diesel engines, although there has...

Apr 20, 2025

Poles Apart

Introduction The Polo GT TSI sorely tempts me to write about the all the hatchbacks that we love – draw parallels with few of the all-time bests and make claims that might set tongues wagging. But that will have to wait till we do a full road-test and back it...

Apr 20, 2025

Ford EcoSport First Drive

Introduction We first saw the EcoSport a year and a half ago at the Auto Expo 2012, where it was shown to the world for the first time. It has been quite a wait since then, but it doesn’t seem to have dulled the thirst the masses have for this...

Apr 20, 2025

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Introduction A concept car is a thing of beauty. It is what little boys and grown men alike dream of, and when a car makes it to production in the same form that it was displayed as a concept, it is a reason to rejoice, for bits of our dreams...

Apr 20, 2025

Nissan Micra facelift

Introduction Value. It is what the Indian consumer is looking for. Whether it is the world’s cheapest car or the best car in the world, we want the most bang for our buck, and this is most apparent in our market’s fast-growing hatchback segment. There are two ways to approach...

Apr 20, 2025