Jag Daniel's

Jag Daniel'sThere is no doubt that Jaguar had the Mercedes-Benz E350CDI and BMW 530d in its sight when it introduced the 271bhp Diesel S model to its XF range in India. Before this, the XF was available only with a powerful yet thirsty petrol V8 engine. With the XF S,...

Apr 17, 2025

Accent VS Etios VS Logan VS Swift Dzire

Overview A new challenger. Maruti has been ruling the entry level sedan roost with the Dzire, while Mahindra's Logan and Hyundai's Accent have been doing reasonably well too. But, a new Toyota has been drawing the crowds lately. So, is the Etios really better? We find out The world is...

Apr 17, 2025

FINAL REPORT

LONG TERMER REPORT Odo: 18170km Mileage: 13.7kpl Kilometres clocked since last report: 970 Some things are good when they are fresh or new, like vegetables, paint and supposedly marriage (well well!), while others get better as they age viz. pickle, wine, alcohol and women (U La La!). The Skoda Laura...

Apr 17, 2025

Fiat Linea VS Hyundai Verna Transform VS Maruti Suzuki SX4 VS VW Vento

Overview Changing Priorities With travel distances going up, diesel is becoming the preferred fuel, especially in the C-segment. And now there’s another option in the form of the SX4 diesel. But, how good is it? Everyone begins their day in a unique way. Some get up early and go for...

Apr 17, 2025

A sea change

IntroductionVolkswagen launched the new Passat in India only a week back and we have now driven it in India. To begin with, the new Passat isn’t a new generation car, but one that has heavily been reworked, be it looks, mechanicals, equipment or technology. Moreover, unlike the previous car which...

Apr 17, 2025

Generation change

Introduction The Verna which Hyundai launched way back in 2006 was a replacement for the aging Accent the world over. However in India, the company positioned it above the Accent. In spite of being quite modern for the time, one could still link the two cars. Then, in line with...

Apr 17, 2025

Affordable commute machine

Introduction Forget about horsepower, quarter-mile drag strips or even racetracks; the most important aspect for most of us Indians is the number of kilometres a car can clock on a single litre of fuel. Not surprisingly, automobile manufacturers too have been harping about this particular aspect lately to get our...

Apr 17, 2025

Changing priorities

Introduction My day begins by deleting all the spam text messages I receive on my cell phone. Now, while some of those messages are about curing baldness and obesity, and some about enhancing your manhood, most of them are about new residential projects. Projects, which with their conveniences, will shame...

Apr 17, 2025

Boom Boom Bimmer

Introduction Introduction: December 2010 was a great month for BMW as it unveiled a product that was its cheapest yet, the X1. But, the trust in BMW ensured buyers did not look down upon it; instead they jumped at it. The result was massive bookings and a long wait of...

Apr 17, 2025

Road Runner

Introduction Rolex is synonymous with luxury time pieces; Johnnie Walker with the finest blended whiskeys and Vertu with obscenely expensive cell phones. Similarly, Land Rover is known for its rugged-looking sports utility vehicles that are capable of crawling over the most difficult of terrains while cosseting its occupants in opulence....

Apr 17, 2025

The burble wagon

Introduction The birth of the G-Wagon was a result of the requirement of the German. Actually the Germans wanted their own squad carrier and Mercedes created the Galendawagen, German for ‘Cross country vehicle.’ However the G-Wagon soon caught fancy with civilians and over the years, Mercedes has been giving it...

Apr 17, 2025

Stunning Swede

Introduction Volvo has dramatically changed as a carmaker, and all for the better. It’s no more just a brand married to safety; it’s now associated with beautiful automobiles, vehicles one would love to drive and own. The transformation began with the handsome XC60 city centric SUV, which is now widely...

Apr 17, 2025

Fiat Punto Vs Skoda Fabia Vs Tata Indica Vista Vs Volkswagen Polo

Overview In India 1.2-litre engines rule the petrol hatchback roost. But what about the odd guy who wants something other than the run of the mill? Here are four hatchbacks that the odd guy defi nitely needs to check out…. Out of sight, out of mind. It’s an old English...

Apr 17, 2025

Get a Wing Driver

Introduction Space and efficient diesel engines have always been the USP of Tata cars. The recently introduced Winger Platinum, a new version of Tata’s large people carrier, the Winger, now gets seven seats rather than 10 to 14 available on the other variants. Tata claims the Winger Platinum to be...

Apr 17, 2025

The Fellowship of the Ring

Introduction Audi India has been firing on all cylinders since the start of 2011. The Ingolstadt-based automaker started the year with launch of A8L with the 4.2FSI engine which we drove earlier this January, followed by the V10 and Spyder versions of the R8. At the side, Audi has been...

Apr 17, 2025