It's been a year of transition for the automotive industry, as the world's top carmakers continue to forge ahead toward an uncertain future. We've finally seen the long-awaited arrival of the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ, and the horsepower wars continue, highlighted by the battle between the Camaro ZL1 and the Shelby GT500. On the opposite end of the spectrum, ever more fuel efficient cars with alternative powertrains are entering the market, including potential game-changers like the Tesla Model S. The coming months will also usher in a seismic change in the all-important midsize sedan segment, with Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, and Nissan rolling out new versions of their entries. All the while, gas prices continue marching in one direction: Upward. Given all the change and new entries on the way, it may be difficult to pick out which car is the right one for you.To make things a little clearer and to give you a better idea of what's to come, we've put together our 2013-2014 Motor Trend Ultimate New Car Buyer
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
2014 Acura MDX - New York 2013
Looking like a virtual clone of its well-received one-off predecessor, the 2014 MDX boasts more crisply rendered "Executive Aero Sculpture" styling with a shape honed in the wind tunnel that allows it to slice through the air with 17 percent greater efficiency. A greater emphasis on advanced lightweight materials -- primarily high-strength steel, aluminum and magnesium -- helped engineers trim 275 pounds from the basic package while creating an even stronger and more rigid unit body that Acura expects will help it earn top safety marks from both NHTSA and the IIHS. The new MDX also will be the quietest ever produced thanks to an equal emphasis on noise attenuation and diversion. In addition to tighter body panel fits, acoustic glass and more extensive use of sound deadeners, this refined Acura also features Active Noise Control technology.
Nissan LEAF
Winner of prestigious awards like the 2010 Green Car Vision Award, 2011 European Car of the Year, 2011-12 Car of the Year Japan and most importantly that of the 2011 Car of the Year, Nissan’s all-electric car, the Leaf indeed proves that the future of clean and environment friendly cars is very bright. Put into commercial product in 2010, the Leaf has gone on to set records in terms of its monthly sales and is fast becoming accessible in various world markets. We got a chance to experience and drive one recently in Greater Noida and surely came back mighty impressed!
Till date, for most of us, the Reva has been the sole example of an all-electric car in India. However, that car also put forward a lot of negatives and limitations in front of millions of India – driving range, performance, space et al. The Nissan Leaf on the other hand promises to shatter all these pointers and how! Before even stepping into the car, its design language surely impresses you no ends. It surely is a real world car with distinctive and future styling. For example, the frontal styling is characterized by a sharp, upright V-shaped design featuring long, up-slanting light-emitting diode (LED) headlights that employ a blue internal reflective design that seems to announce - "This car is special." This design is functional too - intended to cleverly split and redirect airflow away from the door mirrors, thus reducing wind noise and drag.
Till date, for most of us, the Reva has been the sole example of an all-electric car in India. However, that car also put forward a lot of negatives and limitations in front of millions of India – driving range, performance, space et al. The Nissan Leaf on the other hand promises to shatter all these pointers and how! Before even stepping into the car, its design language surely impresses you no ends. It surely is a real world car with distinctive and future styling. For example, the frontal styling is characterized by a sharp, upright V-shaped design featuring long, up-slanting light-emitting diode (LED) headlights that employ a blue internal reflective design that seems to announce - "This car is special." This design is functional too - intended to cleverly split and redirect airflow away from the door mirrors, thus reducing wind noise and drag.
The moment you step inside the LEAF, you realize the real modern and ‘futuristic’ deal lies inside! The steering looks funky but move your eyes to the speedometer console and then to the central console and you are in for surprises of the good variety! The large touch screen (7-inch size) in the center does scream “high tech” and houses everything an owner would need in day to day usage – GPS navigation including telling the driver about the nearest charging station, menu read-outs, audio system etc. Nissan has also incorporated what it calls as CARWINGS – a clever system that monitors and shows battery state, charging status etc and also includes a very clever way of automatically starting the air-con to cool the car at a pre-described time! The speedometer console on the other hand has display for motor temperature, current usage, charge status, distance to go and the usual stuff like odometer. The LEAF can also show the difference in range when you put on any feature that puts load on the battery – air-conditioning for example!
If you are used to automatic cars, getting used to the LEAF is pretty ease save for the fact that being an electric vehicle, 100% torque is available from a standstill. The LEAF’s EM61 unit puts out the equivalent of 109PS of power and 280Nm of torque – impressive figures for a car that weighs at just 1.5 tons. We drove the car when it had four passengers on board and yet, the car responded very well. Throttle response is terrific and the car goes about doing its duties in, well, a silent way! Another thing that impresses you is the ease of driving this car – the steering is perfectly weighed, the suspension set-up perfect and good for Indian kind of roads and the seats very comfortable. Infact, space wise, the LEAF can easily seat five adults without an issue. On the handling front, because most of the heavy batteries are placed low, the car has a very low center of gravity – push it hard around curves and corners and you instantly feel the low C.G which translates into road hugging grip!
The heart of the LEAF is its batteries. The power is stored in as many as 192 laminated Lithium ion cells which have a capacity of 24 kWh and power of 360 volts. Power is sent to the front wheels via a single speed automatic transmission. The batteries can be charged to 80% their capacity in just half an hour through 480 volt quick charging stations while on the other hand the conventional 220 volt stations take 7 hours for a full charge which also gives the LEAF a range of 150-170km depending on usage and traffic conditions.
The heart of the LEAF is its batteries. The power is stored in as many as 192 laminated Lithium ion cells which have a capacity of 24 kWh and power of 360 volts. Power is sent to the front wheels via a single speed automatic transmission. The batteries can be charged to 80% their capacity in just half an hour through 480 volt quick charging stations while on the other hand the conventional 220 volt stations take 7 hours for a full charge which also gives the LEAF a range of 150-170km depending on usage and traffic conditions.
With the LEAF, Nissan has shown that the world indeed is ready for all-electric cars. At the same time, countries like India, which has one of the highest numbers of cars on the road, desperately need a solution like this. Typical savings over a conventional petrol and diesel sedan over a period of year could run into Rs 1 lac and Rs 50,000 respectively for a 20,000km annual usage pattern! The benefit on the environment is the other huge plus point. At the same, it is a fact that such a scenario of being able to use e-cars on a daily basis in a practical manner is still years away – charging station infrastructure, subsidies from the government and general user perception, everything needs to be developed and changed. However, Nissan is pretty serious about giving Indians a chance to own the LEAF and experience the future first-hand. If everything does go as planned, we could see the LEAF in a Nissan showroom by 2013 but, ofcourse, being a CBU product, expect pricing to be around the Rs 25-30 mark
Land Rover DC100
The DC100 represents a whole new type of Land Rover which will come in the future. It is a radically different design treatments above the waist demonstrate the modularity and flexibility of the platform. The shape of DC100 is instantly recognisable to generations and, like the original Land Rover and the Defender that followed it.
The interior is like a concept spaceship with many futuristic touches thrown in. The styling may seem a bit bare but its quite well done and different. The DC100 concept has its instruments placed at the centre . The instrument panel also has an intuitive touchscreen interface where you get telematics technology.
All of the concepts' functions can be controlled via this interface, using the touchscreen which again is futuristic. The steering wheel includes four shortcut keys that reconfigure the touchscreen to control functions such as navigation, audio and climate.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Honda Amaze launch on April 11, 2013
Japanese auto major Honda will debut the Amaze sedan in India on April 11, 2013. Launched in
Thailand, on November 23, 2012, Honda's maiden diesel offering is one of
the most eagerly awaited of the company’s products. The 1.5-litre
i-DTEC oil-burner has been developed by the former Honda F1 team. According to the company, the sub four-metre sedan claims to deliver fuel efficiency of 25.8kmpl.
In India, the Amaze will be offered in two engine options: the Brio’s 1.2 litre petrol unit gets carried over and puts out around 90PS and 109Nm while the 1.5-litre diesel engine with 100PS and 208Nm on tap allows the car to accelerate from 0-100km/h in about 12.5 seconds. While the diesel variants will have only a 5-speed manual transmission, the petrol Amaze will come with both a 5-speed manual and automatic transmission as options. Expected to be priced in the Rs 5.5 lakh - Rs 7.5 lakh
In India, the Amaze will be offered in two engine options: the Brio’s 1.2 litre petrol unit gets carried over and puts out around 90PS and 109Nm while the 1.5-litre diesel engine with 100PS and 208Nm on tap allows the car to accelerate from 0-100km/h in about 12.5 seconds. While the diesel variants will have only a 5-speed manual transmission, the petrol Amaze will come with both a 5-speed manual and automatic transmission as options. Expected to be priced in the Rs 5.5 lakh - Rs 7.5 lakh
Maruti Suzuki SX4 facelift Launched
When Maruti Suzuki launched the SX4 back in 2007, it was a runaway hit for the
Manesar-based company but times have changed a lot since then. A slew of
new launches from competitors meant that the SX4 was in a dire need of
an upgrade to remain in contention. After months of speculations and
rumours, Maruti has finally given the SX4 a facelift with changes made
to the cars interiors, exteriors and engine to give some stiff
competition to its rivals.
On to the mechanical front, the petrol variant of the SX4 is powered by the same 1.6-litre engine producing 104.7PS at 5600rpm and a peak torque of 145NM at 4100rpm while the 1.3-litre turbo-diesel pumps out 90PS @ 4000 rpm and 200Nm of torque @ 1750 rpm. While both the petrol and diesel engines remain un-tampered with on the new SX4, the point that will impress our mileage obsessed buyers will be the efficiency figures. Maruti has been successful in improving the mileage of the new car by 6 per cent over its predecessor and the petrol variant returns an efficiency figure of 16.5kmpl and its diesel sibling 21.79kmpl (manufacturer figures). The SX4 remains the only model in Maruti’s portfolio to have three different engine options and the CNG variant offers a claimed efficiency figure of 22.1km/kg.
Exterior changes on the new SX4 include a more pronounced bumper along with two-tone front grille, fog lamp with dual-tone garnish and electrically foldable outside rear view mirrors with built-in turn indicators. All this features have combined to give the new car a sportier stance and also the length of the car has been increased by 10mm owing to the revised bumper. Apart from the four standard colours the new SX4 gets additional two shades, Serene Blue and Granite Grey.
On to the mechanical front, the petrol variant of the SX4 is powered by the same 1.6-litre engine producing 104.7PS at 5600rpm and a peak torque of 145NM at 4100rpm while the 1.3-litre turbo-diesel pumps out 90PS @ 4000 rpm and 200Nm of torque @ 1750 rpm. While both the petrol and diesel engines remain un-tampered with on the new SX4, the point that will impress our mileage obsessed buyers will be the efficiency figures. Maruti has been successful in improving the mileage of the new car by 6 per cent over its predecessor and the petrol variant returns an efficiency figure of 16.5kmpl and its diesel sibling 21.79kmpl (manufacturer figures). The SX4 remains the only model in Maruti’s portfolio to have three different engine options and the CNG variant offers a claimed efficiency figure of 22.1km/kg.
Exterior changes on the new SX4 include a more pronounced bumper along with two-tone front grille, fog lamp with dual-tone garnish and electrically foldable outside rear view mirrors with built-in turn indicators. All this features have combined to give the new car a sportier stance and also the length of the car has been increased by 10mm owing to the revised bumper. Apart from the four standard colours the new SX4 gets additional two shades, Serene Blue and Granite Grey.