Happy Diwali

Wishing everyone a happy, prosperous and a safe Diwali.

Delhi Roads – What Is Going On?

I am sure everyone would agree that the capital has by far the best roads in the country, compared to any other metro. I have seen Bombay, and the state of affairs there is pathetic. The only city which comes close is Bangalore, though it’s not as good.

But off late, it seems Delhi is loosing its sheen. One season of heavy rains and everything has gone haywire. It looks as though there wasn’t such a thing as roads in Delhi, ever. Want to time travel? Come to the capital and we’ll take you at least fifty years back in time. Want to go to the moon? Well don’t wait, come to Delhi and we’ll make you the thirteenth man on the moon. NASA should test their next lunar rover/mars lander right here in Delhi. We have got the best of lunar surface complete with craters and what not. Atacama Desert pales in comparison.

Doesn’t matter which car you are in, our roads will let you know about every single crater your expensive set of wheels falls into. What you need is not a 7 Series or an S Class, what is needed is a Tata 207 to make it to the destination. It costs less to repair a 207 than the Merc or the Beemer.

Flyovers. The worst I tell you. Most often than not something or the other brakes down on it’s way up. This usually is a truck, which is not allowed to ply on roads during day time, but do that anyways by bribing the cops. Why these idiots drive up a flyover on a full load (overload?) is a mystery, which not even the full complement of scientists at CERN can solve. Origin of the universe doesn’t even measure up.

These trucks usually drive on full racing slicks and with rocks protruding out of the road surface in all their glory, a puncture is inevitable. This happens mostly during rush hour traffic, and to add a bit of excitement to the proceedings, the biggest boulders in the vicinity are placed around leaving three-quarters of a lane for the rest. A Russian Obstacle Training course is a cake walk.

The state government has got grand plans for the Commonwealth Games 2010, and by the looks of things all their plans have fallen off into one of the innumerable craters found all over the place. The only way Delhi will look like Beijing for the 2020 Olympics, if they do come to Delhi, would be a miracle of god.

Gearhead Picks From Paris - Lamborghini Estoque

Starting a couple of weeks before the Paris show, Lamborghini started releasing pictures of the thing in parts. I must say they created quite a buzz about it. At Paris they finally unveiled the Estoque concept, named after a kind of sword used by matadors.

Lamborghini is calling this low, four door, four seater an ‘everyday sports car’. With that long wheelbase that might be stretching it a bit. Permanent four wheel drive is present and those 22 inch wheels look sinfully gorgeous. Power might come from the V10 from the LP 560-4 or a turbo V8 derived from the same. An economical option could be a V8 with a hybrid module or for the first time in Lambo history a high performance diesel.

The front end carries the current Lambo design theme with those sharp looking air ducts in front and the Reventon inspired tail lamps. At 5.15 meters long it is almost as long as an S-Class and at 1.35 meters high, it is well, not that high.

If it goes into production, and I don’t see why it shouldn’t, the Panamera and the Rapide will have something of a tough fight at hand.

Gearhead Picks From Paris – Jaguar XKR-S

First they had the XK. Then came the hot version, the XK-R. And now this, the XKR-S. What next? An XKRS-R of course. Jokes apart this is the fastest Jaguar since the XJ220.


Company claims a 0 – 100 in 5.2 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 280 kmph. Now that is fast. Suspension is upgraded with new springs, dampers and anti roll bars. The CATS (Computer Active Suspension Technology) get recalibrated for better ride and handling.

Braking duties are handled by Alcon R Performance brakes with 400 mm discs up front and 350 mm at the rear, both grabbed by red monobloc six piston callipers. With the kind of top speed it boasts of, anything smaller wouldn’t have cut it.

Exterior changes include revised front air-splitter, side sill extensions, new rear spoiler and bumper with a new diffuser. Wheels are 20 inch Vortex alloys. The car is available only in black with contrasting finish to grille, sills, wheels and vents. Transmission is six speed sequential shift box with paddles behind the steering.

The car goes on sale soon with the run being limited to just 200 units in both left and right hand drive meant only for Europe.

Gearhead Picks From Paris – Fiat 500 Abarth

This is the variant Fiat should have introduced instead of the 1.3 diesel. This little nugget sports a scorpion badge on the hood and the specs tell you that it can sting. A 1.4 liter turbocharged motor is present under the hood making a healthy 160 bhp. So a 100 on the speedo should come around in 7.4 seconds or so.

A top whack of 210 kmph is better than a few mid size cars can do. The car sports 17 inch wheels and a racy body kit. The car gets a lowered suspension for better handling. Just the car for commuting on weekdays and racing around the track on weekends.

Gearhead Picks From Paris - Skoda Octavia\Laura Facelift

What do these headlamps remind you of?

These remind me of the 3 Series. The car though is not a BMW. It’s a Skoda, the Octavia or as we know it here in India, the Laura.

And these are not the only changes, there is a new grille, bumpers and tail lamps. Changes on the inside are minor, like white backlit dash, new air con controls, and new design steering wheel.

A new engine option, though not coming to India, is a 1.4 liter TSI which can be mated to a seven speed DSG gearbox.

The face lifted car should come to India by the beginning of next year. Also on the cards is a mild facelift for the previous generation car which is still sold here as the Octavia.

Gearhead Picks From Paris - Hyundai i20

Hyundai showed the next of the i-series car at Paris, the i20. The car is a replacement model for the Getz in the international markets. It is longer and wider than the Getz and also sits lower. Styling is not radical like the quirky i10 and is inspired by the i30. In profile the car looks a lot like the Getz though it is much beefier. There is the same family grille seen on the i10 with the Hyundai logo. The rear is bland and uninspiring, again like the i10.

For Europe the car will get seven engine options. Petrol engines include 80 PS 1.2, 100 PS 1.4 and the 126 PS 1.6. Transmission options are five speed manual on all three or four speed automatics on the 1.4 and 1.6. The diesels include the new 1.4 making either 75 PS or 90 PS and a 1.6 making also in two trims making either 115 PS or 128 PS. Drivetrains are five speed manual for 1.4 and six peed manual for 1.6.

Here in India it will get the 1.2 Kappa and the 1.4 petrols and also the 1.4 diesel. Auto option should be offered on both petrols. Features like airbags, climate control and ABS should also make it to the options list, considering the Skoda Fabia has them.

Pricing will start above the five lakh mark for India.

Gearhead Picks From Paris - Suzuki Alto/A-Star

If you think that this is some sort of an attempt by Suzuki at making your life miserable if you are in the market for a small hatch, you can’t be more wrong. Given they have more models and variants in the small car segment than any other manufacturer, launching the new Alto or the A-Star as it will be called here in India is a good thing. You see there is already a marked shift in the Suzuki sales here. The Alto makes more numbers than the 800. The Swift has people waiting for it in lines miles long and cars like the Wagon-R and the Estilo (please don’t call it the Zen) will be all but forgotten when the car comes out at the end of this month.

Also the car is a modern design and should meet modern safety standards, comes with the latest generation powerplant and will be made in India for the world. So the quality should be right up there with the best. Bet you people will be drooling all over it in no time.

This little number is powered by a new 1.0 liter three cylinder engine making 68 PS of power. The car measures 3500 mm in length which is well within the regulations for the tax sops which the government has stipulated. Fuel efficiency should hover around the 18 kmpl mark and should hit a top speed of a 150 kmph.

Pricing is going to be the key and it should find a place somewhere below the Swift. After launch in India the car will go on sale in other international markets by the beginning of next year.

Gearhead Picks From Paris - Chevrolet Cruze

The Cruze is the Civic rival from the GM stables. Expect it to sell along side the Optra in the country. It’s a small car by American standards but for our market it is a ‘big’ car and slots neatly into the entry level of the D-segment.

For Europe the car will come with a 1.4 liter four cylinder turbo petrol making 140 bhp of power apart from 2.0 liter common rail diesel and 1.8 liter petrol. The later two will make it to India. The styling is likely to appeal to a large number and the car also has the new Chevy split grille and a sloping roof line.

The car will go on sale in Europe by the middle of next year and should hit our shores by the end on next year.

Gearhead Picks From Paris

In the following posts are my picks from the Paris Auto Show. Nothing specific, something that will/might come to India or something that I like.