Audi A3 Test Drive Review

Save the best for the last, that’s what the Audi believes in. Why do we say that because unlike Mercedes and BMW, they won’t in a hurry to launch the A Class and 1 Series rival here in India, The A3 in it’s Hatch back Form. What they have done is waited for the A3 Sedan version and brought that to India, because that some thing they believe is what Indian customer wanted. How good it is, let’s find out.

Well the A3 is really looks like a mini A4 Actually and it really looks very stylish and sophisticated from all angles. Well this is the advantage that the A3 has over the Mercedes A Class and BMW 1 Series. This Huge boot, well as you can see it’s a nice deep boot, there is little bit of a loading lip but I guess it will be quite ok to load your luggage in this. Again a great Idea when you really want to travel out of town with your family. Well now I am inside the A3 rear seats, and as you can see leg room is just about adequate, it’s nothing great. Well the seat them selves are very comfortable, they have got good cushioning and bull string which means when you step out of the cabin, you will be very refreshed and not tired at all after that long journey. You also get these nice air conditioning vents at the back but unfortunately this is really a two seater at back because this tall transmission tunnel means who ever sits in this middle seat will have a very difficult and uncomfortable time.

Well now we are inside the front seats of the Audi A3 and this is really a good place to be. Cabin quality is absolutely first rate. Well look at these nice circular ac vents which gives you a cockpit like feel, this car also gets an S-Tronic gear box and there is also a touch pad over here to feed in data and every thing really does work well and the quality is absolutely first rate. The instrumentation is brilliant and the gauges really do look sharp. Overall a great place to be and full marks to Audi on the interior trim and quality. Well there are lot of feel good factors that Audi have put in to this A3 and one of them is of course, is this pop up screen, it comes out from the middle of the dashboard every time you start the car, you can of course hide it as well by the touch of a button it you think it becoming irritating on that highway trip. But over all lot of feel good factors, great quality levels and you will enjoy spending time in the A3 when you are stuck in the city traffic or even when you are out on the highway.

So here we are inside driving the A3’s Diesel version now and I must say I am very impress with over all with the car, the 6 speed S-Tronic gear box is delight to use, the engine is supremely refined and its very quick. Its very responsive engine and it really does respond to throttle inputs in one go, its one of the best engine that the Audi family has. Well the car is very stable even when you do speeds of around 130 plus and it really does have that Audi characteristics about it. It’s very stable at high speed. Well the steering on the Audi A3 is very nice, its light enough in the city and once you on the highway, it really does behave nicely. Giving a good feedback and good drive inputs as well, and this car really does love to be push in to the corners because it’s very agile, the chassis is very agile and really is one of the most sportier car in the Audi line up. Well if you want to lay in the entry luxury car and you want to buy something different from that the Accord or the Camry, well then this is the car to go for, it really is a great product overall and we really count things of any negatives to talk about. Overall a great job done by Audi and really it has been worth a buy.

BMW X3 Exteriors And Interiors Review 2014

This is the new 2014 BMW X3 New Model which has been revealed for India today at an Ex Showroom price of around 45 Lakh Rupees. There are two variants of this car, the one you see here is the X3 2.0 d Diesel Variant. There are expeditions and ex line additions which are the two variants, both come with a 2 L Diesel engine from BMW. Under the hood of these BMW’s, you get a 190 BHP of power and around 400 NM of torque, which is a lot for a car of this size. It comes with twin turbo technology and has a top speed of around 210 KMPH. 8 speed automatic transmission and cruise control are standard over the new BMW X3. The new BMW X3 gets new front styling, new width, new grill design as well as head lamps which looks more sleek, stylish and more aggressive. It also gets electric sun roof. The door trim has been nicely finished, in wood finish, leather finish. This is the door side control for the driver and it is very nicely finished, has lot of cubby holes and storage spaces. It also gets memory seats which are electrically adjustable and you have premium looking instrument cluster. The fit and finish is top notch here. It also gets the digital display in the middle and there are two large analog dials here. Seats are very plush and comfortable. The sunroof controls are provided on the inside near the roof lamps which is here, the sunroof is right now open, it is electrically controlled, fairly premium and feels very nice. Let me take you to the rear seat of the car which also feels fairly plush and the premium, has a lot of space for three passengers at the rear. They can sit abreast and if there are two passengers, there is a retractable arm rest, which comes with storage spaces and retractable cup holders which are provided in the middle. There are rear air conditioning vents as well as power out let which is provided. Also there are some small cubby holes and storage spaces, there are pockets behind the front seats and the leg room is very relaxed and ample here. 

There are reading lamps provided in the roof at the rear as well for the convenience of the rear passengers. The styling at the rear of the car is fairly smooth and signature BMW would the kind of cuts and designs that you see here. The boot compartment is fairly large and can fit luggage for your adventurous weekend getaways. With premium interiors, choice of colors of interiors between black and beige, this gives you utmost comfort as well as customizability.

Summing up my quick walk around and review of the BMW X3 new model for India, I think it’s a premium SUV in luxury segment so if you are looking for something which gives a lot of space, is sporty to drive and you can take it to a long adventurous getaways with a lot of space for passengers as well as luggage, BMW X3 priced at around 45 Lakh Rupees Ex-Showroom Delhi is a very good choice.

BMW 1 Series Price, Specification Review 2014

Over the past few years, the Indian market has been en client towards, crossovers on Sedans but that does not mean that lime light from the hatch backs has gone away. In fact a few months back, BMW has dropped this bombshell on the Indian roads, the 1 Series. It could be there move to make the Brand more affordable and to create a bench mark when it comes to performance oriented hatch backs. Either way the 1 Series on papers looks very tempting but on the road, well Lets find out.

From the front, the 1 Series can easily be recognized as a BMW, in fact there isn’t much to boost about the design. Typical BMW two grills, long nose and a badge. Don’t really have anything exclusive to offer or even different. The rear is where the story changes, the rear is just remind you the already existing hatch back in the market the Volkswagen Polo, the resemblance is un canny. What could have made it slightly different was is BMW has put racing strips on the Diesel model as well, they are available on the petrol.

Under the hood, the 1 Series is powered with a 2 L Twin turbo Diesel Engine. There is also a petrol engine option which is available in the base version only. The 2 L Motor produces an output power of 114 BHP. The Engine seems punchy especially after the turbo kicks in and the car response very well sporty. Now the cabin of the 1 series is very familiar with some of the other BMW Models like the 3 Series and X1. The quality overall is top merged, no complaints over here. On the design front, it is not sporty but definitely up market and premium. The fronts seats offering good space, very sporty and comfortable in fact if you see my height over here the head room is generous couple of inches here between my head and the sunroof. On the features front, the top model gets BMW’s hi fi system, steering controls, Bluetooth, USB but again still some features are missing. For example there is no SAT NAV, no rear camera and of course no cruise control. How ever the moments you drive the vehicle all these short comings take back seat, the 1 Series is all about to joy.

Driving the 1 Series in around in traffic is also easy, due to its small size it is easy to maneuver away from the crowded roads. To improve efficiency, BMW starts stop system is present here as well. As the engine chunks of automatically when static and when you remove the foot from the bread, the car will be start, of course the system can be switched off manually. There are four driving modes to pick from Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus and Eco Pro. On the safety front, it comes with 6 Airbags, ABS and traction control. With this hatchback BMW has tried to catch the hearts and attention of the younger and richer India. They have tried to make the brand BMW more accessible for the buyer. The 1 Series has been in India for over 6 months so we thought why should not ask this younger and richer India what they feel about the accessible BMW hatch which starts at a price point of  20 Lakh ex showroom Delhi.

Lets not loose heart here, the 1 Series still has a lot to offer. Step inside the cabin and the black tone immediately gives you and up market feel. The layout and feature list on this Sports Plus edition is impressive but is no different from other beamers. I i-drive sits in the center. Control and features and every little detail associated with the car. Music system is compatible with CD DVD RADIO USB and Bluetooth. Steering get controls for the phone and stereo system. Its got a two zone air con for the driver and the passenger. It may look like a long car but when you get on to the rear seat then you realize how different it is from the reality. So where the front seats offer you good space and comfort ness, I think where as back a tight fit is. Position of driver’s seat as per my height and you can see there is no knee room at the back. Further the rear air con vent is very high, which completely hampers the knee room and leg room for middle of the passenger. So to be very fare, I think the 1 series is best for 4 adults and 1 kid. In terms of features, you get this rear air con vent again. There is no arm rest again no cup holders. The only good thing is the head room is pretty decent.

 So technically it’s not a very spacious car for five. Another very big disappointment is that even at a price point of 30 Lakhs Ex-Showroom you do not get a spare wheel, you do get a tool kit to fix the puncture and it runs on one flat wheel but there isn’t a spare one. So this is the story of BMW 1 Series, so difficult to say who might want to buy this because if you are looking for a car that comfortable to chauffer driven it then this one definitely is not for you. Before I start going in the conclusion of the 1 Series, I must admit till a few days back this car never really excited me. This is BMW at a lower price for no doubt but there is a catch. The basic models are features less, interiors are cramped, and the looks are sporty but smashy like the A Class. Even at the value front, cars like 3 series, the C Class and the X1, all three after discount gives you better value for money. How ever today after having driven the car for so many days, I must admit once more I know the reasons what customers to buy this car heard about this car in the first place. Its a special purchase its not a practical purchase at all. A Purchase you will do from your heart in that case the 1 Series will keep you very happy. The complimentary goose ones every single day.