Rahul Rai
Car & Bike Magazine in India, Automobile Magazine, Auto Magazine. Car & Bike Magazine in India, Automobile Magazine, Auto Magazine.
Volkswagen Polo GT TDI and TSI Car Review - AutoX. Photography: Harshit Gupta Photography: Harshit Gupta Photography: Harshit Gupta Photography: Harshit Gupta Photography: Harshit Gupta Photography: Harshit Gupta Photography: Harshit Gupta Performance is synonymous to both the VW Polo GT TDI and TSI.
So, in their face-lifted avatars, are they still worth shelling out the extra cash? The Volkswagen Polo is a rare breed, as it’s one of the few compact cars that come close to being called a hot hatch. Sure, there are other cars that handle better, like the Ford Figo, Maruti Suzuki Swift, and even the new Hyundai Elite i20, but as a total package, none comes close to the Polo – especially the GT twins. After the launch of the new Polo 1.5 litre diesel, it was inevitable that the minor exterior and interior tweaks would be carried over to the GT range.
The cabin also receives a minor revamp, in the form of the smart looking three-spoke flat bottom steering wheel. If you want frugal as well as performance, look at the GT TDI. Volvo S60 Review In India - autoX. I hadn’t been out on a drive, just for the heck of it, in a long, long time.
I desperately needed an excuse to go road-tripping. And the Volvo S60 gave me that reason Five days before I started writing this, I discovered that it was estimated that if you have just US $34,000 (about RS.19 lakhs) lying around for yourself, it would be enough to put you among the 1% richest elite in the world. That, you’d say, isn’t a huge amount really – and you’d be correct. In a world where investment bankers charge five times that sum just to move paper around occasionally that’s peanuts – loose change.
Volkswagen Polo Gt Tdi Review. Photography: Kapil Vashist When a car is this much fun to drive, you really don’t mind the fact that it’s powered by diesel!
I was following Ronny Wechselberger – the VW Polo R Cup driver coach – who was driving the Polo TSI race car as the lead vehicle. I stuck the Volkswagen Polo GT TDI that I was in into third around T4 of the BIC, and I was surprised at the way it picked up pace – it was extremely swift, er, no, I mean quick! Usually, at the end of the back straight, you’d shift down into second to get good drive out in a petrol car. Even in some diesels that we’ve driven around the track, we keep experimenting between 2nd and 3rd gear around that corner – and, mostly due to the lack of grunt owing to turbo lag, second is the preferred gear.
I raise my hat in appreciation to Volkswagen for being brave, and launching two relatively hot versions of the Polo as a GT in two trims – TSI and TDI. New Volkswagen Jetta 1.4 TSI Review in India - autoX. With a quick nip and tuck, Volkswagen tries to give the plain Jane Jetta more oomph and aggression.
But is it enough to make this very capable sedan stand out and set VW’s cash counters ringing? Volkswagen has decided to give the Volkswagen Jetta another shot, with a second facelift in three years. Though the German car manufacturer will roll the dice and take their chances, they’re unlikely to hold their breath and expect this sedan to take a serious bite out of the segment’s sales figures. The 2015 Volkswagen Jetta, as a product, remains a very well built sedan that feels quite luxurious on the inside. I hate to start off on a dull note, but the refreshed Volkswagen Jetta doesn’t look too different from the outgoing model.
That said, the designers have made an effort. Step inside, and the cabin feels all too familiar – but that’s a good thing. The Volkswagen Jetta has always been, and still remains, an extremely spacious car. Volkswagen Jetta 1.4 TSIVolkswagen Jetta 2.0 TDI. Toyota Etios Cross Review. Photography: Jared Solomon The Toyota Etios Cross wants to be a crossover vehicle, but it simply isn’t.
One of the primary reasons for the disappointing sales performance of Toyota vehicles in India of late has been the failure – or should I say lack of customer interest compared with Toyota’s expectations – of the Etios range of cars. Designed specifically for the Indian market, the Toyota Etios Cross sedan and Liva hatchback simply haven’t been able to do the kind of sales numbers that Toyota had hoped for. However, not a company to be easily defeated – they are, after all, the number one automobile company in the world – Toyota has launched a crossover version of their Etios Liva hatchback. It looks interestingly different and rugged, and shares the same platform and mechanicals as the Etios Liva. Toyota Corolla Altis Review in India - autoX. Toyota introduces the 11th generation of its bestseller, the Toyota Corolla Altis, in India.
So, we get into the driver’s seat to see how it stacks up against some renewed competition. It would be an understatement to say that the Toyota Corolla Altis is one of the most significant products for Toyota. Here are some numbers to put in perspective – the Corolla Altis Review, since its introduction nearly 50 years ago in 1966, has sold over 40 million units in 154 countries across the world. So, clearly, the launch of its 11th generation is a big deal for the company. After all, given the car’s history, it has a reputation to maintain. However, with stereotypical Japanese efficiency and insight, Toyota has done a large amount of research to understand what it is that customers want from the Corolla Altis – and how it can be improved to suit their needs. Interiors quirks aside, when it comes to passenger space, the Corolla Altis does exhibit a clear advantage over its rivals. Tata Motors Zest Review - autoX.
Tata Motors is attempting to reinvent itself – starting with the Tata Zest compact sedan.
We drive it in picturesque Goa to find out if it can actually shake the status quo for the brand. To understand the importance of the launch of the Zest for Tata Motors, you have to backtrack a little and look at the brand’s current status in the market. The manufacturer, despite being a part of the massive Tata conglomerate, doesn’t quite enjoy the market image and reputation that the rest of the group does. It’s been losing money for a while now, and its market share continues to drop. If you’re a keen follower of the Indian automotive market, most of this isn’t news to you. Being well aware of this scenario, it was a pleasant surprise to see the top honchos of the brand being willing to admit, publically at that, the fact there were issues – both with the brand, as well as their products, which need to be addressed immediately.
Tata Vista User Review - autoX. Tata Motors does a go-fast Indica, which is all well and good, but what it ought to do is go beyond the Indica!
I’ll be honest – I’ve always had a slight liking for the Indica. It’s a statement that many would frown over, but let me explain. I completely buy the point that the Indica has never really been a great automobile, and has had refinement and quality issues. Safari Storme Review - autoX. We were in the Jim Corbett Park, and the one thing about that trip that I clearly remember is my shouting mother when the Safari went up on a big boulder and had one side resting diagonally, about 25-degrees higher than the other.
That was my first experience of a proper off-road drive in the Safari, and despite whatever the big-time motoring hacks had written in their reviews at the time about its cheap quality and sheer agricultural feel, I was besotted. It was the biggest car till, then, that I’d been driven around in – and later driven as well, very briefly, after pleading to my uncle who owned it, while making sure that mom didn’t find out about it. Back then, it was also the most butch looking vehicle on our roads.
Later, when I was working with a marketing and advertising agency in Mumbai, I realized that several divisions and teams worked on a single project. I always loved the Safari, despite its many shortcomings. Nano Twist Review - autoX. Photography: Jared Solomon The Tata Nano gets a makeover – yet again.
But this time we really are interested. For several years now, the Tata Nano has been sold with the unofficial tag of the world’s cheapest car. In that time, there have been some significant changes to the car, but most of them have been cosmetic. New Tata Bolt Review - autoX. This is the moment of truth for Tata Motors, as a lot rides on the Tata Bolt’s success. Will it hit a homerun or will it suffer stage fright? We head to Udaipur to do our Tata Bolt Review and find out… A lot has been said about Tata Motors losing market share at a steady pace. Many have even started writing obituaries, but all this is premature because this Indian automobile manufacturer is not sitting idle. It’s an open secret that the company is trying really hard to change its image, and this led to the entry of the Zest.
Ssangyong Rexton Review in India - autoX. A quick trip to the beautiful jungles of the Corbett National Park gives us the perfect opportunity to get our hands dirty with the all new Ssangyong Rexton by Mahindra. What we found was quite surprising. The world we live in today is constantly changing. If you buy any electronic consumer item – a camera, laptop, or smart phone for example – within a couple of months, if not weeks, a newer model comes out. When I was a kid, I didn’t have a cell phone – and I didn’t need one either. Skoda Superb Review In India - autoX. Photography: Jared Solomon & Vinayak Pande The Skoda Superb gets a well-deserved facelift to keep up with the competition. Nearly two years ago, we compared the then newly-launched Hyundai Sonata with Skoda’s most premium product in India – and the one thing that went against the Superb was its aging design.
It’s been five years since the Superb was first launched in India, and time was ripe for Skoda to come out with a refreshed version of their high-end sedan – a change that was undoubtedly needed. Skoda had a fairly quiet 2013, until they showcased the very attractive Octavia – which is our current favourite in its segment – and following that new design direction, the updated Skoda Superb hopes to achieve a similar status in its own segment. The refreshed Skoda Superb, however, is not an entirely new model – instead, it’s only undergone some significant exterior design changes and very minor interior modifications. Skoda Rapid 1.5 TDI Review - AutoX. Photography: Jared Solomon Photography: Jared Solomon Photography: Jared Solomon It’s simple, yet appealing. And now the Skoda Rapid 1.5 TDI gets the all-conquering 7-speed DSG transmission.
So, is that enough to propel this plain Jane sedan up the sales charts? Skoda Rapid Diesel Review - autoX. I’m not much of a sucker for Bollywood masala movies. They’re entertaining, some of them, but most suffer from a lack of imagination. Many of our 70mm efforts are broadly based on just a handful of storylines. Skoda Octavia Review in India - autoX. The Skoda Octavia is back! And that in itself makes me smile. Renault Scala Automatic Review - autoX. We still have our biases against cars with automatic transmissions.
We claim that they aren’t affordable or fuel-efficient compared to manuals. Renault Pulse Review In India - autoX. New Renault Lodgy Review, Test Drive - autoX. With the MUV segment becoming a force to reckon with in the Indian market, Renault joins the party with the Renault Lodgy. Renault Koleos Review in India - autoX. Renault Fluence Review in India - autoX. Photography: Jared Solomon. Renault Duster AWD Review - autoX. Photography: Kapil Vashist Photography: Kapil Vashist Photography: Kapil Vashist Photography: Kapil Vashist Photography: Kapil Vashist Photography: Kapil Vashist Photography: Kapil Vashist Photography: Kapil Vashist Photography: Kapil Vashist Photography: Kapil Vashist. Fiat Punto Evo Review - autoX.
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