Innehållsförteckning för September 2022 från Car India

AFTER EXPERIENCING a record-breaking quarter and a record-breaking H1 in 2022, Škoda Auto India have now broken yet another sales record by selling the most vehicles – 37,586 units to be precise — in their 20+year history in India. India is now the third largest market in the world for Škoda cars, after Germany and the Czech Republic. The last time Škoda achieved such high sales was when it sold 34,678 vehicles in 2012. The company registered 4,222 cars in August 2022, which is up 10 per cent from the corresponding period last year. With the introduction of INDIA 2.0 in 2018, the groundwork for this accomplishment was laid. At the time, INDIA 2.0 was a path-breaking project that included all new, made-for-India products built on made-for-India platforms. INDIA 2.0…

India has seen a surge in numbers post the pandemic revival. How has this reflected in your sales? We have recorded our biggest year ever in India within the first eight months of 2022. These outstanding results have enabled India to rank among the top three markets for Škoda Auto globally in the first half of this year. A big contribution to fulfilling our global ambitions is coming from India. We are well on track to more than double our sales in 2022 over last year. Our success gives us tremendous confidence for a long-term and sustainable journey in India, which is an integral part of all future strategy planning. So, does the future look good for you in India? We have to grow step by step. Given our current…

MARUTI SUZUKI ARE INDIA’S LEADING automakers and by some margin with anywhere between 40 and 50 per cent market share over the past few years, at times earlier even more than that; it’s not inaccurate to say that half the cars on the road are Maruti Suzukis and the remaining half is everybody else. Now times are a-changing. New norms and regulations necessitate deeper study, research, and testing and Maruti Suzuki were ahead of the curve even there. World-class cars need world-class resources and we were given an insight into the Maruti Suzuki R&D Centre in Rohtak, Haryana. Spread over 600 acres, this research and development centre in Rohtak is one of the most advanced facilities in India and among the best in Asia. The integrated R&D Centre has state-of-the-art…

THE MID-SIZE SUV SEGMENT, REVITALISED by the Renault Duster over a decade ago, is a bustling space today and, while it has long been dominated by a handful of names, Toyota are no strangers to the segment although their absence has been puzzling. Yaris Cross? Pass. C-HR? Never mind. RAV4? Nope. Venza? Ditto. Enter the Hyryder. The alliance between the two Indo-Japanese majors, Toyota and Suzuki, has seen some fruitful collaborations in the Baleno-Glanza and the Brezza-Urban Cruiser badge-engineering efforts. The third goes a little deeper with an Atkinson-cycle petrol engine from the Toyota New Generation Architecture (TNGA) family appearing in both, the new Hyryder and the Grand Vitara. The Urban Cruiser Hyryder brings a refreshing new design with styling akin to the Venza’s, a mid-size coupé SUV sold in…

ORDINARILY, THIS WOULD BE THE dullest of driving environments. A nondescript stretch of dual carriageway, in steady drizzle, in a forgettable bit of Germany. But in the Daytona SP3, it feels like a stint at Le Mans in the late 1960s or early ’70s. The trees the other side of the grey Armco are rushing past in Cinemascope and beads of rain elongate and slide across the deeply bowled screen like speed-line graphics in a sci-fi jump to hyperspace. They are interrupted by a central single wiper blade, just like a classic sports prototype. Two curving humps over the front wheel-arches frame the view ahead through the wraparound screen, topped by staggered mirrors. They reflect a rooster-tail of spray, trailing the sound of a big-capacity naturally aspirated V12. That is…

F1 Belgium & Netherlands IN A ONE-TWO FOR RED BULL with Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen overcame his grid penalties to win the Belgian Grand Prix in 2022 from P14 on the grid. Pole-sitter Carlos Sainz finished P3 for Ferrari. At Les Combes on lap one, Lewis Hamilton collided into Fernando Alonso’s Alpine, removing the Mercedes from the race. On lap two, a Safety Car was brought out when Valtteri Bottas spun out while attempting to evade Nicholas Latifi. Verstappen lined up eighth for the restart, while Sainz took the lead from Perez. Leclerc had to pit for medium tyres due to a tear-off in his brake duct. Verstappen quickly dispatched the cars in front, moving into P3 by lap eight and leaving only Perez and Sainz for him to overtake.…

NEW THIS MONTH AUDI Q3 The new Q3 brings in sharper styling o go with its larger size and added features. Prices start from Rs 44.89 lakh (ex) FERRARI 296 The first V6-hybrid Fezza is out now in India in GTB (coupé) and GTS (Spyder) guises, priced from Rs 5.40 lakh (ex, recommended) INDEX 93 ASTON MARTIN, AUDI 94 BENTLEY 95 BMW 96 CITROËN, FERRARI 97 FORCE MOTORS, HONDA 98 HYUNDAI 99 ISUZU, JAGUAR 100 JEEP, KIA 101 LAMBORGHINI, LAND ROVER 102 LEXUS, MAHINDRA 104 MARUTI SUZUKI 105 MASERATI, McLAREN 106 MERCEDES-BENZ 107 MINI, MORRIS GARAGES 108 NISSAN, PORSCHE 109 RENAULT 110 ROLLS-ROYCE, ŠKODA 111 TATA MOTORS 112 TOYOTA 114 VOLKSWAGEN, VOLVO LEGENDS PRICES Ex-showroom, Pune (subject to change) BO: Available only by order NA: Price not available FEATURES F:…

MAHINDRA JUST MADE A SLEW OF announcements, including the introduction of five new EV SUV prototypes, a significant merger, the launch of a new electric sub-brand, and the display of their brand-new, cutting-edge design studio in Banbury, England. In order to supply electric components for Mahindra’s new Electric SUV family, the company has chosen to collaborate with Volkswagen for their MEB (Modular Electric Toolkit) and has signed a term agreement. This is a significant development for both businesses. Along with the provision of EV parts, Mahindra and Volkswagen are looking into expanding their partnership to include platform sharing and cell production, which would not be restricted to just India. Additionally, the two businesses will look into additional possibilities for cooperation, opening the door to a larger strategic alliance to hasten…

WHEN WE SAY TOP-SECRET, WE MEAN it. Phone cameras were taped off and the phones themselves were locked away before we could proceed inside. Long story short, we drove not one but all three powertrain combinations of the new Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara—in preproduction prototype form—and came away impressed. The route was a mix of high-speed banked oval, highway-speed straight and bends, and also city conditions at lower speeds complete with speed-breakers. With the sun beating down at half to noon, we set off to experience their next big thing. The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara is an all-new mid-size SUV measuring 4,345 millimetres long and running a 2.6-metre wheelbase. It’s large, spacious, and feels like an enhanced, much larger and more premium version of the Vitara Brezza, which, in many…

THE COMPACT HATCHBACK MARKET IS NO longer what it used to be. Several hatchbacks have been axed over the past few years, some due to norms, some due to evolution, and some others, sadly, owing to unfortunate circumstances. The Volkswagen Polo, Skoda Fabia, FIAT Punto, Ford Figo, Honda Brio, Chevrolet Beat, Hyundai Eon and Santro, Nissan Micra, Renault Pulse, and Datsun redi-GO are just some of the names in a long list of casualties from increasing compact SUV sales. Even the sedan market has been victim to those, by the way. Nevertheless, the long-time segment leader in compact cars, Maruti Suzuki, have kept their game strong with everything from the Alto 800 and new Alto K10 to the Swift and Baleno. We were in Kochi to drive the new car…

MANUFACTURERS OF ELECTRIC vehicles (EV) have taken it upon themselves to overcome range anxiety, which has been the main obstacle in the adoption of EV. One company that is doing this with its electrified technology is Mercedes-Benz. In the Indian market, Mercedes-Benz have unveiled the brand-new Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ electric vehicle. Since the new EV is produced by the “AMG” division, it gains access to sportier dynamics for ride, handling, and performance. The brand-new AMG EQS 53 is a Mercedes-Benz premium sports sedan that runs entirely on electricity. In India, it costs Rs 2.45 crore, which is Rs 88 lakh more than the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Rs 1.38 crore more than the Mercedes EQC SUV. Mercedes-AMG vehicles have long been known for being loud and brazen. Consider a few…

F1 Belgium & Netherlands IN A THRILLING 2022 DUTCH Grand Prix, Max Verstappen maintained his lead despite a robust Mercedes performance and late Safety Car drama at Zandvoort. George Russell and Charles Leclerc completed the podium. Verstappen appeared to be in control of the race after making a second pit stop during a virtual safety car on lap 48. Hamilton and Russell were in second and third, respectively, after extending their initial runs on medium tyres (while their competitors had started on softs) to pit for hards, which they were quick on. However, Hamilton’s aspirations of winning were shattered by what happened after a lap 55 Safety Car. On lap 61, Verstappen, Russell, and Leclerc entered the race on soft tyres after Verstappen had stayed out on mediums to take…

BULLETIN AUTOMOTIVE NEWS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD LEGENDARY BRITISH LUXURY SUPERCAR MAKER MCLAREN Automotive are all set to paint the town Papaya Orange with official communication coming in that confirms their imminent entry into the Indian market. It will be the brand’s 41st global territory. McLaren have appointed Infinity Cars as their first official retail partner in India. Infinity Cars shall operate the McLaren retail business under the name “McLaren Mumbai”. The opening of the first retail outlet is slated for October 2022. McLaren’s arrival in India forms a key part of the marque’s global expansion plans and extends the brand’s already well-established and growing presence in the Asia-Pacific region. McLaren’s range of supercars and hypercars are among the finest with a high level of personalisation, advanced technology, and…

GUJARAT IS INDEED A TRAVELLER’S dream thanks to its colourful culture, delectable cuisine, stunning tourist destinations, and the friendly people all around this magnificent state. The easiest way for us to explore is to set out on a road trip to Gujarat’s tourist attractions. In terms of both size and population, Gujarat is the sixth largest state in India. Beaches, temples, and mediaeval cities are Gujarat’s most famous attractions. Wildlife reserves and hill resorts are also available to the keen traveller, helping to show off the best of the state to its guests. Gujarat offers a wide variety of experiences to the curious traveller: from charming traditions and culture to mouth-watering cuisine, stunning landscapes, exhilarating animals, and a rich civilization with origins dating back more than 4,000 years. Now let…

Rajesh Jejurikar Congratulations on revealing five stunning new models. Could you tell us more about the partnership with the Volkswagen Group? We have entered into an agreement with VW Group, allowing us to take rapid strides in the Born EV space. The partnership focuses on the use of MEB electric components on Mahindra’s new “Born Electric” platform: INGLO. The cutting-edge INGLO platform gives us a global stage upfront and we are confident to replicate our recent success stories in the EV space also. The shared objective of the two companies is to electrify the automotive market in India, which is one of the key growth markets and an important element in the global decarbonisation of the mobility sector. With this Volkswagen alliance we are integrating the entire backend of the…

WE HAVE PUSHED OUR LUCK. McLaren need the Artura back in an hour. We are busy enjoying some spectacular canyon roads a good bit more than an hour north of the car’s scheduled return point in Marbella. Distance and time are going to require a little stretching here. So is fuel. My eyes are darting back and forth from the distance-to-destination on the Google Maps display (linked from my phone to the new infotainment screen) to the estimated range on the new instrument cluster. They are within a mile of each other. This could be interesting. All of which makes this a perfect final test to conclude our 500 kilometres with the Artura. This is, after all, a car that needs to be fabulously engaging to drive and to handle…

TO BE HONEST, I HAVE NEVER BEEN much of a Lamborghini man—which is weird. I had a Countach poster on my bedroom wall as a kid and, as a road tester, I have enjoyed some stellar drives in Murcielagos, Huracáns, and Aventadors. But I have never actually wanted to own one. It is pure fantasy anyway—I could barely afford a bull-branded brolly—but in my head I have never seen myself as a Lambo owner. Maybe, they are a bit too bling; maybe (in the past, at least), a bit crude. But everything has changed now: this Lamborghini I really want. I want to own it, I want to look at it every morning, I want to drive it every day, and I want the engine noise as my mobile phone…

WRC Belguim THE BELGIAN DRIVER’S hopes of a repeat home victory were dashed when his Hyundai i20 N teammate and long-time leader, Thierry Neuville, understeered off the road and into a ditch late on the penultimate day. The Estonian driver took over the lead. With four quick and crisp asphalt speed tests in the Flanders region for Sunday’s last stage, Secto Rally Finland champion Tänak had an 8.2-second lead over Elfyn Evans. Evans, the hero of the Toyota GR Yaris, was not going down without a fight. He set the quickest timings on the first two stages, but he was unable to overtake the leader. Similar events occurred in the afternoon and, although outrunning his competitor by 2.2 seconds near the finish-line, the Welshman was unable to surpass Tänak who…