Hyundai i10 Facelift spotted in NH4

Here is further proof that something is burning at Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Close on the heels of launching a facelift of their Verna mid-size sedan, the facelift of their bread and butter model, the i10 is spotted on public roads. Though these test mules have been spotted quite a few times in pitch darkness, this is the first instance of seeing these cars in total daylight. From a distance, at first glance, we thought that we have bumped into Hyundai's new 800cc car but getting closer to it revealed it's original identity.

Being India's second largest selling car after only Maruti-Suzuki's Alto, Hyundai has decided to play safe with the existing i10 by opting for a mild nip and tuck job. It literally means that it's only going to be a slight cosmetic upgrade to make the car look fresh and appealing. From the rear, nothing except the change in shape of the tail lamp lenses were visible through the heavy camouflage. When we passed the car, we found out that the profile remains virtually unchanged except for the indicators which are now positioned in the rear-view mirrors. Moving over to the front, the major change that could be noticed was the hexagonal outline of the grille, which could be seen by the shape of the camouflage. Also, the headlamps seems to have been blackened  out with a clear partition for the front indicators.

It seems to be a nice and sporty touch to freshen up the looks of a car which currently looks a little dated. Also, except for few feature-additions, no major changes in specifications are expected with this new model, unless Hyundai decides to spring in a surprise to us. Expected to be launched before the end of the year, I sincerely hope that this "transform"ation of the i10 does not go like the recent Verna Transform, which was criticized by almost everyone for transforming a bland-looking car into an outright ugly one.

The all-new Range Rover Evoque unveiled

There are quite a few automotive companies across the world which were blessed to thrive and flourish under new ownership after facing problems for existence on it's own. Companies like Skoda (under VW), Kia (under Hyundai) and very recently, the iconic British brands Jaguar and Land Rover strike our minds immediately when we say that.

After turning around the fortunes of Jaguar globally with the superb XF and XJ models, Tata has now started shifting it's focus on Land Rover. Though Ford started and completed most of the development activities of these new-gen models, Tata deserves the credit for infusing the much needed cash to successfully launch these models. As part of it, the widely-expected production version of the stunning, crowd-wooing LRX Concept was unveiled in Britain recently.

The new baby Range Rover is christened "Evoque" and much to the surprise of  the gathered automotive media, the production version is very close and similar to the original concept version, which is a complete rarity in automobiles. This new model not only opens the avenue for a whole new set of people to join the elite Range Rover club, but because of it's stunning design, it's also going to sell in truckloads. Hope this new entry Range Rover lives up, matches and exceeds the expectations built up by the macho looks, upmarket luxury image & off-road abilities that the original Range Rover endeared itself to it's owners. 

Tata could not have given a better gift to Range Rover on it's 40th year of existence than the Evoque.

AL Intercentury Luxura spotted in Chennai

As reported quite often in this blog and everywhere else, the Commercial Vehicle space in the Indian market has evolved in the past few years. The bus segment in particular was given a shot in the arm in the form of Volvos and it has not looked back ever since. The erstwhile coaches by Tata and Ashok Leyland suddenly felt that the death-knell for their monopoly has been rung and it’s time for them to roll up their sleeves. One of the many models that were conceived to compete with Volvo B7R was the Intercentury Luxura, the body of which was built by Irizar-TVS and the chassis provided by Ashok Leyland. Though the model was launched with much fanfare at the 2006 Auto Expo and was displayed at a couple of auto expos, it had never seen the light of the day completely, the recent economic recession notwithstanding. Though there were reports of trial versions being used by APSRTC and a few other private operators, except for one or two rare sightings, absolutely none of these buses were spotted elsewhere.

Thats why, when I saw this model a couple of days back, I decided it was time for me to take out my cam and laptop. There was this white colored Intercentury Luxura with no badging, logos or registration running in stop-start Chennai city traffic. From what I saw, the bus seems to have good presence on the road and it did manage to turn a few eyebrows. Although the quality of the body was top-notch, there were no ground breaking design elements on this bus. When seen next to a Volvo, the Intercentury Luxura will not get a second glance for sure. 

While the Intercentury Luxura originally launched in 2006 was front-engined, I guess this one had it's engine at the rear, thus crucially spilling out information that Ashok Leyland is going to make a comeback with this model. NVH levels inside are bound to be higher than the Volvos though external refinement was observed to be good. Even after so many unprecedented delays over the past half-decade, I still feel Ashok Leyland can make a good business deal out of this model if it launches and markets this aggressively, especially to State Transport Corporations. A couple of years down the line, time will run out for this model forever. Hope Ashok Leyland will not let this beautiful model die a slow death.

Maruti-Suzuki all set to continue it's Indian dominace

I read that this company came into existence with a group of people who had nothing but a “World Car Guide” in their hand. After some failed attempts with other manufacturers, Indian Government finally decided Suzuki as it’s JV partner in designing and developing a small car for India. Maruti Udyog Limited, was thus born and with that deal, Suzuki had struck gold, which it would realize almost two decades later. After almost 25 years of existence, nay “sheer dominance” of the Indian automotive market, Maruti (now Maruti-Suzuki) finds itself in an enviable position. It holds a vice-like grip of the Indian market and commands a 54% market share in the world’s second fastest growing auto industry. Whenever Hyundai and Tata try to gain market share by posting higher sales numbers, Maruti-Suzuki grows more than that and makes a mockery of the competition.
 

The model contributing to all this success in the recent years is the ever desirable Swift. During it’s launch, it came as a whiff of fresh air from a company which has hitherto made efficient and practical but dull and tinny cars. This was the first ever model launched by Maruti simultaneously with it’s international debut. And the public reaction and response was there for Maruti and it’s competitors to see. Now, imagine this. A car, after almost 5 years of it’s launch, still commands a 2 month waiting list in the market. A car, along with its sedan version Swift Dzire, is the largest selling model in the Indian market. A car, which at the end of it’s life cycle and when about to be replaced, still looks so fresh and appealing. The Swift is all the above and more for Maruti-Suzuki.
 

And that’s why, when Suzuki unveiled the images of the all-new next generation Swift in the web, it has caught the attention and frenzy of the people. If there was one car model which had a huge success story written on it even before it’s launch, or heck, even before any news about it from the manufacturer itself, it should undoubtedly be this. The new Swift, in all probability should see the light of the day by next year and I am sure it’s going to rewrite the sales book records. And not wanting to spoil an already great design, Suzuki has played safe by making this new Swift an evolution of the existing model. While doing so, Suzuki has also addressed the only grouse that most of the existing Swift owners had - less passenger space in the rear. The new Swift has grown up in size and it looks the part too. Having said that, I think, if the rear styling of the present Swift was acceptable, the rear of the new model looks quite ugly to many, going by the response in automotive forums across the world. Nevertheless, it’s a great new car that’s going to come at a great price.

With the impending launch of the Kizashi, Suzuki’s sporty executive sedan, the sun is shining brighter than ever for Maruti-Suzuki. And that’s when all the manufacturers are making a bee-line to grab a foothold in this market.

Comparo #1: Tata Marcopolo vs AL Viking

Automobiles are a constantly evolving species. In no other species of machines are the technological advancements so constantly viewed by the public as in case of automobiles. India is no exception in the above statement and though it took a little while to catch up with the rest of the world, the Indian passenger car industry is now up there, offering the best money and technology can offer. While this has been the case of cars, the case of Commercial Vehicles in India has nothing to write home about. It has simply not kept pace with the international standards in this very price-sensitive market, more so in this segment. Volvo changed it all in the Public Transport segment making people realize the advancements and creature comforts that the modern day buses have in other countries. Since then, the buses in our country have been trying hard to match the standards set by Volvo and in the process, the entire industry has seen a remarkable turnaround. Even the Government run public transport organizations are not left alone in this business with the fear of being smoked by the private competitors.

Thanks to all these, the buses in Indian cities, especially metros now present a much better picture and not the same old sad story as, say a decade back. The fleet is being regularly revamped, new buses are being introduced in much higher frequencies, they are no longer being confined to only metros and big cities and above all, a healthy competition is brewing up between the largest local manufacturers, Tata and Ashok Leyland. Both the manufacturers are going all out in modernizing their existing models and platforms and hurrying up new launches like never before. In addition to that, both are making inroads into what has been traditionally the other manufacturer's stronghold. The increasing number of Ashok Leylands in Delhi and the ever-multiplying number of Marcopolos criss-crossing Chennai bear testimony to that. While every new launch in passenger cars or bikes catch the attention of the general public, especially today's young brigade, they tend to turn a blind eye when it comes to public transport buses, the latest misses being the Viking series and the Maropolo series from Ashok Leyland and Tata respectively. Being the ever-enthusiastic auto-freak that I am, these new buses never missed my eyes or my lenses.

Exterior Design:
The Tata Marcopolo is built in a spanking new facility in Karnataka while the Viking series has been built by many coach builders like Prakash, Veera, Irizar-TVS and the like with Ashok Leyland providing them the bare chassis and the design factors. Seeing them on atleast a couple of dozens of instances everyday, Tata Marcopolo stands out with the most modern design of the two. When viewed head-on, the Viking tends to pose some threat to the Marcopolo with it's modern multifocal headlamps lending a touch of class and modernness to an otherwise traditional design. The Marcopolo is also quite a looker with it's Volvo-inspired headlamp design. Where the Tata trounces the Viking is in the safety aspect with it's two huge wiper blades covering the entire windshield compared to the paltry single blade in the Viking, hardly enough to cover the driver's side of the huge windshield. The story from the rear is a sloppy one-sided affair with the Viking coming with a decade-old but trustworthy design. The Marcopolo exudes a level of modernness and follows the same design theme like the front with circular-themed tailights, plastic shrouds for the lights and body-colored plastic bumpers.

Interiors:
The Marcopolo scores in the interior design department as well with well-appointed, spacious seats and good level of standard features, the most notable among them being the "Emergency Stop" button in each of the vertical rods that supports standing passengers. The ergonomics around the driver's seat is also impeccable with everything falling nicely to hand and easy to operate. The only noticeable grudge is the lever for holding the windows open, which is very old-school and could have been easily replaced with something much better. The Viking though comes in a tried and tested, less-modern, interior design that does not disappoint both the drivers and the common public. The only grouse is the uneven height of the seats directly above the rear wheels thus reducing the space available for the passengers in the next seats. There is a lost of weight reduction in the Marcopolo with Tata preferring plastic over sheet-metal in many places. Though it serves as a great advantage in the mileage aspect, the long-term reliability of those parts are still unknown.

The Ride:
From what I experienced, the Viking seems to have a better pick-up both when starting from a standstill and while climbing inclines, though this may also be completely because of the driving skills of the respective drivers involved. But, I have noticed it on more than a couple of occasions. Also, the Viking's engine  seems to burn fuel and combust more efficiently than the Marcopolo as it does not spew smoke out of it's exhausts like Marcopolos do. I have seen old Marcopolos emitting a plume of black smoke in Delhi and Bangalore but I was shocked to see barely weeks-old new Marcopolos doing the same in Chennai. It definitely needs to be given a thought by Tata. The Viking also seems to have better riding comfort as it sails over road undulations with minimum fuss unlike the Marcopolo which strains itself in situations like this, with it's modern frame and construction designed for truly modern roads. The Marcopolo, though is extremely refined and vibration-free unlike the Viking. Particularly impressive was it's refinement at idle, to such an extent that it was difficult for passengers at the rear to make out whether the engine was switched on or not.

Verdict:
As such, the Tata Marcopolo seems to have just edged out the Viking in the initial race going by the feedback of the general public, but only time will tell whether the new Tata will hold it's own against the rock-solid reliability that has endeared the Ashok Leyland Vikings to the traveling public. On a last note, the drivers I spoke to seem to prefer the older and traditional Vikings to the Marcopolos. As they say, it takes time to change perceptions.