MotorScribes Magazine - May 2016
MotorScribes Magazine - May 2016
MotorScribes Magazine - May 2016
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BUGATTICHIRON<br />
ISSUEN0003<br />
MAY<strong>2016</strong><br />
RENAULTDUSTERAMT<br />
Renaulthasaddedover1.4Lakhfamiliestothe<br />
Renault Duster caravan since it was first<br />
launchedabout4yearsago.<br />
MERCEDESC250D<br />
Thisisacarthatjustbegstobedriven!<br />
MAHINDRANUVOSPORT<br />
The NuvoSport features Mahindra’s Micro<br />
Hybrid technology to enhance in-city fuel<br />
economy.
CONTENTS<br />
06BugattiChiron<br />
10<br />
Renault<br />
DusterAMT<br />
12<br />
Mercedes<br />
C250D<br />
launch
13<br />
Mahindra<br />
NuvoSport<br />
launch<br />
15<br />
VolvoS60<br />
CrossCountry<br />
launch<br />
18<br />
SkodaSuperb<br />
firstdrive
TEAM<br />
MuntaserMirkar<br />
WordProcessor<br />
Insomeotherlife,Muntaserwouldhavebeen<br />
designingcars,butinthisone,he'saseasoned<br />
Motoring Journalist with a decade of<br />
experiencebehindhim atpublicationslikeCar<br />
India&BikeIndia,ZigwheelsandZeegnition.<br />
Curently in charge ofshaping contentat<br />
<strong>MotorScribes</strong>,hepreachestheartofsarcasm<br />
when atplay and totaldedication when at<br />
work.<br />
Vikram Gour<br />
MarketingMan<br />
The second cog in the editorialteam at<br />
<strong>MotorScribes</strong>,Vikram Gourhashadtenyears<br />
ofautomotivewriting experienceaswel(in<br />
thesamepublicationsasMuntaser),buthis<br />
skilsgowaybeyond.Anemphaticoratorand<br />
aloverofalthingsthatgoof-road,Vikram is<br />
theGo-Toguyforbuildingbrands.Whennot<br />
atwork,he'sgeneralygetingorderedaround<br />
byhis2-yearolddaughter!<br />
GovindKumar<br />
CreativeGenius<br />
Advertising professional par excelence,<br />
Govind is responsible for al the visual<br />
wizardryyouseehere.Hiscreativeskilsare<br />
unquestionable,butareonlysurpassedbyhis<br />
loveformotorbikes–curentlyrevvingitup<br />
onaYamahaR3.BasedinChennai,heisalso<br />
anavidadventuresportenthusiastandevery<br />
sesecond thathe'snottoiling awayatdesign,<br />
he's probably scuba diving in an ocean<br />
somewhere.<br />
ManuGour<br />
TheNumbersGuy<br />
ManuisalabouttheBusiness–he'stheone<br />
to go to ifyou wantto talkaboutrunning<br />
thingsat<strong>MotorScribes</strong>.Healsogetstohandle<br />
theotherwise-mundanetasksofdealingwith<br />
legalities,paperworkandgovernmenttaxes!If<br />
itwasn'thisloveforfood–bothconsuming<br />
andcooking,he'dprobablyjustbetalkingin<br />
Mathalhislife.OK,sohelovestotraveltoo!<br />
PraveenRaja<br />
BehindtheScenes<br />
In today's day and age,no team can do<br />
withoutaTechGuruandthat'swhatPraveen<br />
is.Heletshisworkdoalthetalkingwhichis<br />
pretyevidentonthe<strong>MotorScribes</strong>website.<br />
While he'sone ofthe bestin handling the<br />
OnesandZeroes,hisbiggesttalentprobably<br />
lies in interpreting the absolute<br />
non-programming-gibberishfrom therestof<br />
theteam intoprogrammablereality.<br />
B2-103TuscanEstate,nearRaddisonHotel,Kharadi,Pune411014<br />
www.blendedmedia.in|info@blendedmedia.in<br />
https:/www.facebook.com/<strong>MotorScribes</strong><br />
https:/twitter.com/motorscribesind<br />
4
TheJourney<br />
Welcometoawholenew wayofenjoying alyourfavouritestoriesfrom<br />
<strong>MotorScribes</strong>.Forthoseofuswhostilliketoreadstructuredstorieswith<br />
great visuals,we proudly present to you the second edition ofthe<br />
<strong>MotorScribes</strong>magazine–what'smore;it'sfreeandit'sviewableonalyour<br />
devices.We kickstartthisissue with a quick look atsome ofthe best<br />
automobilestohavelaunchedinIndiarecently.<br />
Fornow,sitbackandenjoythisissueofthe<strong>MotorScribes</strong>magazineaswe<br />
promisetobringyoumoreinnovationsinthedigitalspaceaswelassomeof<br />
the bestautomotive stories foryourreading pleasure.Thank you for<br />
downloading,andcheerstothepetrolheadinusal!<br />
TEAMMOTORSCRIBES<br />
5
BugattiChiron<br />
6
1,478horsesandalmost1,600Nm ispretymuchtherealm ofbespoke,purpose-tuned,<br />
one-ofperfomance-moddedmonsterracecars,butBugatihasmanagedthoseinthe<br />
productionChiron.Agreed,theChironhad somemassiveshoestofilwhenitwas<br />
announcedasthesuccessortothelegendaryVeyron,andBugatihavedonewel–at<br />
leastfrom whatthenumberssay.ThefirstVeyronmade‘only’1,000bhpandthatseems<br />
solesscomparedtowhattheChironismakingatitsdebut.Ashistoryhastaughtus,<br />
thosenumbersareonlysettoriseasBugaticomesupwithevenpowerfulversionsin<br />
thefolowingyears.Fornow,theChironisalimitedproductionrunof500andifyou<br />
werewonderingwhointheirrightmindshaseitherthemoneyortheb*lstobuythis<br />
£1.9milion(approxRs18crore,beforetaxes)monsterofacar,therearealreadyover<br />
100buyerswaitingfortheirChironstobedelivered!<br />
“There’sstildividedopinionabouttheChironoutthere–wel,notaboutthecaritself,<br />
butmoreaboutitsexistence.”<br />
There’sstildividedopinionabouttheChironoutthere–wel,notaboutthecaritself,<br />
butmoreaboutitsexistence.Thequestionbeingraisedissimple–what’sthepointof<br />
the Chiron anyway?Ouranswerissimple –it’sa showcase ofbrute automotive<br />
engineeringprowess.Andit’smakingBugatiandtheVolkswagenGroupsomemoney<br />
in the process.And further,there’s a biggermotive here.While mostsupercar<br />
manufacturersaretryingtosolvethepuzzlethatdeterminesconvertingbuyersoftheir<br />
competitorstotheirbrands,Bugati’svisionwiththeChironissimpleenough.Theyhad<br />
theVeyronanditsmanytuned-upvariantswhichforobviousreasonsgotmanybuyers.<br />
ForBugattithequestionwasn’tabouthow togetmorebuyersfrom othercompetitors<br />
butaboutgivingexistingVeyronownerssomethingbetertomoveupto.Indoingso,<br />
they’vecreatedtheperfectexpressionofpure-bloodedautomotiveperformanceand<br />
thatwilatractothersintheprocessaswel.<br />
IfyouaskuswhatmakestheChironsospecialintoday’stimesthough,theansweris<br />
evensimpler.Lookaroundyou–theworldisbeingtakenoverbyelectrictechnology<br />
regardlessofwhetherit’spureorhybrid.Nothingwrongwiththatrealy,butwhilethat<br />
hasbecomethebuzzwordforalmosteveryhigh-performancecaroutthere,theChiron<br />
keepsitclean(oxymoron,Iknow),bystickingtoabsolute,unadulteratedpetrolpower.<br />
It’sathrowbacktothedaysgonebyandinthatsenseithitsanemotionalchordwithin<br />
everyoneofusinawaythatnohybridcan–wearequitehypocriticalthatway,aren’t<br />
we?Soalofthose1,500horsesaretheresultonlyofcombustionineachoftheChiron’s<br />
16cylindersthatmakeupthatmassive8-litreW16powerhouse.Ifthatwasn’tenough,<br />
therearefourturbosforce-feedingtheengine–twostayonatlowerrevsandtheother<br />
twoswitchonwithhigherthrotleinputs,keepingthingsinterestingthroughoutand<br />
endingupcutingdownturbolagbyahugeamount.<br />
“While‘hybrid’hasbecomethebuzzwordforalmosteveryhigh-performancecarout<br />
there,the Chiron keeps it clean (oxymoron,Iknow),by sticking to absolute,<br />
unadulteratedpetrolpower.”<br />
CLICK HERETO READ THEFULLSTORY<br />
7
CLICK HERETO READ THEFULLSTORY<br />
8
Needlesstosay,theperformancefiguresarestaggering–0-100km/h(asifthatevenmaterswiththesecarsanymore)<br />
comesupinunder2.5seconds,200km/htakes6.5sand300km/hisamere13.6secondsawayfrom whenyouwereat<br />
standstil!Topspeedisanyone’sguessandwhileBugatisaystheChironwilbreach270mph(435km/h),productionChirons<br />
havebeenlimitedto261mph(420km/h)inthenameofsafety.Right.Thisisalsotherighttimetoletyouknow thatthe<br />
speedometerontheChironreadsalthewayupto310mph,whichisinfactthatmagicfigureof500km/h–soanyoneelse<br />
waitingforBugatitotakethisbeasttoBonnevile,orNardo?<br />
Onceyougetovertheaweoftheperformancefigures,itmakessensetounderstandhow Bugati’sengineersevencame<br />
closetomakingtheChironbehaveinanythingbutastraightline.TheChironhasthetorsionalrigidityofanLMP1racecar–<br />
andthat’squiteafeatinitself,becauseitmeansthatthisbehemothwiltakecornersratherweltoo,thankstoawholenew<br />
electricsteeringsystem andsuspensionthatisboltedstraightontothemonocoque.Itwouldalsobeimportanttoiterate<br />
thefactthateachChironisactualyfivecarsinone–thankstosomeveryneatdrivingmodesbuiltin–Lift,Auto,Autobahn,<br />
HandlingandTopSpeed.<br />
Tokeepitsimple,Liftiswhenyouhaveabunchofspeedbumpstonegotiateandthismodestaysactiveonlytil50km/h–<br />
fortheslow stuf.AutogivestheChiron’scomputersfulauthoritytodecidewhichmodesuitsthecurentdrivingcondition<br />
thebest.Speed up to180km/hand thecarwilautomaticalyshifttoAutobahnmodekeeping thingscomfortablefor<br />
high-speedcruising.SwitchtoHandlingmodewhenyouwanttohitthetrack,ofcourse.Auto,AutobahnandHandling<br />
modesrestricttheChiron’stopspeedtoabout380km/handthenifthatdoesn’tsatisfyyouandyouwanttogoaltheway<br />
upto435km/h,youneedtheTopSpeedmodethatcanbeactivatedonlywithaseparatesetofkeys.Thisiswhenthespoiler<br />
extendsoutaltheway,thecarsitslowerandthespeedoswingsasfarasitisalowedto.<br />
There’slitledoubtthatBugatti’sengineerswental-outwiththeChironinano-holds-baredmatchagainstthelawsof<br />
Physicsandaswe’veseenmanytimesinsuchtechnology-heavycrusades,designersoftengetlostinthebrief.Wel,that<br />
doesn’tseem tobethecasehere–notentirelyatleast.IftheproductionChironcomesacrossasafamiliarfacetoyou,then<br />
you’reprobablyright‘cozwe’vealseenthiscarmanytimes.First,theoveraldesignismoreofaprogressionfrom wherethe<br />
BugatiVeyronleftofandthemajorlinesandcurvesontheChironaretestamenttothat.Then,theVisionGTwasthemiddle<br />
ststepbetweentheVeyronandtheChiron–whichmeansalotofcuescaryforwardfrom thatconceptcreatedforvideo<br />
games.<br />
WhatrealydidimpressthoughisthatlitlefinrunningdownthecentreoftheChiron’sspine–notquite2012Formula1(as<br />
ontheVisionGT)asmuchasitisashoutouttothelegendaryAtlanticType57SC.Apartfrom thatthough,theChironisjust<br />
marginalylongerthantheVeyroninwheelbase(1mm almostdoesn’texist),butdecentlywiderandslightlytaleraswel.<br />
Form folowsfunctionfolow form isquiteevidentwithaltheairintakesdesignednotonlyasaerodynamicaidsbutalsoto<br />
satisfythemassivecoolingrequirementsthattheChiron’spowertrainandbrakessodesperatelyneed.Evenontheinside,<br />
theChironisalaboutthe‘Bugatiline’andaboutkeepingthedriverfocussedondrivingandnothingelse.Performanceis<br />
everything.<br />
Sojustincaseyou’retheeternalcynicandarewonderingifalthatmoneyiswelspentwhen<br />
alyougetisacarthathasthepotentialtogorealyfastbutalmostneverwilinreallifeatthe<br />
handsofitsowners,thenhereareafew funfactsforyou.TheBugatiChironhasagreatmusic<br />
system withfourtweeters–eachofwhichhasaone-caratdiamondmembrane.Thenew 3D<br />
Bugatiemblem onthegrileitselfismadeofenameland solid silver,and ithasacooled<br />
glovebox!Forthemorematerialisticpeople,thatshouldbeabitofareliefbutwhenyoubuya<br />
Chiron,you’remoreofasuper-rich,worth-bilions-of-dolarskindofenthusiastthatmakesthe<br />
rerest of the world cringe with envy on Instagram<br />
and this latest harbinger of<br />
ridiculous-top-speedistheperfectsteptothenextlevel.Forothermeremortalslikeourselves<br />
though,theBugatiChironiswhatiskeepingthepetrol(andlotsofit)intheterm ‘petrolhead’<br />
forafew moreyearstocome!<br />
9
WhentheRenaultDusterwasfirstlaunchedafew yearsago,itdiditsbittoshakeupthemarketand<br />
givebuyersagreatproductfortheIndiandrivingconditions.EveryyearsinceRenaulthaslaunched<br />
theDustertheyhavecontinuedtoaddgreatfeaturestoit.WerecentlygottodrivetheAWD andthe<br />
newestavatar,theDusterAMT.<br />
Let’sbegin bysharing whathasn’tchanged in theDusterbeforewetelyou whatisnew. The<br />
dimensionsandtheengineoptionscontinuetoremainthesame.Bothofthesevehicleschurnout10<br />
PS@ 4000rpm withatorqueof245Nm @1750rpm from a1461ccDieselburner.Whiletheengine<br />
specsaresimilar,bothvehiclesdrivealitlediferentlyduetotheswitchbetweenmanualtransmission<br />
intheAWD andtheAMTtransmission. Todropaquicknotehereforthoseofyoupayingclose<br />
atentiontothesevehicles:TheAMT“doesnot”comewiththeAWD optionatpresent,thoughyoucan<br />
alwayskeepyourfingerscrossed.<br />
A lotofthechangesthatarevisibleareontheexterior.Thenew DustercomeswithWaterfalLED tail<br />
lamps,andHawkeyeclusterheadlampswhichactualylookquitecool.Theheadlampsalongwiththe<br />
Fireflyfoglampsandthenew Kayakroofrailsaddtothecharacterandfurtherenhancetheappealof<br />
thisvehiclegivingitamoreruggedidentity.16inchaloysdressedin215/65tyresgivetheDustera<br />
greatgroundclearanceof210mm furtherensurethatthisvehicledoesn’tonlylookgood;itisableto<br />
tacklethediferentroadconditionsacrossthecountrywithease. WiththeAWD option,Iwould<br />
actualycalthisa“go-everywhere”vehicle.<br />
TherehavebeenalotofinterestingenhancementswhichhavetakenplaceinsidetheDusteraswel.<br />
Whilethecabinwasalwaysspaciousandcomfortablethisavatarhasgotenatouchofclassaswel.<br />
New dooranddashboardpanelingalongwithamorerefinedseatcoveringmaywintheheartoftrue<br />
bluesedanlovers.Thiskindoffinishwaspleasantlyunexpectedinavehiclethatslotsitselffirmlyin<br />
theafordableSUV space.Ifyouheadoutforatestdriveafterreadingthis,youwilfindthatthereis<br />
alotmoretothisvehiclethanjustaesthetics.A longlistoffeaturesinclude:aNew RearView Camera<br />
withguidelines,New AutomaticAirConditioning,New Auto-up/downwindow withanti-pinch,anda<br />
New MediaNavunit.ItgoeswithoutsayingthatABS,EBD withBrakeAssist,DualAirbagsandESP<br />
alcomefitedinboththeAWD aswelastheAMTversion.TheAMTalsocomeswiththeHilAssist<br />
function,whichcanmakedrivinginthehilsalotsaferandtensionfree.<br />
BoththeAWD andtheAMTversionsarefuntodrivehowevertheyhaveaslightlydiferentdriving<br />
experience.TheAWD withthemanualtransmissionpowersupquiteeasilyandgoesthroughthe<br />
powerbandwithease.Witha6speedgearboxitiseasytogetuptoacomfortablecruisingspeed<br />
ofbetween120-150kmph(thoughyouareadvisedtokeepwelwithinspeedlimits).Whileitwas<br />
equalyeasytogetup tosimilarspeedsintheAMT,thedriverand thepassengerswereableto<br />
distinctlyfeelthechangeingearswhilemovingfrom 1stgearto6thgear.Gearchangesfrom 1to3<br />
weremorearticulatedthanfrom 4to6.Ihavetosaythatwhilethegearchangesarenoticeable,it<br />
doesn’trealytakeawayfrom theoveraldriveexperience.Thishasprobablybeenoneofthemost<br />
refinedAMTgearboxesIhaveexperiencesintheIndianmarketsofar.<br />
A few importantnumberstoroundupthestory,justin-casethefeatureshaven’tdonethejobtoenticeyoutoa<br />
dealershipimmediately.TheAWD hasanARAIcertifiedmileageof19.72kmplandanex-Delhipricingof13.57<br />
Lakhs.TheAMThasanequalyimpressiveARAIcertifiedmileageof19.60kmplandanevenmorepocket-friendly<br />
ex-Delhipricingof12.87LakhsforthetopendRXZversion.<br />
10
RenaultDusterAMTfirstdrive<br />
Renault has added over 1.4 Lakh<br />
familiestotheRenaultDustercaravan<br />
since itwas firstlaunched about4<br />
yearsago.TheAWD andtheAMTwil<br />
definitelyhavewhatittakestoentice<br />
manymore.<br />
CLICK HERETO READ THEFULLSTORY<br />
1
MercedesC250D launch<br />
CLICK HERETO READ THEFULLSTORY<br />
Mercedes-BenzhaslaunchedtheC 250dinIndiaanditwiljointheexistinglineupofC-Classsedansonofer<br />
includingtheC200andC220d.Itisincidentalythefastestcarinitssegmentanditcomeswiththe9G-TRONIC<br />
transmission,markingthefirsttimethatthistransmissionhasbeenutilizedonaC-Class.<br />
Builtfortheenthusiast,theC250dcomespackedwitha2143cc,4cylinderdieselenginethatgenerates204hpat<br />
3800 rpm andchurnsoutamassive500 Nm oftorquebetween1600-1800 rpm.Itiscapableofgoingfrom<br />
standstilto100km/hinjust6.6secondsandthetopspeedhasbeenelectronicalylimitedto247km/h.Whatis<br />
clearfrom thesefiguresisthattheC250disadieselrocketandastintbehindthewheelwouldtranslateintoan<br />
experiencethatyouwishwouldn’tend!<br />
TheMercedes-BenzC250dcomeswithalthebelsandwhistlesaswelincludingtheLED Inteligentlightsystem,<br />
reversecamerawitha180degreeview,atentionassistandactiveparkassistwithParktronic.TheInteligentlight<br />
system mentionedearlierisaratherbriliantinnovationthatautomaticalyadjuststheheadlampsbasedonthe<br />
prevailingdrivingconditionsinordertomaintainthebestlevelofvisibilityandthusimprovingsafety.Speaking<br />
aboutsafety,theC250dcomeswithABS,BAS,ESP,ASR,HilStartAssist,etc.,asstandard.Youalsogetthe<br />
Pre-Safesystem.<br />
AvailableforRs44.36lakh(ex-showroom,Pune),theC250d ofersalevelofperformancethatsurpassesits<br />
competitorsandthewayweseeit,thisisacarthatjustbegstobedriven!<br />
12
MahindraNuvoSportlaunch<br />
CLICK HERETO READ THEFULLSTORY<br />
Drivetrain<br />
Mahindra’sfirstlaunchforthisfinancialyearof<strong>2016</strong>-17isasub-4m SUV.BasedontheScorpioplatform,theMahindraNuvoSport<br />
ispoweredbythelighter,new generationversionofthe1.5-litreMHawkdieselfrom theMahindraQuanto.Maximum power<br />
outputisstila100PSbutthetorqueisclaimedtobebestinclassat240Nm.ARAIfueleficiencyis17.45kmpl,accordingto<br />
Mahindra.<br />
Design<br />
ToaddtothemuscularappealofthecompactSUV,MahindrahasgiventheNuvoSportplentyofbutchbits–theseincludethe<br />
blackunder-bodycladding,thelargefrontbumperandhoodscoop.Thehead-lamps,DRLsandtaillampsareal-new too.Inside,<br />
thecabinisupholsteredinblackandgreyfauxleathertomatchthesportyexterior.Detailslikethealuminium pedalanda<br />
chromeringontheinstrumentclusterhavebeenaddedtolendapremium feeltothecar.<br />
Spaceandutility<br />
ThecompactSUV getsaflexibleseven-seaterconfigurationwithrecliningseatsforthesecondrow.Thesecondrow canbesplit<br />
60:40inordertoopenupbootspace.Bootspaceisagainsaidtobethebestinclass,at412litre,expandableto850litreswith<br />
thesecondrow tumbleddown.Heightandwidtharealsoclaimedtobebestinsegment.<br />
13
Technology<br />
Mahindra has equipped the NuvoSport with a 6.2-inch<br />
infotainmentsystem with Bluetooth and USB connectivity.<br />
InteliparkReverseAssistandcruisecontrolarealsoofered.<br />
The instrumentation relays important information like<br />
distance-to-empty,fueleficiency and outside temperature.<br />
Steering mounted audio and phone controls along with<br />
folow-meheadlampscompletethetechnologypackage.The<br />
NuvoSportalsofeaturesMahindra’sMicroHybridtechnology<br />
to enhance in-city fueleconomy.Apartfrom the manual<br />
transmission,MahindraisalsooferingtheoptionofanAMT<br />
forthetoptwovariants.<br />
MahindraNuvoSportlaunch<br />
Prices<br />
Trim<br />
N4<br />
Price(ex-showroom Thane)<br />
Rs7.35lakh<br />
N4+ Rs7.65lakh<br />
N6<br />
N6(withAMT)<br />
N8<br />
N8(withAMT)<br />
Rs8.36lakh<br />
Rs9lakh<br />
Rs9.12lakh<br />
Rs9.76lakh<br />
Safety<br />
Dualairbagsand ABSwithEBD arenotstandard acrossal<br />
variants but the option is available,depending on the<br />
preferenceofthebuyers.Thecarhasbeendesignedforbeter<br />
impactabsorption in theeventofacolision,with crumple<br />
zonesandsideintrusionbeamstoprotectpassengers.<br />
Variants<br />
TheNuvoSportisavailableinthreebasicvariants–thebase<br />
N4,N6 and N8.Butthe combinationswith AMT and dual<br />
airbags/ABS brings the trim countto six.The additional<br />
optionsincludetheN4+trim whichgetsairbagsandABS,and<br />
the AMT-equipped N6 and N8 trims.There are six colour<br />
optionsavailable.<br />
14
VolvoS60CrossCountrylaunch<br />
CLICK HERETO READ THEFULLSTORY<br />
VolvoAutoIndiasurelyknowshow tomakeastatement.Thistimearound,theSwedishcarcompanyhasroledouta<br />
sedanonstilts!Sayhelotothealnew VolvoS60CrossCountry–asedanthatboastsofa201mm groundclearance<br />
(whichputssomeSUVstoshame)!It’sfinalyhereanditcomespackedwithfeaturestoo.<br />
Asthenamesuggests,itisessentialytheS60sedanwitha‘CrossCountry’look.Theincreaseingroundclearanceisonly<br />
partoftheparcel.TheS60 CC sitsniceandhighonneat18inchaloys,it alsogetsahoneycombgrile,wheelarch<br />
embelishmentsandpianoblacksideandrearview mirorcasings.Thedetailsmayseem limited,buttheydochangethe<br />
appearanceofthesedantogiveitamoreruggedavatar.<br />
Theinteriorsremainplushandclassy.A lotofatentionhasgoneintothedetailsandtheuseofauthenticwoodandleather<br />
dolendthecabinalotofclass.Tosetitapartfrom thesedan,theS60CCgetssportsseatsthatcomewithacontrast<br />
stitchingreminiscentofsportscarsanditplaysitsroleinremindingyouthatthisisadiferentbeastandcandomorethan<br />
justdriveonniceroads.<br />
Powering the S60 CrossCountry isa190 hp dieselengine thatchurnsout420Nm oftorque.Italso comeswith<br />
Al-Wheel-Drive(AWD)plusalthebelsandwhistlesincluding,ElectronicBrakeDistribution,ElectronicBrakeAssistance,<br />
HilDescentControl,HilStartAssist,DynamicStabilityandTractionControlaswelasAdvancedStabilityControl.As<br />
comparedtothesedan,thechassishasbeenraisedby6.5cm inordertogettothatamazinggroundclearance.<br />
15
VolvoS60CrossCountrylaunch<br />
Iam goingtointeruptthisstoryrighthereandaskyouonequestion.AreyouthinkingwhatI’m<br />
thinking?Haveyouhadyoureurekamomentyet?Wel,Ididandalthatcametomymindwasone<br />
simpleword.Raly.Now wouldn’tthatbesomething?A raly-specS60CC!Iknow right!Orbetteryet,<br />
maybeVolvoIndiawillistentome!<br />
Alright.Sobacktobusiness.TheS60CrossCountryhasbeenlaunchedataveryreasonablepriceof<br />
Rs38.9lakh(ex-showroom,Mumbai).ThisisbeforeOctroi,butitdoessoundlikeasteal,especialy<br />
whenyougothroughwhatalthiscarpacksingreaterdetail!<br />
16
KeyFeaturesoftheS60CrossCountryinclude:<br />
BasicAlarm withInteriorMovementSensor(IMS)<br />
PersonalCarCommunicatorwithKeylessDrive<br />
HomeSafeLighting<br />
PowerChildLock,RearDoors<br />
WaterRepelentFrontSideWindows<br />
CruiseControl<br />
ParkAssistCamera<br />
ParkAssistFront&Rear<br />
RainSensor<br />
TyrePressureMonitoringSystem<br />
Navigation<br />
CitySafety(Upto50km/hr)<br />
2StepAirbag,Driver/PassengerSide<br />
PassengerAirbag<br />
SIPSAirbags&InflatableCurtains<br />
Isofix–OuterPositionRearSeat<br />
InteligentDriverInformationSystem<br />
17
SKODA SUPERBFIRSTDRIVE<br />
18
TheL&KSuperbalsogetsa12speakerCantonSoundSystem<br />
thatofers impeccable sound quality and is the perfect<br />
companiononalongdrive.<br />
MydaywiththeSkodaSuperbstartedearly.Icaughta6:00am flightfrom PunetoBangalore.<br />
HungaroundattheBangaloreInternationalAirportforacoupleofhoursandthenboardeda<br />
tinyATR whichtookmetoMangalorewhereIwasfinalyreceivedbytheSkodacrew and<br />
promptlyescortedtoaneatVIPareasetupintheparkinglotforusjournalists,tograbaquick<br />
cupofcofeeandgetabriefingaboutthealnew Superbbeforethekeyswerehandedover<br />
forthedrive.Ifinalyfoundmyselfinthedriver’sseatat2:00pm andthecaratmydisposalwas<br />
thetopofthelineLaurin&KlementversionoftheSuperbpoweredbya1.8litreTSIpetrol<br />
engine.Mydestination,asthePRteam informedme,wastheVivantabyTajinMadikeri,Coorg;<br />
a160kilometredrivefrom Mangalore.<br />
ForthoseofyouwhohaveseenthepreviousgenerationSuperb,you’ldefinitelyremember<br />
how thecarlookedlikeastretchedOctavia.Theproportionswerealwaysalitleofwiththat<br />
oneandwhenIwasinformedthatthenew versionisactualyalitlelongerandwiderthanthe<br />
previousone,Ihonestlydidn’tgetmyhopesupalthathigh.Skoda,however,havemanaged<br />
todoabriliantjobwiththedesignofthenew Superbanddespitetheincreaseindimensions;<br />
theyhavegiventhecarbeterlinesthatactualydisguiseitslength.Itdoesn’tlooklikea<br />
stretchedsedananymoreandhasaneat,almostcoupe-inspiredstance.Theproportionsare<br />
alrightandthecharacterlinesworktheirmagictogivethisluxurysedananicesportyappeal<br />
aswel.Itssharp,preciseandangularlinesarefurthercomplementedbythetreatmenttothe<br />
frontgrileandextremelysexylookingheadlights.TheSuperbsitsnicelyonthoselarge18-inch<br />
aloysandtheentirepackageisavisualtreatforsure.Iknew I’dgetmychancetoadmirethe<br />
carinCoorg,butittookjustafew secondsattheMangaloreairportparkinglottoimmediately<br />
falforwhatIwasgoingtobespendingtherestofmydaywith.<br />
BeingthetopofthelineL&Kspecversion,theSuperbIhadatmydisposalboastedalthebels<br />
andwhistles.Theplushairycabinhasbeencraftedfrom qualitymaterialsandyoujustcan’t<br />
ignoretheatentiontodetail.Thesteeringisnicetogrip,theinstrumentclusterhasanicely<br />
integrateddigitaldriverinformationdisplayandthereisalsoaneatlyintegratedhighend<br />
infotainmentsystem atyourdisposal.TheL&KSuperbalsogetsa12speakerCantonSound<br />
System thatofersimpeccablesoundqualityandistheperfectcompaniononalongdrive.The<br />
centreconsoleboastsafineblackfinishandwhileitdoeslookclassy,itisalsoreminiscentof<br />
whatyouwouldfindonanAudiorVolkswagenPassat(theyarepartofthefamilyandit<br />
shows)!ThehighendL&Kversiongetsanicelargesunroofaswel,howeverIonlygottoenjoy<br />
thatfeatureinMadikeri–wheretheweatherwasjustrighttokeepitopenandenjoythecool<br />
airofCoorg.<br />
Skoda’smarketing mantraoftheSuperb being ‘SimplyClever’stemsfrom theamountof<br />
thoughtthathasgoneintocateringtoyoureveryneed.Thereisoodlesofstoragespacewithin<br />
the cabin foryourknick-knacks,botle holders,a cooled glove box,a jumbo storage<br />
compartmentinthecentrearm restbetweenthefrontpassengers,afolddownarm restfor<br />
therearpassengerswithbotleholdersandangledfootrestsfortherearpassengers.<br />
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Thelargenotchbackcanbeopenedbyswipingyourfootundertherearbumperandyouhaveaccessto625litresof<br />
bootspace,whichcanbeexpandedto1,750litreswiththerearseatsfoldeddown.Thebootalsogetstheserealyneat<br />
hookstosecuresmalpiecesofluggage–verythoughtfulindeed,especialyifyouarecaryinggrocerieshomefrom<br />
work,orinmycase,itwastheperfectwaytosecuremycamerabagfrom bouncingaroundasImademywayupthe<br />
twistiestoMadikeri.TheSuperbalsogetsthree-zoneclimatecontrol,keylessentry,electronicalyadjustablefront<br />
seseats(plus‘boss’butonsonthesideofthefrontpassengerseattoalow thebossatthebacktomovetheseatforward<br />
forevenmorelegspace.A wordofadvice,don’tusethesewithafrontpassengeralreadysitingthere)!Ifalthis<br />
wasn’tenough,Skodahasnow equippedtheSuperbwithtwoumbrelas!That’sright,theearlieronecamewithjust<br />
oneumbrela,however,thenew Superbgetsoneineachfrontdoor.A welcometouchandifyouthinkit’sagimmick,<br />
waittilthemonsoonsandyou’lseealotofhappySuperbowners.<br />
PoweringtheL&KSuperbatmydisposalwasthe1.8TSIpetrolmotor.Skodadoesofera2.0TDIdieselversionaswel,<br />
however,sinceIdidn’tgetmyhandsonthat,I’lbetelingyouaboutthepetrolversion.Firstof,it’sarocket!A 1.8litre<br />
engineforacarthissizemightsoundalitleof,butyougetthatmotorgoingandswitchtosportmodeplustossin<br />
thefactthatyoucanmanualycontrolthegearshiftsusingthoseneatpaddleshiftsbasicalytranslatestoyouhaving<br />
ablastbehind thewheel!The1798ccmotorpumpsout180PS ofpeakpowerbetween 4,000 –6,200rpm and<br />
generatesadecent320Nm ofmaximum torquebetween1,450–3,900rpm.Powerisdriventothefrontwheels and<br />
the slick7-speedDSG complementstheengineperfectly.Justsoyouknow,Skodadoesoferthe1.8TSIwitha<br />
6-speedmanualgearboxandthedieselversionisonlyavailablewitha6-speedDSG.Havingsaidthat,the1.8TSIisa<br />
gem ofanengineandpowersupbriliantly.It’srathereficientaswelandwhiletheARAItestedmileageis14.12kmpl,I<br />
averagedahealthy12.5kmplonmydrive–andthatincludedthelongdriveinthehils,acoupleofslow stretcheson<br />
mywayoutofMangaloreandsomefaststretchesinbetween.<br />
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SkodaSuperbfirstdrive<br />
PamperedinthecomfortablecabinoftheSuperb,Iwasalsoimpressedbythewaythecarhandles.Despiteitslength<br />
andincreasedwheelbase,thecarisajoytodrive.Ifoundmyselfpushingitthroughtheghatsatabriskpaceandnever<br />
didIfeelthatthecarwouldstepoutofline.A journalistfrom anotherpublicationwhowassharingthecarwithmeatthe<br />
timedidsaythathefoundtheridequalitytobealitleonthehardside,butIthoughtitwasactualyverygood.Ilikethat<br />
typical‘German’suspensionsetupandhonestlyhadnocomplaints,buttoeachhisownright?Iwashappierhavingacar<br />
ththathandledlikethat,andIguesstheotherjournalistwouldhavebeenimpressedwithawaftierridewhichwouldhave<br />
sacrificedthevehicle’shandlingabilities.However,Iwasdrivingandhavinganabsoluteblast,sotherewasnowaythatI<br />
wasgoingtocomplainaboutthecar’shandlingandridequalityatthetimeanyway.<br />
BeingtheflagshipproductforSkodaalsomeantthattheSuperbcamepackedwithalthesafetyfeaturesyou’dexpect.<br />
ABS,EBD,numerousairbagsincludinglargecurtainbagsforalroundprotectionarepartofthepackage.Iobviouslyhad<br />
nointentionoftestingthis,butitfeltgoodtoknow thatIwaswelcocoonedinthatcabin.Itinstilsasenseofconfidence<br />
thatonlyaluxurycarcanofer.<br />
BuiltontheMQBplatform,theSkodaSuperbisoneoutof12currentmodelsintheVW Groupfamilythatutilizesthisnew<br />
ageplatform anditstandstogainalotfrom thistoo.Theuniform designalowsforalotofsharingofcomponentsand<br />
engineswhichhasresultedinSkodabeingabletokeepthepricedowndespitehavingdeliveredaproductthatissuperior<br />
toitspredecessorineveryway.ThereisnodoubtingthefactthattheengineersanddesignersatSkodaputalotofwork<br />
intoensuringthattheSuperbdoeseverythingrightpluspossessesthataddedlayerofcharismathatwilleaveyou<br />
charmed.Everythingaboutthecarisjustsoright–itlooksgreat,drivesgreat,hasgreatfeaturesandispricedgreattoo!<br />
From apureproductstandpoint,it’sawinnerandforthoseofyouwhoareworriedaboutserviceandspares,Ididmy<br />
homeworkandIhavewordfrom noneotherthanMrSudhirRao,chairmanandmanagingdirectorSkodaAutoIndia,that<br />
thingsarealreadychangingforthebeterandSkodaisdoingtheirverybesttoensurethatcustomersremainhappy<br />
throughtheentireownershipcycleofaSkoda.<br />
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