Car and Bike Reviews and News: May 2018

Thursday, May 17, 2018

Ford Endeavour facelift breaks cover

Expected to arrive in India in 2019.

GP Petroleums Ltd, a lubricant maker that’s a part of the UAE-based GP Global Group (earlier Gulf Petrochem), won the ‘Greatest sales growth award for Repsol Lubricants’ at the Global EMAI Awards 2017 held in Madrid, Spain in April 2018.

The limited period offer is available across all Ducati dealerships in India.

This step is being taken to highlight Volvo’s commitment to a long-term future beyond the traditional combustion engine.

The Kia Sportage will be the first model to offer this new technology later in 2018.

The 2018 AMaze is offered in four variants - E, S, V and VX. Only V and S variants get the CVT gearbox option.

2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS 400d: First Impressions

The CLS gets sharper, but also more spacious and comfortable. A proper E-Class with attitude, then!

With the new Amaze, Honda is preparing to put a dent in Dzire’s sales.

The race-spec Apache RR 310 is equipped with a free-flow exhaust, improved induction system, race tuned ECU and modified foot-peg to provide race ergonomics.

The Dominar 400 now costs ₹1.46 lakh and ₹1.60 lakh (both ex-showroom, Delhi) for the standard and ABS variants, respectively.

Diesel has surged by up to ₹7.39 in 2018 alone.

Another day, another crossover by Jaguar. But don’t make the mistake of taking this one for granted – propelled by electricity, it’s a machine extraordinaire!

We become ‘Global Explorers’ courtesy of a unique learning experience at the Mahindra Adventure Off-Road School.

The 8 Series will debut in its Coupe avatar first. Convertibe and Gran Coupe will arrive later.

After more than a decade, the Apache RTR 160 has been comprehensively updated in 2018. However, the 160cc bike segment is already crowded with capable contenders from Bajaj, Honda and Suzuki. We compare the new Apache RTR 160 4V with its rivals to see if it can hold its own.

The EcoBoost returns with the new Ford EcoSport S along with a new gearbox and a sunroof.

The GT S Roadster is the third drop top model in the AMG GT range.

Bigger, safer and surprisingly nice to drive, the fourth-gen Hyundai Santa Fe is back with a bang.

2018 Honda Africa Twin launch in July

The updated Honda Africa Twin was showcased earlier this year at the Auto Expo 2018

F1 2018: Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes crush the field with a 1-2 at the Spanish Grand Prix

Sebastian Vettel had stated that he was not too concerned about losing out on a win at the previous round in Baku and dropping 13 points by finishing fourth after his overcommitted passing attempt on Valtteri Bottas. Well, with Ferrari well and truly off the pace in the Spanish Grand Prix and unable to even get on the podium, Vettel now stares at a 17-point deficit to Mercedes AMG F1's Lewis Hamilton who led a dominant 1-2 finish ahead of teammate Bottas and Red Bull-Renault's Max Verstappen.

Bookings of the dual-motor all-wheel drive and Performance variants of the Model 3 will begin from next week, confirmed Elon Musk.

Despite Sebastian Vettel looking likely to take yet another pole position this season Mercedes AMG F1 turned things around as defending champion Lewis Hamilton took pole position with teammate Valtteri Bottas a very close second for the Spanish Grand Prix.

We take a look at some changes that the new Hyundai Creta will bring with it.

AMR Signature Edition Aston Martin DB11 AMR Front Dynamic

With more power, the Aston Martin DB11 gets a new flagship model from the AMR division which is faster and quicker than the standard V12.

So, should the Lamborghini Urus be worried?

Lister Cars, a UK-based carmaker, has released the teaser of its upcoming world’s fastest SUV – a title that’s currently held by the Lamborghini Urus. This is the very first teaser of the vehicle and more are confirmed to follow before the final reveal.

Because I am constantly testing different motorcycles and scooters, sometimes, for brief periods, I don’t get to spend time with my long-term FZ25. But I’m always delighted to get back to it. Why? Well, it continues to be one of the most comfortable entry-level sports bikes in India. Even for a tall guy like me, the seating position is very good and the ergonomics are spot on.

Last month the Apache RR 310 entered our fleet, and Jared gave you his first impressions of the motorcycle. This month I took the ownership of the bike, and here’s what I’ve to say about it.

Hyundai Tucson Long Term Review: May 2018

With the summer here in full form, it’s been an ideal opportunity to test the air-conditioning capabilities of the Tucson.

Maruti Suzuki is yet to reveal the price of the Ertiga Limited Edition.

Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR revealed with 286bhp

The TCR will be positioned as the top-end Golf GTI variant when it goes on sale.

The updated Triumph Tiger 1200 comes with as many as 100 changes and is 11kg lighter than the outgoing version. It'll available in only XCx trim.

The £250,000 high-riding Rolls has finally been fully revealed.

Ford’s EcoBoost engine is all set to make a comeback in India with the launch of the new Titanium S variant.

Aston Martin will revive the 112-year-old marque as the maker of uber-luxurious EVs.

Audi is eyeing to sell 800,000 electrified vehicles per year by 2025. The company's ambitious game plan will kick off with the launch of the e-tron SUV in August 2018, followed by three more fully electric vehicles by 2020.

The government is very keen on promoting EVs in India.

2019 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat teased

The updated four-door muscle car is expected to retain the 707bhp 6.2-litre V8 HEMI in its new avatar, which will have more sinister styling.

Dodge’s mighty four-door Charger SRT Hellcat is all set to get a makeover in a couple of months. And in the build up to the launch, Dodge has now released a teaser, showing the car’s new grille and a massive new air-take. Apart from this, Dodge is obviously tight-lipped on matters relating to the new model at the moment. That said, given the existing Charger SRT’s street cred, we can safely speculate a few things . . .

For the uninitiated, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is a full-blown, high-performance variant of the humble Charger sedan. However, think of it as a more practical version of the mental two-door Challenger SRT Hellcat. In fact, it won’t be wrong to call the Charger SRT a four-door muscle car.

Next-generation Mercedes-Benz GLE spied

Mercedes is set to update its large SUV range very soon. Along with the GLE, the bigger GLS is also bound to be replaced by this year's end.

A lightly camouflaged prototype of the next-gen Merc GLE has been spied on by our Italian partner quattroruote.

The present GLE – formerly known as ML Class – started its life in 2011 and is currently the oldest vehicle in its segment. Its replacement vehicle, which has been spied on here, is expected to be revealed in all its glory by this year’s end or latest by the first quarter of 2019.

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Maruti Suzuki Dzire Long Term Review: May 2018

When it comes to everyday commuting in the city in comfort and without any worries, the Maruti Suzuki Dzire is definitely a perfect choice. What I love the most about the car is its spacious cabin. Ergonomically, the car is spot on. There’s nothing fancy about the dash layout – it’s simple and clean and has everything you need well within your reach and is also easy to operate.

At 2.28 tonnes, the Hexa is a lot of metal to be hauling around. Of course, Tata Motors knew what they were dealing with here. And to ensure the Hexa’s engine had enough grunt for the task, they reworked their 2.2 litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged, intercooled engine for 154bhp and 400Nm. But there is no getting away from the fact that this is a heavy vehicle.

If there has been one aspect of the Jeep that has made it the firm favourite of my family, it has to be its interiors.

TVS Apache RTR 180 Race Edition launched

The TVS RTR 180 gets some sporty treatment and racy decals.

The Cullinan will be revealed in all its glory on May 10, 2018.

More Audi diesel vehicles are allegedly fitted with an illegal defeat device.

Mercedes-AMG GT63 S 4-door Coupe Edition 1 revealed

Limited edition version of Mercedes-AMG's high-performance GT 4-door Coupe will be sold only for 12 months.

Toyota Yaris vs Hyundai Verna : Comparision

The brand new Yaris must compete with the stalwarts in the segment – the Honda City and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz – but first it must take on the current Indian Car of the Year, the Hyundai Verna.

Top 10 cars sold in April 2018

Here are the country’s best-selling passenger vehicles in the first month of FY2018-19.

New BMW M5 Competition revealed

More firepower and a stiffer chassis make the BMW M5 even more hardcore!

The V12 Vantage has been reborn in a super exclusive 592bhp avatar.

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza will now also come in AMT form mated to its sole diesel powertrain.

TVS NTORQ 125 Long Term Review: May 2018

I used to think that a motorcycle is the most convenient and enjoyable way to commute in a city like Delhi. And because of this very reason, I’d been regularly nicking keys of all the nice bikes that’ve graced our long-term garage in the last two years.

Enthusiasts can now book the 2018 Triumph Tiger 1200 for a minimum booking amount of Rs 2 lakh

The 2018 Jawa 350 Special is a classic cafe racer that's based on the 350 OHC.