A Masterstroke from Hyundai

Since early 2008, people across the world owe a lot  to a company called "Hyundai" for making them totally shock-proof. As a matter of fact, every news  or new launch from this company gave some kind of shock to the general public and automotive critics alike which some people still find hard to believe or digest. The launch of the Genesis is a prime example of the above statement.

When Hyundai showed off the Genesis Concept in 2007 and announced its intentions to enter the luxury segment, people mocked at the company officials. It was brushed off as just a show-piece and one that will never make it to production. Traditional naysayers have been telling "How come a perennial budget car-maker, known for its shoddy quality in the 80's and 90's can pull this off"? A year later, when the production-ready Genesis Sedan was unveiled, there was a loud uproar that Hyundai is digging the death knell for itself by venturing into the high price luxury segment. An obvious example of Phaeton (the luxury car from VW that failed miserably) was quoted every time a news about Genesis came out.

Now almost an year after the launch of the Sedan and later its Coupe variant, the Genesis model have not only met with a commercial sales success but have won an entire galaxy of awards which makes even the top Hyundai honchos a little surprised. Though they knew that Genesis was developed to challenge the top luxury cars, they were just not prepared for this onslaught of awards on Hyundai's flagship.Taken from an article in Hyundai USA's website, the following are some of the significant awards won by the car this year:

1. 2009 North American Car Of The Year
2. 2009 Canadian Car Of The Year (AJAC)
3. Best New Luxury Car under $50,000 (AJAC)
4. MotorTrend - America's Top New Cars
5. J.D.Power APEAL Study - Most Appealing Mid-Size Premium Car
6. J.D.Power Vehicle Launch Index(VLI) - Best New Vehicle
7. The Car Book - 2009 Best Bet (Intermediate Category)
8. Car Of The Year (From Autotropolis, Cars.com, On Wheels and Autobytel)
9. AutoPacific - Best Buy (Aspirational Luxury Category)
10. Consumer Digest - Best Bet (Luxury Segment)
11. Wards.com - 10 Best Engines (4.6 Liter Tau V8)

The most important thing to note is that the contenders for all the above awards included models from the likes of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Cadillac, Lexus, Acura, Infiniti, etc. To put it simply, the Genesis platform has been a true masterstroke from the company and Hyundai has backed it up quite well with some brilliant marketing too. Check out one of my favourite print ads released for the Sedan.

At this rate, its just going to be a matter of time before Hyundai spins off the Genesis into a standalone luxury brand (just like Toyota's Lexus, Honda's Acura and Nissan's Infiniti). And not to forget the same critics who slammed Hyundai before the launch of the Genesis, those guys will be back soon telling that it was sheer luck which made the Genesis succeed. Keep them coming, guys. The folks at Hyundai (and Kia) thrive on them!

The Battle of the Germans

Spell the word L.U.X.U.R.Y and the names that comes to mind immediately are Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. These three German brands have ruled the luxury automotive market across the globe and continue to do so in amazing fashion. Amongst them, Mercedes-Benz was one of the very first automakers to set up shop in India in the mid 90's once Indian market opened up for globalization. They had this first-mover advantage going with them and up until two years back, Mercedes-Benz was ruling the market with absolutely no competition to boast of in the luxury segment in India. If you were looking for status, you had to have a car with the 3 pointed star (Mercedes-Benz). Period!

But the arrival of BMW and Audi in recent years has now put the leader under pressure. To clearly put things in perspective, BMW, in just its second full year of operations in India has taken the leadership away from Mercedes-Benz. By the end of this year, BMW would have sold more cars in 2009 than MB which has been around for more than a decade. Audi is also not far behind these two! BMW has clearly stated in all its press releases and interviews that it wants to take and maintain leadership in the luxury segment in India. Now that it has already achieved it, we can expect Mercedes-Benz to come back with a bang and give a shot at the title with a renewed vengeance. It has already lined up its stunning all-new E-Class for launch in this festive season and promises much more in store. Audi (along with its parent VW) is also having a very aggressive strategy in India and has lined up many releases including new versions of the breathtakingly beautiful A4.

The fight between these three German marques will ensure that the ultimate winner is the customer. A few years back, people who had big wallets had no choice but to buy a car with the 3 pointed star or pay 200% duty for an import. The ensuing battle between these three Germans makes them launch their very best and all-new models here in India along with the rest of the world and makes sure that the customers are spoilt for choice. Add Jaguar and Volvo to this list and the choice of cars is seemingly endless.

Lets hope and pray that this battle goes on forever so that we Indians get to lay our hands on the very best on offer across the globe.

Spotted #1: Rolls-Royce Phantom

In my very first post, I had mentioned that I get very excited on spotting an exotic automobile on road. One such instance happened recently when I saw a Rolls-Royce Phantom in Chennai caught in a traffic signal. This is my second instance of spotting a RR Phantom in Chennai, the first time being the incident that I had mentioned in my first post. Luckily this time, I had my friend sitting with me in my bike and we pulled up closer to the car to take some snaps. 

Literally, I understood the meaning of the word Road-Presence that day. The awesome styling and the magnificent road-presence made sure that everybody around craned their necks and glanced at this mobile wonder. Infact, people started moving their vehicles aside and leave way for this car as if they have seen an ambulance with its flashlights and siren on. 

Click on the images to get a bigger picture. Clarity may not be great since these were taken in my mobile phone. Cheers !!!  

Driven #1: Bajaj Discover 100 DTS-Si

If there is an award for a company which constantly upgrades and refreshes its models, you have to hand it over to Bajaj for the kind of manipulations they do and come out relentlessly with improved variants and sub-variants of their existing models and platforms. They did it successfully with the Pulsar range (150, 180, 220 and finally 200) and are trying to emulate the same success story with the Discover range. The Discover started its life as a 125cc offering, was later joined by smaller and bigger cousins in the form of 110cc and 135cc and now the recently launched 100 DTS-Si. Now that Bajaj has stopped the 110 and 125, Discover range is left with the sporty 135 DTS-i and the economical 100 DTS-Si.

TO LOOK AND FEEL:

Ever since the Discover was launched years back, it has always been quite a looker in its segment. Over the years, Bajaj has tweaked the design, added some bits here and there and made sure that the Discover continues to be a very good looking bike. In fact, I would say, it simply blows the competition away when it comes to styling. The sporty, low-slung design, a long wheelbase, black-themed styling (for engine & wheels), segment-first features like Twin Pilot Lamps, LED Tail Lamps, etc. makes this bike wonderful to look at. Especially from the rear, the bike looks attractive with its triple-layered LED lamps and it cannot be associated as a 100cc econobike.

It’s a known fact that Bajaj is the king when it comes to features and the Discover DTS-Si is no exception. Bajaj has loaded this bike to the maximum extent possible. Apart from the LED Taillights & twin Pilot Lamps, the bike offers a maintenance-free battery, auto choke, gas-filled rear suspension (NitroX), LED Battery Charge Indicator, Ride Control Switch, electric start, etc. 

ON THE ROAD:
The latest version of Bajaj’s DTS-Si engine finds its way into the Discover after doing duty in other models like Platina and XCD. The 94.38cc single-cylinder 4-stroke engine puts out 7.7 ps of power at 7500 rpm. Turn on the ignition and the typical Bajaj exhaust note greets you. The refinement of the engine is on par for the segment though models from Honda and Suzuki in the same price bracket beats it hands-down in this area. The all-down 5-speed gearbox mated to the engine is easy to use. The power delivery is smooth and the bike does not feel slow in traffic. The presence of a 5th gear eliminates the usual feeling in 100cc bikes of running out of breath at medium speeds. Also remember the fact that this bike was designed for fuel-efficiency and comes with an ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 89 kmpl for Indian Driving Conditions (Source: Bajaj Auto website). 

Bajaj bikes are known for the good ride they offer and the Discover DTS-Si continues the tradition. With its telescopic front shocks and gas charged rear shocks (NitroX), the Discover gives its riders a smooth and pleasant ride. The wider rear tire (for its segment) along with the long wheelbase ensures that the bike feels stable on the road and handling is also not compromised. 

The only grouse is that after loading the bike with so many features, Bajaj could have given the bike an added safety with front disc brakes. The bike comes with drum brakes (both front & rear). Though drum brakes are the current norms in the 100cc segment, Bajaj had always been the trend-setter when it comes to features.

As said earlier, the bike comes loaded with technical stuff. Taking prime position among all is Bajaj’s patented, now-popular DTS-Si. The twin spark plugs help in better combustion resulting in more power and better fuel consumption. Also aiding fuel efficiency is the Swirl Induction technology by which turbulence is created in the air-fuel mixture by offsetting the positioning of inlet and outlet ports. Apart from this are the other advancements like ExhausTEC, TRICS III, Automatic Choke (eliminating manual choke operation), LED Battery Indicator (which indicates Battery Malfunction and Low Voltage), Battery Protector Unit & Ride Control Switch. (Source: Bajaj Auto website) 

TO SUM UP: 
The Discover DTS-Si is a solid offering in the 100cc segment with good styling, stunning features for its segment, good engine and excellent fuel efficiency. The fact that it was not designed as a 100cc bike unlike some of its competitors is an added advantage. With an On-Road Chennai price of Rs. 46734, its good value too considering the features that it provides and the higher platform in which it is based on (125cc segment platform). It comes with a huge responsibility of putting Bajaj back on the growth track (after Bajaj continuously lost sales month after month) and we hope it succeeds in its mission.

Racing to the Top

Around the same time last year, quite a lot of people (except for a few auto-buffs who foresaw this) were surprised when Hyundai-Kia became the world's 5th largest auto manufacturer leapfrogging Nissan and Honda. The same set of people were in for a bigger surprise this year - Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group (HKAG) has overtaken Ford to become the world's 4th largest auto company in Jan-Jun 2009 global sales. The once-a-butt-of-jokes Korean underdog has risen meteorically in the past decade to become a global superpower in the world of automobiles

When the company declared 10 years back that their ambition is to get into the Top 5 by 2010, there were no takers for the statement. But the Koreans had the audacity and commitment which paved the way for them to move from 11th in 1999 to 4th in 2009. What makes the acheivement even more remarkable is the fact that there was a difference of about 1 million vehicles between Ford and Hyundai-Kia in 2008. Of course, Ford lost quite a few brands from its kitty (Jaguar, Land Rover & Aston-Martin) in its restructuring process, but that should not take the credits away from the Korean duo.

The startling success of this company can be attributed to several factors such as a string of globally super-successful models (Sonata, Elantra, Ceed & Soul to name a few), multifold improving Brand-Image (Genesis Sedan & Coupe), the extremely successful new European nomenclature (i30, i10 & the recent i20) and renewed focus on Safety & Quality which puts its cars on par with the best.
 

Great going Hyundai-Kia!!! I sincerely hope that you will treat us with many more surprises with every new model launch which will not only be leaps & bounds ahead of the model it replaces but also lands directly on top of that particular segment.