Archive for the ‘Car Reviews’ Category

Chevrolet Beat – Design and Styling

The Chevrolet Beat’s face is inspired from a Cheetah’s. Not sure if the designer was viewing Wild Discovery while drafting this car, but the entire design from bumper to bumper is packed with cuts, curves and bends. The design is inspired from a moving cheetah, I’d say. A cheetah moving in for the kill.

Though the Cheetah face isn’t very evident, what is is its close resemblance to the concept car. GM’s design team did not go beyond the first draft while freezing the production model’s design. They stuck to the pull back headlamps, rising window line and muscular wheel arches.

For once I can say loudly that not all car manufacturers bring imaginary cars to auto shows. The real world now has a foreigner arriving from that location.

How does it stand apart in the most crowded segment in the country, where almost 70% of cars sold are hatchbacks?

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Entry posted on March 14th, 2010 and filed under Car Reviews, New Chevrolet Spark

IAB Garage – Chevrolet Beat 1.2 LT

The Chevrolet Beat LT is in our garage this week

Launches, media drives and interviews, lately these were very frequent on IAB. We are back now to full test drive reports of the latest offerings from auto manufacturers in the country. In the next few days, we will be performing an extensive drive of the small offering from big American automaker which has to turn voluminous to veer towards the top three in the country. Yes we will be testing the top-end Chevrolet Beat to give u a full detailed review.

Before starting up with the drive let’s list out points which we expect Beat to prove itself:

1. How does it stand apart in the most crowded segment in the country, where almost 70% of cars sold are hatchbacks?
2. Now almost every new Hatchback sold in the country runs on 1.2 Ltr powerhouse, how does this drive?
3. Does it have a big car feel inside?
4. How thirsty is it, no review in India is complete without this question.
5. Is it VFM (Value For Money)?
6. Will it cut a hole in my pocket to maintain this?
7. Can it be an answer to the most desirable Maruti or the well liked Hyundai?
8. And the most important one, does it set my heart beating rapidly?

Well to see the answers of all the above be glued to IAB for the updates.

IAB would also be keen in answering any more points that you might want to add. Feel free to use the comments box below.

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Entry posted on March 13th, 2010 and filed under Car Reviews, New Chevrolet Spark

Ford Fiesta 1.6S – How it drives

Ford Fiesta 1.6S - 19

As mentioned in the initial impression report, this is the sport variant in the Fiesta line-up and you feel it once inside its cabin – the dash made of Ebony blue and black with a hint of brushed aluminium lend it a sporty touch.

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Entry posted on September 12th, 2009 and filed under Car Reviews, Ford

Ford Fiesta 1.6S – Initial Impressions

Ford Fiesta 1.6S - 16

Now that we’re finished the road test of the new Honda City, we were dying to find out how the Ford Fiesta 1.6 Duratec compares. We managed to get it in our garage for a few days and here’s our initial impressions.

How different is it to the normal Fiesta?

To begin with, the Fiesta S is on the Indian roads for some time now and the Diesel TDCI variant is the Fiesta to buy.

But for the true blue petrol head, the right Fiesta is this 1.6 Duratec variant. With a stiffened suspension setup and a powerful 101 PS engine, this one has broader tyres with big alloys to go with it. Adding to the sporty looks, Ford has finished the exterior with a fish tail spoiler and sporty side skirts.

On the inside, surfaces are on the darker side with a touch of aluminium is present on the dash and door handles. The pedals are lifted off a rally car, they are finished in metal and have rubber dots in them. Airbags are standard and the mirrors are power assisted.

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Entry posted on September 12th, 2009 and filed under Car Reviews, Ford

One day with the Tata Indica Vista

After my harrowing experience with the Tata Indigo DICOR, I decided to try other Tata products including the Sumo Grande and the Indica DICOR to see what else could make me giggle.

I’ll speak about the Indica and Sumo some other time as what I commuted in today is nothing short of its mountain’s king.

The Tata Indica Vista was my official car for the whole of today. When I waved good bye, close to a 100 kms was clocked on it, mostly through the expressways and the rest in the congested, confused and complicated Chennai city traffic.

We were the first ones to bring a full pictorial review of the Indica Vista to the internet. I remember that day vividly. Back then we were not allowed to take it out for a spin since the official launch was not done. It should have been a few days before the launch and that was enough to get us excited.

It was I and Harish Kumar (a.k.a. Harry) who experienced the truly jaw-dropping Tata. It was not an Indica in any aspect. Gaps were tightened, surfaces were softened, levers and knobs were fine-tuned and the steering wheel was not the diameter of a well anymore.

We had begun blogging back then. To see a car that was yet to be launched right in front of our eyes was not a daily event. We were carried away. We wrote the plastics were in reach of international standards. Yes, it was a stupid comment.

How was the Indica Vista today?

Believe it or not, I never knew I was driving a diesel variant until the accompanying person informed me after I complained about its slightly noisy character past the 3.5k RPM mark.

No, I’m not making this up.

With that said, let me split up the review into different parts so that we cover the basics.

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Entry posted on September 10th, 2009 and filed under Car Reviews, Tata

Test Drive – Chevrolet Captiva LTZ AWD in detail

Chevrolet Captiva LTZ AWD - 8

Engine

The Captiva comes with 2.0 litre VCDI (Variable Common Diesel Injection) Engine that churns out 150 Bhp and around 320 Nm of earth moving torque, this is basically the same engine that comes in Optra magnum minus the Variable Geometry Turbo.

Start the engine in the morning and you will realize it I am sitting inches away an Diesel engine. But as it settles after some time, and by the time you have clocked the first few kilometers, it turns ultra-refined and silent. The engine has already won accolades amongst power junkies for its sheer torque and performance in manual guise. The engine manages fairly well with everyday driving and expressway drives. Considering its almost 2 tonnes which makes it almost as heavy as Endeavour, this 4-cylinder unit does a decent job propelling the Captiva forward with utmost ease.

Gear Box

When I first drove the manual cousin of this Chevy I had to say this “like all the Chevy products in India, this Gearbox lives up to its family image of spoiling the party” but in this avatar the tranny has actually turned the cards in favor of Captiva. The drivability has improved by miles and the drive feels far more relaxing and enjoyable. There’s a tiptronic which can make you drive in manual mode too to satisfy Schummi inside you. The Auto box has got some limitations also it’s not very quick to shift as compared to the CR-V but the low end torque from the motor and taller gear ratios can make it on par with petrol competition.

Ride & Handling

This macho machine rides on 17” wheels which offer it one of the best ride qualities you can find in any SUV at this price point. The Captiva feels home on any tarmac and ride is supple and comforting. Though when I received the vehicle I found it to be bit bouncy but soon found out the culprit to be the over-pressured tyresand after re- pressuring the tyres to the correct level, the Captiva was ready to make the rides enjoyable.

The steering offers decent feedback and always responds to your ask, though it gets bit vague as it builds speed because of the bit softer suspension setup.

The Handling has also improved from its manual cousin because of the AWD, though you still can’t expect it to be in the leagues of CR-V which drives like a sedan. AWD system in Captiva majorly works as a front wheel drive but it detects and offers traction to the rear wheels as and when required, thus inspiring more confidence while cornering. Because of its size and higher ground clearance it has a bit of body roll but all in acceptable limits and it never rises to your alarming senses.

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Entry posted on September 7th, 2009 and filed under Car Reviews, Chevrolet

Test Drive – Chevrolet Captiva LTZ AWD Interiors

Exteriors:-

Chevrolet Captiva LTZ AWD Interiors - 21

The Captiva is one of the most handsome looking SUVs money can buy. Look at those big chunky head lamps, roof rails and huge OVRm’s which provide awesome visibility.

Stand in front of it and you realize its imposing dimensions. The most attractive part is its front-end. But the same can’t be said about its rear which is absolutely plain and makes you feel like it’s a MUV rather than a SUV.

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Entry posted on September 3rd, 2009 and filed under Car Reviews, Chevrolet

Initial Impressions – Chevrolet Captiva LTZ AWD

Chevrolet Captiva LTZ AWD - 2

Not often we see at Indians Autos blog, torquey engines added with auto gearboxes driving all wheels. This is exactly what I’m piloting today – From behind the steering wheel of the Chevy Captiva Automatic AWD, which GM India handed us hours back, I can see everything on the road. What a view!

This is the only SUV at this price which offers a diesel motor along with the auto tranny. For the next four days I will be telling you about each and every aspect of this SUV.

Before going in for the test details let me put forth a brief history of the Captiva -

The Chevrolet Captiva is a crossover SUV derived from the Chevrolet S3X concept car of 2004. The Captiva is based on the GM Theta platform. It is also called as Daewoo Winstorm and is developed by General Motors’ (GM) South Korean subsidiary, GM-Daewoo.

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Entry posted on August 28th, 2009 and filed under Car Reviews, Chevrolet

Test Drive – Hyundai i20 CRDi Asta – Likes and Dislikes

Hyundai i20 CRDi cabin space - 3

After spending almost a week with the i20, this is how we sum up -

Things we dislike -

1. Soft suspension during city drives.
2. Music system sound quality could have been better.
3. Absence of a live fuel mileage meter.
4. Rear seats offering less thigh support.
5. Horn provided is inappropriate for India.
6. Seats could have been leather at least in the top-end variant.
7. Gear shifting could be better, the Hyundai Verna diesel has one of the best gear shift feel in the Hyundai line-up.
8. Rear headroom is less due to the swooping roofline for tall passengers.
9. Instrument cluster backlight dimming function not present.
10. Absence of the front quarter glass like the which could come in handy during turning.
11. Price. Due to the level of export content, Hyundai is unable to offer this car at a lower price. If they did, it would mean even more VFM.
12. Absence of bottle holders or map pockets on the rear door pads.
13. Absence of vanity mirror on the sun visor.
14. Seat belt height adjuster absent.

Things we like -

1. Awesome engine with up market feel and refinement.
2. Loaded with gadgets which are only found on the top end variants of the mid-size sedans.
3. Belongs to a breed of Euro 5 Star safety rating cars.
4. Meaty tires with alloys helping a big way in improving the ride quality and handling.
5. Awesome mileage figures, we managed to get a figure of 14.5 kmpl with a heavy foot and 18.5-19 kmpl (combined) with a nice relaxing drive.
6. Braking ability of this hatch, remember this has all wheel discs aided by ABS .
7. Very stylish design from outside, very trendy and a sure head turner.
8. Superb interior design, very different design element used.
9. Super comfortable driver and co driver seats, they just wrap around you.
10. Huge huge glove box, not seen on may Luxury cars too, can sallow a laptop, its also cooled.
11. The windshield washer spray literally thrusts water on the glass, the cleaning is exceptional and very different from any other car.
12. Audio controls on the steering – not many hatches have it.
13. Retractable mirrors, noteworthy here is the function even works when you have removed the keys out of the ignition slot.

Standard features that the Hyundai i20 CRDI Asta comes with -

1. CD MP3 player with steering mounted controls.
2. AUX and USB ports.
3. Climate controlled AC.
4. Power windows front and rear.
5. Power mirrors and Retractable mirrors
6. Two Airbags.
7. Seat height adjusters on driver side.
8. Steering wheel adjuster for reach and height.
9. ABS.
10. All wheel discs.
11. Rear defogger with washer.
12. Broad tires with nice alloys.
13. Remote locking.
14. Trendy key remote.

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Entry posted on August 23rd, 2009 and filed under Car Reviews, Hyundai

Test Drive – Hyundai i20 CRDi Asta – Engine and Gearbox

Hyundai i20 CRDi cabin space - 58

As we mentioned in the earlier post, not many were pleased with the i10s Kappa engine on the i20. The new 1.4-liter petrol and this 1.4-liter CRDI injected a load of adrenaline into the i20.

No this isn’t the Verna’s or the Getz’ CRDI engine but an all new 1400cc oil burner, giving out 90PS power and the show stealing 220Nm of torque, that urged us to give it the “hot hatch” tag.

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Entry posted on August 21st, 2009 and filed under Car Reviews, Hyundai

Test Drive – Hyundai i20 CRDi Asta – Cabin and Space

Hyundai i20 CRDi cabin space - 4

Getting to day 2 with the i20 CRDI, we’re going to talk about the boot space first. Being a big hatchback, the boot with its wide loading area makes for easy loading and unloading.

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Entry posted on August 20th, 2009 and filed under Car Reviews, Hyundai

Test Drive – Hyundai i20 CRDi Asta – Interiors

Hyundai i20 CRDi Interiors - 22

Hyundai launched the much awaited i20 in January this year. The 1.2 Kappa engine quickly collected reviews of being under powered in the bigger i20, and if Hyundai seriously wanted to steal Fabia’s and Swift’s thunder, a more powerful engine was unmistakably the fix.

Recently, Hyundai launched two more variants of the i20 – the 1.4 petrol Automatic and the much awaited 1.4 CRDI in India. Hyundai sent us the top-end i20 CRDi Asta and we’ll be talking about it for the rest of the week.

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Entry posted on August 18th, 2009 and filed under Car Reviews, Hyundai

Test Drive – Day 4 – 11 Likes and Dislikes

New Honda City - 186

Now lets come to the difficult part, things we like and dislike in the City.

What we like on the New City-

1. The i-VTEC engine, very refined and agile (2nd gear does 100kmph)
2. Short throw gear box a pleasure to use aided with the longer gear ratios.
3. USB dock is exactly where it should be and not in the glove box as the Linea.
4. Excellent seating height.
5. Sporty looks and dominating chiseled edges on the exteriors.
6. ABS and airbags standard on all variants.
7. Top notch handling aided with the improved EPS.
8. A few of the parts are carried over from the Civic’s bin.
9. Sensible use of space.
10. Excellent build quality, the car we tested had done 11k kms and not a single vibration or noise was heard, it even had the new car scent inside.
11. Very sweet sounding horn.

Which brings us to things we did not like on the New City-

1. Fog lamps absent and no provision on the bumpers to even fit them
2. Tyre size a bit narrow for a car in this segment.
3. Retractable or self folding mirrors absent.
4. The exhaust note could have been a bit more noisier – a personal choice
5. Rear headrests are not adjustable.
6. No rear bottle holders on the door panel.
7. No rear map pockets behind the driver seat.
8. 60-40 split seats missing.
9. Stereo is great but the speakers could have been better.
10. Glove box has no cooling nor light within.
11. No CD player!! I initially thought Honda were playing a trick on us by giving a media vehicle without it.

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Entry posted on August 16th, 2009 and filed under Car Reviews, Honda
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