Has the Rio cracked it? Let’s find out:

What powers the Rio?

The biggest problem (that even management of Premier Auto admits) that the old Rio faced was a lack of BSIV complaint engine. The old Rio only met BSIII norms due to which it could not be sold in major cities which is the actual target market of the Rio.

After much development, Premier has finally managed to plonk a BSIV complaint petrol engine in the Rio and the Rio+. This engine is designed by AVL in India and delivers 75.5bhp @ 5800 rpm of power and 103 NM of torque @ 3500 – 4000 rpm to the rear wheels through a 5 speed manual box.

Crank the petrol engine, and you notice that the motor is quite silent. Put it in gear and you realize that the gear gates are wide. The possibility of mis-shifts and gear grinding is quite high. Even the throw of the gearstick is quite long. Lift the Rio on first gear and you notice that the clutch is light and easy.

The Rio+ does not provide any rapid acceleration in any gear combo. It is a sort of motor that does not like to be revved. It just dawdles along on the potholed and bumpy surfaces. The 205/70 R15 tubeless tyres do their job very well. The suspension is a bit on the stiffer side thus the Rio has less of body roll in the corners.

But the lack of eagerness to turns in the corners and a rather spongy brakes mean that this is not a fun-to-drive car. It is just a regular commuter that will take you from point A to point B.

If you thought that was disappointing, the diesel motor is yet to come.

The Premier Rio diesel is power by a Peugeot TUD5 motor which has a FGT turbo. As the motor is not BSIV compliant, it cannot be sold in major metropolitan markets. It generates 64.8 PS @ 4000 rpm and 152.0 Nm @ 2,250-3,000 rpm. This engine is very archaic. Key the engine and there is terrible shake in the body. It is noisy, lethargic, the vibrations are transferred inside and overall not a pleasant experience to drive.

Is it a good off-roader?

No, not really. City roads is where it belongs.

What about safety?

The only safety feature in the Rio is ABS.

My two biggest problem with the Rio are as follows:

• The diesel cannot be sold in Tier 1 cities. And the petrol can be a bit heavy on the wallet.
• The diesel is not refined or fun to drive. The petrol variant is slightly better in terms of drivability, but its performance leaves a lot to be desired.

Premier Auto is currently testing a Rio with a Multijet engine and I am really looking forward to it. This will solve the major niggle as the Multijet is BSIV complaint, a fuel sipper and rather fun to drive. The modern looking Rio+ certainly deserves a modern engine. Come April, that need will be addressed.

Only then we’re afraid can Rio stand in the line with the big boys.

Let’s find out:

The number of changes made to the interior of the refreshed Premier Rio are certainly less than those made to the exterior. The 2 main changes are – beige interiors and a new steering wheel and that’s about it.

Stepping into the Rio+ can be a daunting task for women and the elderly because it sits quite high above the ground and has no side step to assist the ingress. Once you climb in, you notice that the Rio+ has very basic interiors. The beige upholstery does not completely match with the sea gray plastic of the dash but does give an airy feel to the cabin.

A pinch of chrome has been added to the steering wheel which make it look slightly upmarket than the older one. The normal positioning of indicator stalks and wiper stalks is very much appreciated. The steering wheel does not come mounted with audio controls but has extra cushioning for the palms at the 10-and-2 positions.

The outside mirrors are electrically adjustable but if you want to fold them, you have to roll down the windows. The Rio also gets a rear washer and a defogger but the switches that operate them feel like they were taken from Fred Flintstone’s car.

The Rio comes with an aftermarket stereo from Nippon which has USB and AUX compatibility. As the sound quality is not that great and I would advise you to convince the dealer to knock it off and save a few bucks and fit a better one from established brands such as Pioneer or Kenwood. The gear knob feels very thin to hold in your hands and does not offer adequate grip when changing gear.

The dial cluster looks outdated with its blue background light. For the first time in my life, I have seen a white flash light instead of the ambiance light, probably a segment first as well.

The Rio gets negative points because only the front windows are electrically adjustable that too from a switch which is mounted on the door and not on the armrest. Thus, using the switch does take time to get used to.

The Rio’s compact dimensions has taken a toll on the interior space. If a well built person sits next to the driver, it could give rise to many ‘awkward situations’. When you get in the back seat of the Rio, you notice that this is strictly a four seater vehicle. Although it is possible to make a small child sit in the rear seat between two adults, it would be a bit inhuman. The rear does not get its own cooling vents, just a small astray for your sutta needs.

The luggage space is quite ample at the very rear of the car and because the rear seats fold flat, it can be further increased. A small light in the luggage space makes loading and searching simple when it is pitch dark. As the spare wheel is on the tailgate, you get more storage area for your tools under the floor.

Time to answer the big question – Build quality. This is a tricky one. The build quality of the Rio is exactly the same quality that you see on the Mahindra Bolero. Everything is hard and tough and can take sustained abuse (even with a hammer) but nothing is aesthetically pleasing.

Do tune in tomorrow for the final leg of the review – Driving impressions!

Maruti Suzuki recently launched their contender for the CS market – Swift Dzire and rest of the manufacturers such as Tata and Mahindra are expected to follow suit.

Coming to the Compact SUV market; now this is going to be extremely interesting. Ford, Renault and Mahindra are honing their challengers as we speak. But little known rival is already present in the market from a long forgotten company called ‘Premier Auto’. Does it ring a bell?

Premier Auto, once a prominent Indian auto manufacturer, is now only famous for coating the Mumbai streets black and yellow with their Padmini taxis. The company was long forgotten from the Indian automotive scene and was secluded from the growth of the auto sector in recent years.

However, when the company finally decided to come back to the scene, it knew that it had to come out with something innovative. With limited research/manufacturing capabilities, a whole new product developed from grounds up was definitely out of the question.

Hence, Premier decided to partner with a manufacturer from China – Zotye and decided to bring their compact SUV – Nomad to India. The principle ideology of the product was quite simple

1) Indians roads are at times quite terrible, a raised ground clearance will definitely be appreciated.

2) The Nomad is essentially a Daihatsu Terios. Thus, it’s a 10 year old proven engineering; near perfect for Indian conditions.

3) Indians love a BIG car but very few can afford one. A 5-6 lakh SUV should be well appreciated by the market.

Thus, the Nomad was rebranded as Rio and put on sale for the customers. The product bombed quite badly. Forget limited sales outlet and budget marketing activities, people detested the outdated looks of the Rio. Moreover, the design of the SUV had the air of the Chinese design which made it look like the odd one out. Didn’t take long for Premier to fix the problem.

At the 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo, Premier Auto presented Rio+, basically a Nomad II with Premier badges. The Rio+ overcomes one of the major flaws of the Rio – its looks. Where the Rio looks dated and old, the Rio+ looks sharp and stylish. Lets looks at the major changes that the Rio+ offers.

At first glance, you can easily notice that the Rio+ has got new headlamps making the overall front fascia much pleasing to the eye. The double barrel headlamps have sharp bulges that cut into the body. A new front grill with a pinch of chrome, a new front bumper, a chin spoiler and new foglamps work wonders for the design bringing it bang up-to-date.

On the side profile, Premier has updated the gaudy plastic side body cladding and wheel arches with body colored ones.

To make it look sophisticated, the Rio+ comes with turn indicators integrated in the ORVMS.

The roof rails give the little soft roader an outdoorsy look. The chunky 15’ inch alloy wheels give it a very masculine stance and are the real highlights of the overall design.

Coming to the rear, the tailgate mounted spare wheel give it’s the classic SUV look. A sporty spoiler with integrated brake lights and chrome tip exhaust bring a breath of fresh air in a rather old design.

The Rio+ will be sold alongside the Rio with a marginal price difference. However, when you compare both body styles side-by-side, it’s difficult to make a case for the Rio’s design. Here is what we are talking about:

Overall, the Rio+ will make more heads turn than the outdated Rio. The Rio+ looks young and energetic and, in terms of design, fits the bill of a modern compact SUV. Do tune in tomorrow for the interior review and driving impressions.

Is the car as good or better as the old one? Let’s find out!

We’ll answer the most important question first – Isn’t this just a Swift with a bigger boot?

Yes, but the boot being smaller, is less noticeable. It does look better than its predecessor. Maruti says the new look is based on four pillars namely dynamic, elegant, energetic and balanced. Even without the help of the marketing division’s vocabulary, one can say the new design is a step in the right direction.

While the length stands at a shorter 3.95m, the new sedan is wider at 1695mm (+5mm), taller at 1555mm (+25mm) and has a larger wheelbase at 2430mm (+40mm) adding to the overall vehicle stability. With its class leading 170mm ground clearance and a turning radius of 4.8m, its really easy to maneuver in the city.

On the inside, the two-tone, multi-layer dashboard with waterfall console, wood finish inserts, leather trims and silver accents looks both sporty and classy. With the introduction of two new colors i.e. Pacific Blue and Glistering Grey, it now comes in a total of 7 colors.

The car is installed with the same D13A 1.3 ltr DDiS diesel engine but the petrol K-12M engine now has VVT (variable valve timing) which makes it more efficient and lowers the carbon emissions as the engine breathes better. The petrol engine accelerates from 0-100kmph in 12.6 sec and its diesel counterpart completes this challenge in 14.8 sec. Different calibrations for both engines have decreased the engine noise by 3 db.

The power is delivered to the front wheels via an improved 5 speed manual or a 4 speed auto (only on petrol VXI variant) gearbox that now has changed gear ratios, Detent pin technology and weighs less by 30kg in the petrol variants and 15kg in the diesel models. The combined weight loss has led to a 7.8% increase in fuel efficiency for the diesel, which now stands at 23.4kmpl and a 6.7% increase for petrol which returns 19.1kmpl.

The manual gearbox was fun as ever with slick, short and accurate shifts. The clutch action is not too long or short, is just about perfect helping you to shift gears very quickly. The difference in gear ratios are hardly noticeable though.

The four-speed automatic gearbox, a first in this segment, is not fun to drive. When you hit the gas pedal, it thinks for two seconds and simply slips into the lowest gear possible, which is not really a pleasing experience. No matter how hard you try, the real-time fuel consumption meter didn’t show more than 18kmpl. The hill starts were useful as the stops the car from rolling backward as you release the brake pedal. Another good point is the shifter’s no-frills nature – driving modes are arranged in a simple straight line and there’s no zig-zag arrangement like on the SX4 – you get acquainted to the car faster.

The petrol motor is refined and thanks to its low end torque it performs well in the city. The engine surprisingly does not run out of breath in the highway as there’s ample power higher up in the rev band. The petrol engine feels very refined and does not stutter even if you are driving in the highest gear at low speeds.

The car just seems to glide over the potholes its faced with. The ride quality is as good as it gets for this price band. It’s even fun to drive around the bends with good levels of feedback from the steering.

The overall driving experience was one step better than the last generation Swift Dzire be it in the city or the highway. The cabin feel very roomy and the driver seat hugs you from all around nicely. Reversing the car is easier thanks to the new rear windshield design and the suitably shaped ORVMs.

The instrument cluster looks sportier and the multi-information display is easy to read. Interiors are entirely new and everything is well placed to squeeze out the maximum space. Every button on the console feels good to operate and the plastic quality is a notch better. The AC is very effective and keeps the cabin cool even at the lowest fan speed. The rear seats are much more comfortable thanks to the additional leg and knee room. The hand rest is retractable and is at an appropriate height. With new windows all around, the cabin feels airy as well.

The boot at 316 litres can ingest a full size suitcase and a couple of shopping bags. The loading lip is a little high.

The new Swift Dzire is now safer to drive with the addition of a new generation ABS and brake assist system. The brakes are a bit spongy but that’s not to say they aren’t responsive.

2012 Maruti Swift Dzire positives

> Suspension provides comfortable ride
> Refined and efficient engines – Fun to drive and superbly fuel efficient
> Compact dimensions – easy to park and consumes less fuel
> Great interiors – Material quality, fit and finish have improved greatly
> Loaded with useful features – USB connectivity and steering-mounted controls are our favorites
> Comfortable seats – Body hugging driver seat helps you out on long journeys
> Safety features – improved ABS and dual airbags provide peace of mind
> Slick gearbox – Shifts are quick aided by the almost perfect clutch action
> Handling – I’m happy to report that this car is more fun to drive than its predecessor

2012 Maruti Swift Dzire negatives

> Quality not convincing in certain plastic and metal components
> Automatic gearbox lacks quickness and fun quotient
> Less boot space compared to the outgoing model – what’s a sedan without a large boot?
> We have a sneaking suspicion that not everyone will like the Kizashi inspired rear profile!

2012 Maruti Swift Dzire Image Slideshow

can’t see the slideshow above? Head over to our Flickr page to see the 2012 Maruti Swift Dzire image gallery

What powers the new Toyota Corolla Altis?

The biggest change in the new Corolla Altis is the new engine. The older ZZ engine is out and in comes the 1.8L 2ZR engine with VVT-i delivering the firepower. Power has been pushed up by 7 bhp to 138 bhp @ 6,400 rpm and the engine delivers a healthy torque of 173 Nm at 4,000 rpm.

The additional power and torque has not massively altered the Corolla’s performance in a straight line. However the engine feels more responsive and the power delivery is very smooth and linear. Adequate amount of torque at lower rpm makes it very easy to drive in city traffic. The car is quick off the blocks with the 0-100km/hr sprint taking under 10 seconds.

Once on the highway, a blast from 0-140 km/hr is child’s play for the new Altis. It is only after the 140 km/hr, one feels that the engine is slightly strained. The engine is completely out of breath at 180 km/hr.

The test car came with an all-new 7 speed CVT-i gearbox. This is one of the finest automatic boxes I have driven. The gear shifts are seamless and almost instant. Most autoboxes suffer from inconsistency when its time to overtake as there is a slight delay between putting your foot down and the box recognizing a down shift. The Altis’s CVT does it seamlessly!

There is a manual mode as well but I realized that the autobox was brilliant when left to its own. Despite being a CVT there is very little rubber band effect. Only at higher rpm is there a lot of revving without the car actually going anywhere.

How does the Altis handle?

Although there was no mention in the press release of a tweaked suspension, one notices a significant reduction in body roll. The outgoing model was very famous for luxurious ride that could even absorb lunar craters. I am delighted to report that the USP is retained.

The suspension setup gives the Altis is true identity – a back seat car. Rivals can learn by studying the way the Corolla manages the Indian roads. The suspension setup, as one would imagine, is on the softer side. Hence there is slight hesitation when cornering at high speeds. The electric steering which does not weigh-in properly at high speeds does not help the situation.

The Corolla Altis offers a four-disc setup, the front ones being ventilated and the rear ones solid. There is huge scope for improvement as the brakes have a very spongy feel when you touch the pedal. The 195/ 65 R15 tires can also be improved to provide better grip when braking hard.

What is the fuel economy?

No matter how hard or leisurely we drove the average FE remained stable at 9.6 kmpl. The car gets a slick new ‘eco mode.’ Essentially, a green ‘eco’ light pops up on the dashboard every time you gets your revs right. Despite of driving a stretch of 200 kms in eco mode, I simply couldn’t manage double digit figures.

What about safety?

The Corolla Altis has a very small list of safety features which include:

• Dual SRS Airbags
• ABD with EBD
• Seat belt warning beep
• GOA (Global Outstanding Assessment) body that provides structural rigidity

Things that that I don’t like:

• There is a strange jolting when you choose the different gear modes
• The eco mode fails to return double digit economy figures
• There is no eagerness to get in and out of corners. You have to push it really hard
• The engine’s response is brilliant when you are doodling in the city but there is a strange lack of power on the highways.
• There is a startling rubber band effect at higher rpms
• No traction control or curtain airbags
• No paddle shifters

Overall, this is a thinking man’s simple car. It may not set your pulse racing but can definitely take away the toils of day-to-day driving without complaining – thanks to Toyota’s quality and reliability promise.

At the end of the day, it is hard to argue with a car that has found so many homes across the world. Despite the bumped up prices, the Corolla is still a very potent sedan for your day-to-day driving needs.

As long as you have the keyfob in your possession, there’s no need to press buttons. Just walk up to Altis and pull the handle, the car automatically unlocks. A mere glance at the interiors and you recognize that it is a mixture of black and silver with cool blue lighting (a la Chey Cruze). Sticking to the KISS philosophy, the interior is simple and conservative.

Sticking to the old school interior design, the Corolla Altis’s interiors is a mixture of multiple colors such as chrome, beige, brown and black. The steering wheel is constructed with three types of materials. I am not really a big fan of multiple materials here as it fails to provide uniform grip.

Steering mounted controls are a blessing and another button on the right helps you manage the trip computer. Indicator stalks are to the right and washers to the left, and a third stalk for the cruise control.

The dial cluster is simple and elegant in white. The mirror adjustment settings are to your right with a button to activate the headlamp washers. A small puddle lamp make sure you don’t step into something unwanted at night.

Modernity has caught up with the Altis in form of a start-stop button and a 6.1 inch TFT touch screen display for your media needs. The system is very easy to operate and features AUX, USB and phone connectivity.

Below the media center are aircon settings for temperature. Below it is a small nifty compartment for the cigarette lighter and some pocket change.

Considering we have the petrol automatic variant for the review, the auto box takes center stage. Right next to the handbrake is a set of cupholders that doubles as storage pocket for the keyfob.

An adjustable armrest separates the driver and the passenger which also doubles up as another small storage bin. The driver seat is electrically adjustable in eight settings.

And speaking of the seats, the Corolla Altis now features perforated leather which means that the seats feature tiny holes in the leather making the material breathable. This does not heat the seat up during long journeys.

A twin glovebox compartment is sufficient for all storage needs. The roof features a cluster of lamps and a small space to place your shades. A dead pedal is always welcomed.

Shifting to the rear, you find one of the most comfortable seats coupled with excellent leg space. The seats cuddle you into luxury and are really perfect for long drives. The Corolla Altis scores top marks in the rear-seat comfort department. As the transmission tunnel is very low, three people can sit with reasonable comfort.

But if you do decide to seat two people, a center armrest with two cup holders should come in handy. There is also a small ashtray for a some peaceful ‘sutta time’

The boot is pretty average with 475L of boot space. For some reason, our test car came with two spare alloy wheels.

Things that I don’t like about the interiors:

• My BIGGEST grouse is no rear AC vents. These days, sedans of lower segments come with that feature!
• There is no sunroof. Not even as an optional extra.
• No GPS despite the touch screen.
• (I don’t know whether this classifies in interior)  Keyfob is just plain cheap.
• Although the build quality is superb, there is no zing. Despite of spending more than 10 lakhs, it doesn’t make you feel special.
• There is no single theme to the interiors. It just comes across a cluster of too many materials with different illuminations.

Overall, Toyota – a byword for quality, really shines in the Corolla. Perfect panel fittings, no squeaks, no rattles even at speeds excess of 180 km/hr. The car is excellently insulated from outside noises.

To sum up it is a no-nonsense interior in a no-nonsense car.

Tune in tomorrow for the driving impressions as a lot of has changed mechanically.

Yes, these are a few accolades that Toyota’s Corolla achieved in its 44 years of existence. Simply amazing!

Back home the story doesn’t change one bit. Launched in 2003, the Corolla has done more for brand Toyota than any other product that has come and gone. It is the segment leader and after after a few tense moments post launch of  the Honda Civic, the Corolla is back to the top spot and is looking good to continue its dominance in 2012.

Currently the 10^th  generation or Corolla E140 carries the blood forward. But it has been about three years since the last design review and that was starting to show. Time for a facelift? Hell yeah!

Face-lifting an existing design isn’t as easy as it sounds. You have to make sure the car looks new while preserving the essence of the old design. However, a mere glance at the new Corolla Altis is enough to understand the designer’s intention – Make it sporty!

Walk up to the new Corolla and the first thing you notice is that the finer and more swept back headlamps. They get new HID bulbs capable of providing near perfect visibility at night. A set of washers neatly tucked away below the headlamps make sure that the visibility is not obstructed if the lamps are dirty

If you have a very keen eye, you will notice that the front bumper has been redesigned. It gets a taller air dam, fatter fog lamp surrounds and has an overall sculpted appearance. The new grill gets chrome slats which are only available in the petrol variant. The diesel gets a single solid matte black bar.

The front is sportier than the outgoing model but still fails to win second glances.

Moving to the side, you notice not much has changed from the outgoing model. The alloys wheels completely annihilates the designer’s idea of ‘making it sporty’. Whereas competitors like VW Jetta don the ‘Navarra’ wheel design which melt your heart, the new Corolla follows the KISS philosophy (Google it if you don’t know what we’re talking about!). The Bridgestone Turanza tyres have a pretty simple groove design. Nothing exciting over here.

One key difference is that the OVRMs now come with integrated indicators giving a more up-market appeal. The top variant gets keyless entry so there is a black button on the driver’s door

The rear reveals something very startling. The rear bumper is chiseled as if it has just gone a Botox treatment

There is so much going on in the tail lamps design it is very difficult to concentrate. The tail lamps get overly-treated with LEDs and a pair of reflectors on each side. Toyota’s obsession with chrome makes sure that there is a huge bar across the boot. A strip of red light is also available below the head rest. A set of parking sensors complete the rear design changes. This lot doesn’t do rear spoilers.

As a facelift, the designer has done a commendable job of refreshing the old design with minor touches. But my root concern is that it is a very forgettable design. There is no art!

But then, I guess that was the point. Because most important of all changes have happened to the interiors and the mechanical components. Do tune in tomorrow to find out what they are.

So buckle up to find out:

What powers the 2012 Nano?

Tata Motors did not change the capacity of the Nano’s engine. But they have tweaked it to produce a little more power while being kinder to your wallet. The 624 cc, twin cylinder engine now produces 38 PS instead of 35 PS. At the same time, Tata Motors obsession with ‘25kmpl’ has affected the Nano as well. The torque figure has also increased but only by 0.4kgm (4 Nm)

Start the engine and you notice reduced vibrations when the engine is idling. Put it in gear and you notice the clutch is significantly lighter than the older version. Once on the road, you feel that all those changes in the engine are not just marketing material for the brochure.

The 4-speed gearbox is also the same but the gear ratios are now taller. The car pulls fantastically in 2nd and 3rd gear. Overtaking ability of the Nano on public roads has significantly increased. There were many instances of the gear stick moving back and forward when accelerating in gear (A problem that is present in the Tata Vista as well).

Top speed is still limited to 105 km/hr but is very much achievable. Don’t be frightened if the engine light pops up at 105 km/hr. That’s just a warning light to tell you that you have hit the limiter.

How does the 2012 Nano handle?

If you have been driving any other car for long time, then you have to get accustomed to the Nano. Two simple reasons :

• No disc brakes in the front
• No power steering

Once you understand that fact, you will be able to drive the Nano without flinching.

The 2012 Nano’s handling has been improved with the help of an anti-roll bar in the front. The nose is now eager to go into corners and the body roll has also decreased (though very marginal). There is still a fair bit of hesitance to make sudden movements.

The steering gets lighter as the speed increases. Power steering is greatly missed but the Nano’s small turning circle is a boon.

The 135/70 R12 in the front and the 155/65 R12 in the rear surprised me with their ability to get in and out of potholes. The grip is adequete for city driving.

More than the power steering, the lack of disc brakes is sorely missed. The drum brakes do stop the car but there is very little feel in them. There were many instances of locked-up wheels when braking from average speeds. ABS, anyone?

Tata Motors claim that NVH levels have reduced in the revised model. To be honest, there is a fair bit of engine clatter and rattles in the interiors that make driving a very noisy experience.

Tata Motors has done a very good job of fixing some of the issues of the old Nano. The most astonishing part of the upgrade is that it comes free of cost. Tata Motors did not jack the price of the Nano one bit. Having said that, there is much work to be done. The 2012 Nano is a significant step forward but there a huge space for improvement.

Considering the masses now know that this is not a ‘1 lakh rupee’ car anymore, it is the time to improve the overall drivability of the Nano to make it at least on par with the Alto. Recently, there was news that Bosch is developing power-steering, ABS and disc brakes for the Nano. Trust me, these features will make a VAST difference to the driving experience of the Nano.

Sure, a Nano with those upgrades will cost a tad bit more that the ‘initial vision’, but it will most certainly be a step in the right direction.