After years of anticipation and waiting, Jeep will finally arrive in India at the Auto Expo 2016. The iconic American SUV maker will officially bring the Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler to India as fully imported vehicles. While the Cherokee is a full on luxury SUV, the Wrangler is a no frills off-roader with butch looks and power to match the appearance.
Exterior
Launched in 1986, the Wrangler is currently in its fourth iteration. It’s the spiritual successor to the iconic Willys Jeep which in turn is the basis of design for a host of Mahindra SUVs. This means that the Wrangler bears a familiar yet far more muscular appearance and that should aid Fiat’s goal of launching the vehicle here.
Interior
The Wrangler is all about utility and toughness and these traits are apparent in the way the interior has been designed. The whole look may be quite utilitarian but Jeep has added modern touches in the form of comprehensive instruments, a touch screen display, steering mounted controls, climate control and the lot.
Engine and Gearbox
The Wrangler will be launched in the long wheelbase four-door variant. It will be powered by a 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine with 281bhp of power and 353Nm of torque. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed automatic gearbox
Competition
The Jeep Wrangler will be sold as a niche product in the Indian market which means it will be sold at a premium. While it has no direct competition in sight, the Wrangler will be positioned in a space which includes premium soft-roaders like the Audi Q5 and the BMW X3.
We bring you an on-paper comparison of the New Mahindra Scorpio with the Tata Safari Strome, Ford EcoSport, Renault Duster and the Nissan Terrano
SUVs are big in India. Well, quite literally too. And that is exactly the reason why more and more manufacturers are introducing new products to get a piece of the pie. The fact that we have seen so many SUVs being launched in the past couple of years is a testimony of the same. We put all the latest offerings in this class of cars under a magnifying glass.
Renault Duster
No discussion about SUVs is complete without the Renault Duster. That is the kind of success that the car has brought for Renault. The Duster has been an ideal car for someone who is looking for a good urban SUV which gives you that big car feel and is yet compact enough to be driven in the city with ease. TheRenault Duster is on offer with both petrol as well as diesel engines. The gasoline Duster is powered by a 1.6-litre engine that pumps 105PS of power and 145Nm of torque. The 1.5-litre diesel on the other hand is available in two states of tune - producing 85PS and 200Nm and 110PS and 248Nm. The petrol comes mated to a 5-speed geatbox as does the 85PS diesel. The top-of-the-line RxZ diesel though comes mated to a 6-speed transmission. The Duster takes on the rough roads with the help of the McPherson strut - torsion beam combination for the front and rear suspension.
In terms of features the top-end RxL petrol variant has all the necessary features like airbags, ABS, EBD and brake assist for enhanced safety. It also gets a 2din audio system with AUX, USB and Bluetooth compatibility. In addition to these the top diesel variant RxZ (o) also gets alloy wheels, driver seat height adjust, GPS navigation system, leather wrapped steering wheel and a rear AC unit.
The only thing stopping it from being a full-fledged SUV was the absence of an AWD version. With the Duster AWD launched, Renault has addressed that too. The Duster 4x4 is only available in 110PS diesel though.
Renault Duster: Rs 7.82 lakh - 12.99 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai)
Welcome to Top Gear magazine's round up of The Best Cars In The World. That might seem a trite observation, but after much deliberation, haranguing and three bouts of raised voices, the vehicles we will present to you over the coming week represent the cars that TG magazine would happily recommend to family and best friends, without reservation.
Any of these cars - within their brief - are the best at what they do. They are the TG benchmarks, the class leaders.
There are three loose price points to scale our ambition: an attainable version, an aspiration and a dream.
So, allow us to guide you through the cars you should consider before all else. Today, it's the really quick stuff...
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Every time I drop into the driver's seat of a Porsche Cayman, a single thought jolts my mind: "How can I get one of these into my life?" And sure enough it does this time, at 2,509 metres above sea level at the top of the Timmelsjoch at the Italian-Austrian border. The thought of the Cayman is enough to divert me from the views, tumbling down to valleys slashed in the landscape below and up to dizzying battalions of jagged Dolomite peaks crowning the horizon. And it's even enough - just - to ameliorate my sad parting from the Ferrari 458 Speciale that's lit up my day so far. And also enough to calm the giddy anticipation that tomorrow I'll be swapping this Porsche for another, vastly more stellar: the 918.
An outstanding effort by a homegrown company, really!
The front end is stunning, even if the inspiration from the Ferrari 458
is too obvious. Look at the car in person and she's something else...the
low, wide stance gives it an amazing personality. It's only the droopy
rear that is a let-down; things are good right up to the B Pillar. But I
don't like the rear 3-quarter look at all. Somehow, the design flow
from front to back lacks synergy. However, if you look at the Avanti
from the dead rear, it's nice in a supercar'ish way. The Avanti's
dimensions are as follows : Wheelbase 2700 mm, Length 4623 mm, Width
1967 mm and Height 1213 mm. The kerb weight is 1,562 kilos while the
ground clearance is 155 mm.
Power comes from a Ford-sourced EcoBoost 2.0 liter direct-injection
turbo-charged petrol with 240 BHP (@ 5,500 rpm) and 366 Nm of max torque
(@ 3,500 rpm) on tap. The motor has variable valve timing tech as well.
It's a mid-engine RWD layout, and power is delivered through a 6 speed
manual. Ford's dual clutch Automatic will be available as an option at a
later stage. Rumour mills insist that a 400 BHP Honda V6 will follow
too. Under the skin is a space frame chassis, while the suspension gets
unequal length wishbones with coil overs. Yep, the steering is a
hydraulic rack & pinion unit.
I've been told that "it's no Audi R8" on the open road, yet it's quick
enough to keep you entertained. Expect a 0 - 100 of just under 7 seconds
with a suspension that's sufficiently grippy. The Avanti is not
intended to be a track-day tool with a super-stiff set up. Rather, the
car has been tuned for everyday usage. Also, the car is electronically
limited to a top speed of 250 kph.
The Avanti should cost ~24 lakhs ex-showroom; that's about the money you
would pay for a D2 segment sedan in India (including the likes of the
Toyota Camry). I can think of a good number of customers who'd buy this
for the flash, and some others for the potentially enthusiastic drive
experience. I think DC's biggest challenge is to deliver on acceptable
levels of quality & reliability. My advice : Don't pack it to the
gills with gizmos that will eventually fail. Rather, focus on mechanical
simplicity & durability.
Nearly all power-train, electronic & suspension parts are imported. A
majority of these brand-name performance parts are used in other cars,
and can be bought off the shelf (or online).
Sales & service will be from 5 DC-owned outlets in Delhi, Mumbai,
Pune, Chennai and Hyderabad. 4 to 5 mules are currently being tested.
The final assembly with be performed at Talegaon, Pune. Deliveries start
in 2013 & the planned annual production is of 300 units.
Could have done with a better name though. "Avanti" just doesn't suit a
sports car IMHO.
Projector eyes & 5 LEDs:
Neat design up until the B Pillar area. It's downhill (pun intended)
there after:
Bang from the rear, the Avanti looks as imposing as from the front. Very
supercar'ish:
Possibly the worst angle to view this car in. Too droopy:
Single wiper unit. Some amount of storage should be available under the
hood:
Piano-black finish on the roof & A-pillars:
255/35 R19 Pirellis on the front. 295/30 R19s at the rear:
330 mm ventilated disc brakes with AP Racing callipers at all 4 corners:
FERRARI WILL MOVE ITS CAR WITH A FLAG IN ITS NEXT RACE
Greater
Noida: Unfazed by the controversy, F1 team Ferrari will race at
Sunday’s Indian Grand Prix with the Italian Navy flag on its car as
India`s motor sports body is convinced that it was not a political move.
Vicky
Chandhok, the President of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of
India (FMSCI), was asked by the Sports Ministry this morning to verify
if Ferrari's motive was political.
"I was asked to see if the flag is painted in military colour. I verified it, it wasn't and replied to
the Ministry. It's just a sticker. When
we are convinced that it's not a political move why should I ask them
to remove it (flag) from there," Chandhok said.
It caused a huge
furore when Ferrari put the flag on the car in support of the two
murder-accused Italian sailors, who are facing trial in Kerala.
F1
boss Bernie Ecceleston had refused to be drawn into the controversy and
had said that it was for the National Sports Association to sort out.
The
External Affairs ministry had disapproved Ferrari's decision when
official spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said that using sporting events to
promote cause which are not of a sporting nature is "not in keeping
with the spirit of sports".
FMSCI also issued a statement saying Ferrari have clarified that their move will not have any "political implications".
"The
FMSCI would like to maintain that the FIA code of motorsport is
apolitical and non-religious and the FMSCI will not permit motorsports
to be politicized in any manner. Stefano Domencialli, Team Principal
Scuderia Ferrari, has confirmed that their initiative of carrying their
national navy flag does not have and should not be seen as having any
political implication," the statement said.
FMSCI also said that
it "firmly believes that carrying their national navy flag will not have
any effect on the case pending before the Indian Courts. The FMSCI will
not permit any attempt to subvert the process of justice by
politicizing the event."
Ferrari also issued a statement, saying
that, "The Italian Navy's national flag on the Ferrari race cars at the
Indian Grand Prix is there as a tribute to one of our country’s
outstanding institutions.
"With all the respect due to the Indian
Authorities, Ferrari wishes to make it clear that this initiative does
not have, nor should it be seen as having, any political implication,"
the statement said.
Chandhok and Domencialli were also seen shaking hands in a picture issued by FMSCI
Friday, 12 October 2012
O Meri Look Te Mardi Si... Te Mai... . . . ... . . . .
. . Mai kade dhyaan ni ditta! Kyu ki Neevi paake langh de aa kolo Muteyaaran de, IZZATAN ton parkhe jande PUTT SARDAARAN DE :) :p :D ;)
New car probably won't be different at Daytona, 'Dega
NASCAR's rules and cars have changed through the years, but one constant remains at restrictor-plate tracks such as Talladega Superspeedway: The crashes are spectacular and unlikely to stop.
What fans saw Sunday — a 25-car, last-lap wreck triggered by Tony Stewart that sent his car airborne — could be just as likely at Talladega or Daytona International Speedway in 2013, when NASCAR unveils a new car.
Kasey Kahne was among a handful of drivers who tested the car — which will more resemble the manufacturers' floor models — at Talladega last week and said the car could be a challenge in the restrictor-plate races.
"They move around more. That will make everything interesting," Kahne said. "It was interesting with six cars, let alone 40. It will cause some problems at times, I'd say.
"Pushing was definitely different, the way the car moved around in front of you and also I felt when I was getting pushed. I think that was something with the smaller spoiler and just the front ends of the cars, the shape on the front end; it's not as near as nice a fit on the back of the car."
Racing at those tracks remains a dilemma 25 years after Bobby Allison's car crashed into the catchfence at Talladega, injuring fans and prompting NASCAR to use carburetor restrictor plates to slow the cars. Series officials have traded one issue for another. Instead of cars running laps at more than 210 mph, now they are clustered side-by-side, with drivers unable to avoid calamity when it strikes.
NASCAR has undertaken safety initiatives since Dale Earnhardt's fatal crash on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, including the addition of SAFER walls around tracks, driver compartments that provide more protection and a car model that is safer. But some elements of racing at these tracks cannot be controlled.
"Because this type of racing and the way the aerodynamics are and the power on these cars, that's what happens," Jeff Gordon said. "When you lose that momentum, you lose a ton. You're going backwards in such a hurry and the other guys are coming forward with so much momentum, it's inevitable that those types of things are going to happen.''
Twenty-two of the 43 starters in the May race at Talladega were listed by NASCAR as being in a crash. Sunday, it was 30 of 43.
For car owners who watch their vehicles damaged or destroyed, they likely won't feel any different next year than they did before Sunday's race.
Jack Roush, who watched driver Matt Kenseth pull away for the win as the field behind him wrecked, admits he's conflicted about restrictor-plate racing.
"I really just figure those cars as a write-off whenever I load it up in the truck to bring it to one of these restrictor-plate races," Roush said.
To those concerned about the racing at Talladega and what future races hold, Kevin Harvick tweeted Monday: "All this talk about Dega this morning cracks me up... This race has been this way since restrictor plates were put on. #oldnews.''
As he took questions from fans, he added: "Here's the deal people gripe about tandems, packs, & they will gripe about the plates off..Its Daytona & Talladega no matter the rules.''
Maybe the 2013 car can solve some of those issues.
Although they had yet to test the new car, Gordon and Kyle Busch were asked how much it would impact racing.
"It's going to be awesome,'' Gordon said Sunday, tongue-in-cheek. "Start buying your Talladega tickets now."
Greater
Noida: Unfazed by the controversy, F1 team Ferrari will race at
Sunday’s Indian Grand Prix with the Italian Navy flag on its car as
India`s motor sports body is convinced that it was not a political move.