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.

Tata Zest Test Drive | Full Review

You first saw it at the Auto Expo and now with in a few days Tata Motors will launch one of its most awaited cars, yes we are talking about the new Zest but an important question remains, what is the Zest like to drive, well than let’s find out.

How does it look: -

At first Glance, it looks like the Tata Zest is one of the best looking cars ever designed by Tata Motors. There are obviously the shades of the Vista design but every thing is changed and every thing just looks better. It is a good looking design and has a lot of presence. To our eyes, the front is the most interesting part as it recognizable as a Tata but you know instantly that it’s new. Tata Motors says there is humanity line and the trust line at the front and these lines join the head lamps and the grill. The front bumper is sculpted and the projector head lamps along with the day time running lights look good. Move to the side and it gets bold character lines plus unlike some one rivals, the boot is neatly integrated. The rearing is lot soft when compared to the front, the LED Lamps and the obligatory chrome provides a premium look to the car. The Zest has 15 inches allow wheels. Built quality is also something we looked out for and we happy to say it is a massively forward compared to the previous Tata Cars plus the same goes is paint finish, you certainly love the Signature Blue color though we have to say Silver also looks classy.

What about the interiors: -

Step inside the Tata Zest and it represents a new look which is on a different level compared to the previous Tata Cars. The quality has gone up to several notches to being among the other cars, in fact we have to say it is even better than some of its rivals. Dual tone interior imparts a premium feel plus it looks and feels good. Tata Motors have certainly nailed the design bit with an attractively designed center console with Piano black finish and a three spoke steering wheel. Dials are also well designed and easy to read plus they also look good. The AC also works quite well. While the front seats are comfy the business end is the rear seat which offer very good head room and leg room plus one thing we notice is the angle of the rear seat actually makes it more comfy than the Manza. Though the boot is certainly smaller than some of its rivals.

What about the features: -

In today’s day and age, features are what pull customers in to the showroom and Tata Motors have stuffed the Zest with a lot of that. First of all, the main talking point is the 5 inch touch screen Harman infotainment system, this system has various features like voice control, touches screen AC controls and there is even SMS notifications and reads out. There are off course feature like climate control, steering mounted controls for Bluetooth and Audio plus power windows, follow me head lamps and parking sensors. The Zest also features dual air bags so then it seems Tata Motors have done well on the features cart.

What about the Diesel Automatic: -

The Zest Diesel has an F-Tronic 5 Speed automated manual transmission. A diesel engine is the familiar 1248 CC 4 Cylinder with 89 BHP and 200 NM of torque. Now in the gear box there is R, N and A Mode plus a button marked as S for Sports mode. There is obviously no park mode. The first credit in automatic and I have to say the shifts were decent but not exactly smooth, there is some jerkiness at low speeds but it all melts away at high speed. For steep progress though we find ourselves using the sports mode a lot and this is where the Zest diesel feels the best but the fact to the matter is that for most of the time, the Zest with this F-Tronic 5 speed automated manual transmission does the job and the main reason for buying automatics in the first place is for the convenience and you get that. When it comes to ride and handling, the ride is not as soft as other Tata cars but it handles really well and it is on the completely different level compared to the previous Tata cars. Its grip and stability is good plus steering is light and pretty direct. So, over all ride and handling department, the Zest impressed us the most.

What about the Petrol engine: -

Highlight in the Tata Zest range is definitely the Revotron 1.2 Turbo Charged Petrol Engine. This is a Segment’s first and under stand ably Zest Turbo Charged Petrol has a lot of advantages over it natural explicated rivals. The numbers are 89 BHP and 140 NM of torque, what really impressed us is the easy to use gear box plus adequate power on offer, refinement too was fantastic. We also like the smooth performance delivery and the general lag free nature. The Zest petrol engine has three modes, Sport, City and Eco. To we have say there is not much massive difference between the three modes. Over all though, the Zest Revotron engine lives up to its height some what and we have to say it is a lot more fun than diesel.

Verdict: -

As you can imagine, we have quite impressed with the Zest and we think as a package, the Zest is right up there at the top of its class. For us even more than the styling or the features, it is the driving dynamics that really impressed us. The way it drives, the way it handles, the gear box, the steering all have been an gigantically over the earlier Tata Cars. Now only thing remaining for the Tata Motors to do, is of course price it comparatively and knowing Tata Motors, they certainly build. So there, the Zest will be the comeback car for Tata Motors and well we think, its going to be a massive success.

Maruti Celerio VXI Auto Gear Shift Price

We want convenience but we really don’t want to pay too much for it. Similarly many of us could love an automatic transmission in our cars, but we want it cheap and that’s why the Maruti Celerio VXI with auto gear shift priced at 4.6 Lac Rupees ex showroom Delhi has a winning preposition.

Now you have different kinds of automatics, you have the traditional torque converter automatic, you have the CVT or Constantly Variable Transmission automatic, you have the most sporty DSG or dual clutch transmission automatic which a lot of high end car and sporty cars use and then you have this, which is the automated manual transmission. All of these now have slightly different driving characteristics and you have to get used to it.

The automated manual transmission in the Celerio is identical to its 5 speed manual transmission counter part. The only difference is being the absence of Clutch and shifts taking place to an electro hydraulic unit mounted on the top of the gear box and that is what keeps cost down and there is no puff position, you need to use the hand brake to keep it from rolling when parked.

Now if going to blind fall me and ask me what car I am driving just by the engine note I would tell you it’s a Maruti Suzuki. This car uses the same K 10 engine, that’s in the Wagon-R and the Alto K10 but it has got some modifications made to it to enhance performance and to improve fuel economy. For instance, it doesn’t have an accelerated cable instead it goes drive by wire technology which means it got the electronic throttle.

The car puts out 67 BHP of power and 90 NM of torque but with the AMT you need to modulate your throttle inputs for shifts to happen smoothly.

Now the Celerio is easy drive transmission has a kind of lazy shift patterns to it, it takes its time to going about from one gear to the next but when you want some instant acceleration, put your foot down on the throttle and it as of its electronic brain have been given a toss of double espresso, 5^th gear to 2^nd gear and you get that instant bit of acceleration.

How ever don’t expect the shifts to be as smooth as the conventional automatic, there are some jerks felt between shifts although its not really bothers some.

How ever if you want some sporty performance for some quick overtaking for instant, shift it to manual, down a gear, accelerate, you get an instant pick up, up shift, up shift as and when you want and these up shifts are much faster and for more about how these auto gear shifts are work you can watch our video about the Celerio EZ Drive.

What this combination of automated manual transmission and the K10 Engine does give you though is decent fuel efficiency; claim mileage is 23.1 KMPL while we got nearly 16 KMPL in mix city conditions. The MID also shows you temperature, trip, odometer and instant consumptions besides the selected gear. The Celerio’s electric power steering is light and can get twitchy at speeds. The car’s suspensions are fairly stiff and you do feel a few of the bumps filter through. The 14 inch tyres are decent enough for this car. It’s not a car that likes to be driven in a hurry. In terms of looks, the car isn’t much too write whom about. Looking like a typical creation from standard Suzuki issue.

 Its not exactly a tall boy, the space is pretty good and comfort is decent despite the seats being rather thin. It can hold about 235 liters of luggage as much as of the Maruti Ritz, and has split folding seats to increase space when need it. This model only gets standard features such as Air conditioning and manually adjustable mirrors. Tachometers, multi speed wipers and four power windows are also standard.

Over all, is the Maruti Suzuki Celerio good value for money? We think it is. It’s a car that provides convenience of an automatic with the performance of a manual at a really good price point. No wonder, the car is seen in pretty good demand. 

Ford Fiesta Facelift Launched in India

Ford has launched the 2014 Fiesta Sedan with an attractive price tag in India. 2014 Fiesta Sedan was first shown at the Auto Expo which was held a few months back. In India, Fiesta Sedan comes only with a 1.5 L 90 BHP Diesel Engine with 5 Speed Manual Gear Box. In India, the Fiesta also comes in just 3 variants with the base variant starting at Rs. 7.69 Lakhs and doing all the way to Rs. 9.29 Lakhs.

The Fiesta gets the major changes inside and out, at the front in the exteriors I am talking about, you will get much better looking grill, new head lamps and new alloy wheels while at the rear, you will get minor updates which over all makes it look much better than before. Inside again, there has been some minor update is being done and we have some new features being added. The Fiesta 2014 also gets the sing system from the Eco Sport with the emergency assist feature. The Fiesta with these prices actually is much cheaper than before and is definitely a lot cheaper than some of its rivals which mean the Diesel Ford Fiesta 2014 is quite a good buy. We have driven this car so expect a full review very soon. 

Hyundai New Elite i20 2014 Price Specification Review

You saw the countless by shots, you saw the new rendering and now finally the Hyundai Elite i20 has been launched with some good price, how ever the pricing is just one part of the story as let us talk you through the car in complete detail.

Exterior: -

The Elite i20 features the fluidic sculpture too design language, which gives the car a more aggressive look. There are styling elements borrowed from the Grand i10 and the Excent also, the Elite i20 has a Hexagon front grill with Chrome finish front Aerodromes, the wrapper on Automatic head lamps certainly looks good and all those gives the car much more presence than the earlier i20. The Elite i20 has seven color options and well when you look at the side, the curve you look on the previous i20 has been gone replace by sharper look, yes you can not mistake the black pillar which certainly looks unique. The Elite i20 has 16 inch diamond cut alloys and from the rear, you will see those big edgy tail lamps which certainly grab your attention. Over all as you can seen, the styling theme here is bold and a big change over the predecessor.

Interior: -

Inside, you have a beige and black interior which makes the cabin seen airy and the quality is very good. Some designs elements are borrowed from the Grand i10, while the center console is as you can see is neatly laid out with buttons, the Elite i20 is though the shorter than the previous i20 and is actually wider and has a longer wheel base which means there is more space now and it is certainly a lot more spacious than many premium hatch back rivals. Head room and leg room is good plus the seats are quite comfortable.

Features: -

Being a Hyundai, you expect the Elite i20 to be features loaded and is the business as usual here, the Elite i20 has four variant options and the top end frame level has features like push button start stop, power out lets, electronic auto folding out side rear view mirrors, driver and passenger airbags, auto head lamps, integrated audio system, 1 Gb internal memory, steering controls, Bluetooth, rear ac vents and well this list just goes on and on. Over all we have to say the Elite i20 is pretty well equipped here.

Engines: -

The Elite i20 has 2 engine options, the 1.2 L Petrol and the 1.4 Crdi Diesel, the petrol makes out 81 BHP of power while the diesel makes out 89 BHP of power. The petrol gets a 5 speed manual gear box while the diesel gets the 6 speed manual gear box there is no automatic version yet. When it comes to fuel economy, the petrol delivers around 18.6 kilo meters per liter while the diesel achieves 22.5 kilo meters per liter.

Verdict: -

Prices for the Elite i20 starts at Rs. 4.89 Lakhs for the base ERA Petrol while for the base ERA Diesel it is for Rs. 6.09 Lakhs. Every thing this makes the Elite i20 a good value for money constraint what we were getting here. Elite i20 is built on the strengths of the previous i20 plus you see it now looks better, is feature packed and is more spacious than ever. So then the Elite i20 now causes a big threat to the other premium hatch backs. 

Hyundai Verna Fluidic 2014 Price Specification Review

The Hyundai Verna in its current generation of car has done extremely well for itself in fact it has done much better then the pretty excessive but now thanks to new competition, Hyundai has updated the Verna and so what you see here is the 2014 Hyundai Verna. So then lets take a look at what is new in this updated mid size Sedan.

How does it look?

The Verna has always been a good looking Sedan and now the facelift and the changes make it even better. The 2014 Verna can be easily identified by its front end. The front end now gets LED DRLS which certainly add style to the looks and actually this is something that many customers were wanting. 2014 Verna also has Projector head lamps and then there are the cool new allow wheels. The Verna also has safety escort head lamps and then LED turns indicators on the out side on the mirror. List of changes to 2014 Verna to exterior end there.

What about the Interiors?

Inside, the 2014 Verna doesn’t actually have many changes but the fact to the matter is that it actually didn’t need them in first place. The Verna always had a futuristic and a premium interior and of course with the long feature list. The changes in the 2014 Verna include the fact that the steering wheel controls and the windows switches have blue back light which certainly looks cool. The feature list is as expected quite long and it includes smart key with start button, rear view camera, Bluetooth, Steering controls, Cooled glove box, 2 Din MP3, USB and IPOD Cable, Audio Remote and well it is goes on and on.

What about the engines?

When it comes to the engine line up, Hyundai actually hasn’t changed any thing in this department how ever what they have changed is the suspensions which care to little bit. 2014 Verna immediately impresses in this regard. One of the biggest complaints of the earlier Verna was its overly soft suspensions which has now been addressed. The steering is much better and the ride is actually much better, its less soft now but actually this is the way we like it. The biggest difference though at high speed the stability is quite good, the handling again is also a lot sharper and over all 2014 Verna feels much better to drive and is lot more confident at high speeds which is some thing we quite like.

Verdict?

The starting price of around Rs. 7.18 Lakhs the Verna is certainly an impressive product. Hyundai has actually made the Verna even better and has addressed its few short comings as well. 2014 Verna is a great looking car, has got a lot of features endless now has a much better ride and hence there is Hyundai’s Massive sales and service network. So over all if you are going for buy a mid size car 2014 Verna is actually should be the one you are looking at.

Tata Zest Review | Price | Specification

This is a latest compact Sedan from Tata Motors and its call the Zest, it’s loaded with the interesting technologies many of which are a first in the segment. We took a drive in the petrol and the diesel TataZest. Both of which have great things to offer. First a quick look at the design of the Zest, the front gets a bolder look & set back with the projector head lamps but the over all design is not really all new as it been developed on the Vista platform. The car Zest is 4 meters long but supports a large cabin which gives it a very stubby rear. How ever they give it an impression of width the LED powered tail lamps with wraps up on the boot and have a chrome strip running between them.

Now let’s get down to worth really special about this 1.2 L Revotron petrol engine and Zest be a driving. For one, it’s a completely new turbo charged 4 cylinder petrol engine developed by Tata a first in a compact Sedan and two, its got multiple drive modes, Eco for fuel efficiency and Sport for power, well the default is City Mode. This 1.2 L Revotron unit puts out 140 NM of torque at a pretty wide RPM range allowing for good pick up in city conditions and for over taking. The refinement levels on this engine have good and the 5 speed gear box shifts quite positively without complaint. The clutch too is very light and the Electric Power Steering has decent feel to it like you get a quite an entertaining Sedan to drive on the whole. Fuel efficiency indicated on the MID of the Zest petrol was over 13 KMPL in a short test drive which is pretty decent. Next is 2^nd drive Diesel Zest, this one is special as it is the first diesel compact Sedan to come with 5 speeds an Automated Manual transmission for what Tata called the F Tronic Transmission. The Zest diesel is powered by 1.3 L multijet diesel engine putting out 90 PS of power and 200 NM of torque. The gear box is what special, it comes with 3 drive options, A for auto which is for what you normally driving and the car will handle the shifts for you, shifted to side and you can drive it like a manual shifting when you want although the car is intelligent enough to down shift if you drop the RPM too much and then there is Sport mode for a bit more punch. How ever the AMT units is bit of a lazy gear box and is best suited for stop and go city conditions, fuel efficiency though seems good as we were getting an indicated 16+ KMPL on it. The Zest is loaded with features as well, the most notable of which is the Harman designed infotainment system that features voice commands that can control things like the Automatic Climate Control “Climate Control” “Climate Control” or change radio stations and dial phone numbers. You also get safety features such as 2 air bags & ABS and quite interestingly cornering break control that helps with breaking in a turn. The interiors are pretty spacious and the seats are chunky and comfortable, a typical Tata trade, a nice car to traveling. The cabin is refined and feels solid, that boot though is felly tiny, enough for a couple of suitcases at best, smaller than the other compact sedans such as the Amaze and the Excent. Over all, we think the 1.2 L Revotron turbo petrol is quite a revolution and will be a game change for those who want power and efficiency from a petrol engine while the diesel with the automated manual transmission will be a good pick for those living in crowded cities. 

Honda Mobilio V 1.5 i Vtec Petrol Price Review

This badge, Honda Mobilio is every thing any one with the practically bent of mind who want for under 10 Lakh rupees. Its spacious, it’s refined and it can carry the whole family on a road trip while being quite peppy to drive. The Mobilio is not what you called out track attractive but if you want a bit more style, there is also the RS Variant with the Body Kit and the Projector Headlamps. The lighter colours do bring out the contrast in the rear styling though.

Space is the Mobilio’s main selling point. The Petrol and Diesel variants have identical interiors with 223 litres of luggage space which can be extended to 521 liters by folding the last row. What a diesel Mobilio to review for more on the space aspect. Petrol Mobilio buyers are likely to be those who are looking for refinement and the power, both of which the Mobilio has. As it has the same engine that the Honda City uses.

Now the Honda Mobilio petrol has 119 PS of power from its 1.5 L I-Vtec engine and 145 NM of torque. You can really feel that 119 PS when you are out on a highway. This car is very eager to pull away. If you want a fast MPV this is probably one of the best in this segment in terms of power to weight during its 1160 Kilos kerb weight. Being a petrol, it’s very refined, you hardly hear any thing in the cabin but the sound insulation compared to the diesel is too less so you do get little bit of road noise in this car but not so much in the diesel. The Mobilio V variant gets standard features like the powered windows and mirrors, 2 airbags, ABS and 15 inch allow wheels. The instrument panel has an ECO light that urges you to drive in fuel efficient manner. The other difference between the Petrol Mobilio and the Diesel is in the Steering, the diesel steering actually felt slightly heavier, this one is pretty light. The petrol variant is lot of fairly fuel efficient with claiming the efficiency of 17.3 KMPL that is pretty much other petrol sedans in the segment. During our drive, it gave about 13 KMPL. If you want a refined MPV that is spacious, fairly fuel efficient and yet powerful enough to get you and your family to the destination faster, the Mobilio petrol is a pretty decent choice how ever we think it’s the diesel that will be the bigger draw. 

Maruti Suzuki Celerio 2014 First Drive Review

Now, whenever you see delicious food, you tend to get greedy and when you get greedy you put on some extra wait and when you put on extra wait you want to go on a healthy diet and that healthy diet includes a Salad and a Salad includes an ingredient called Salary. Now let’s look at this from an automotive point of view. Maruti Suzuki saw a big delicious pie of the Indian Small car market and got greedy and then they created an extra weight like the A-Star and the Zen Estilo and now they are on a Diet Plan and the Diet Plan includes a very important ingredient called the Celerio.

The Celerio is based on the Suzuki’s a win concept and the production version retains the aggressive design. The Swift back head light have a conical theme for the detailing which matches that of the fog lamps. The Celerio is not a tall boy by design but thanks to a generous 165 MM ground clearance it does look tall yet wide. The glass house is much similar in design to that of the Estilo and the large windows makes the cabin in grooming. The front end has thinks of the Etios Liva in it also in the blue color. The side of the Celerio is reminiscent of the A-Star while the tail gate looks like the minor revolution on the Alto 800 at the back end. In fact the Celerio comes across as a bigger Alto than an all the new hatch back and that can act as a double if saw at.

The design of the Celerio’s interiors is not a big departure from the theme what we have seen in other Maruti Suzuki’s car. In fact all the switches that you have seen inside the car, you will know that they have came from the common parts meant. The design isn’t any thing extra ordinary but it isn’t outdated either. The familiar three spoke steering wheel now gets control for audio and telephony and these should filter down to the other Maruti Suzuki’s hatchbacks in the recent future. The audio system how ever is only available in the top variant ZXI. The instrumentation is quite features and is apart from the usual gauges like Speedo, techno, trip and consumption computers the unit also allows the driver to customize the locking and unlocking patterns and allows changes to the sensitivity levels of the antitheft system, set the sensitivity low and your car will not scream every time if some one burst the crackers. The Celerio is quite spacious hatch back for its size and has the room in the cabin more than the A-Star and the Estilo. Quality of plastic and the fabric is at par what we have seen in the Grand I10 but the lighter color makes the Celerio’s cabin feel roomier, the cabin also features quite a few storage spaces for bottles and nick knacks. The Celerio is powered by an improved version of the 1 L three cylinder K Series petrol engine and claims to have a better thermal efficiency and less of frictional losses. Lead up to the key next, it produces 68 PS of power and 90 NM of torque. It retains the rev happy nature and is noisy yet a smooth operator unless you flag to rev it to it’s limits. This engine can be had with 2 transmission options, a 5 speed manual transmission and a 5 speed automated manual. Now unlike your regular automatic transmission which makes you as pullies and a torque converter this particular system uses a same 5 speed gear box that the manual transmission uses how ever this has a computer that does all the calculations, it will send what is your throttle positions and what is speed you are carrying and then it will make the optimum gear changes. The advantage of this system is that it gives you better fuel economy than a regular automatic transmission. In fact Maruti Suzuki is claiming 23.1 KMPL for both the manual as well as the automatic unit. The 5 speed transmission is new and it is low on maintenance, while the transmission fluid in the out going gear box recommended a change at around 50000 kms the new gear box need a fluid change at about 160000 Kms or 10 years which ever is earlier. Since this remains the same for the automated transmission as well it makes quite a more economical proposition then a conventual’s automatic. The automatic gear box feels a tag jerky at slow speeds but the convenience that it offers more than makes for it. The roads in Jodhpur haven’t really offered us a big variety, we haven’t really gone on a awkward surfaces or something that has surprises with a lot of pot holes. The roads are quite smooth but still I can tell you that the right quality of this car is quite good. There are the occasional heard of chords but then you don’t feel them all that merge, its not all that sharp. You don’t get that choppy effect when you are driving on these road surfaces. In fact the suspension set up is much better then what we have in the A-Star and the Estilo, the bounciness is much lesser, it feels the little stiffer so taking turns doesn’t really impart a lot of body role in to the vehicle. The steering system is also quite good, it is quite light at slow speeds, so maneuvering car through the city in stop and go condition isn’t a big problem and even out on the highway it raise up quite well so those making lane changes isn’t a problem either. With the healthy list of features and youthful styling, the Celerio is definitely a contemporary vehicle from the Maruti Suzuki’s labels but while it addresses the concerns of styling and space we had with the A-Star it still doesn’t get a diesel motor and that could act as a detrain. But that’s said it achieves a balance between peppy performance of petrol engine, the convenience of an automated transmission and the good fuel economy and the low maintenance cost that a manual gear box has to offer and it is that combination that would help the Celerio to makes some noise for itself. 

Maruti Suzuki Celerio Price Specification Review

Hello and welcome to H beats Cars, this is Maruti Suzuki’s all new car the Celerio which replaces the A Star, Zen Estilo and the Indian market. For the Celerio is touted to be against the Hyundai Grand I10 a car which has won many accolades in India as well as globally. Now we had a brief instinct with the Celerio and the first thing is that this car really can not compete with Grand I10 because Grand I10 is superior in every way. What Maruti Suzuki has done has tried to play the weight game, the Celerio weighs very little and that helps getting very good fuel efficiency. How ever due to this there is lot of vibration in side the car, the seats also vibrates, the engine also vibrates, the gear lever vibrates and this 1 L K10 engine which has been updated still it is as good, yes Maruti Suzuki has improved the performance but as far as it competing with the global model goes the Celerio just doesn’t cut it. First of dynamic from the Celerio go, the Celerio has softly spunk Suspension and ride quality is pretty good. Handling is very good too especially in the city where the Celerio is very easy car to drive. What we don’t like in the Celerio is the design, the Celerio looks very confuse. There is lots of expect from the various cars in the Celerio like the rear has been inspire from Alto 800 and side resembles a bit of a A-Star. As far as the interiors go, the interior has been similar been Maruti Suzuki’s car since a very long time. There is decent amount of space but what is really lacking in this car is under thigh support, look at this and you will absolutely know what is under thigh support. Maruti Suzuki has done a very good job in giving a lot of head room over here and this decent amount of leg room right here but the quality is very flimsy. This 235 liters of boot space, what would I really don’t like is the Celerio looks like just as an Alto 800 from the rear. Maruti Suzuki is betting bit on the new Transmission which is an Automatic Manual Transmission but this what Maruti called is easy drive but easy drive isn’t it conventional Automatic Gear Box because you doesn’t use it as talk converter instead you uses an electronic system to shift gears. 

Maruti Suzuki is the king of small cars, and the Celerio is going to fit in right where the A-Star and Estilo has left. Both these cars till work at all in the Indian market but the Celerio is here to replace it and boost Maruti Suzuki’s market share in the competitive hatch back segment but the problem with the Celerio is its not a master in any thing how ever it’s a jack of most rates. What is going to go in the Celerio’s favor is it’s a very to easy drive car, it has having very good fuel efficiency and the new easy drive automatic gear box is going to be competitively priced. This is going to be the cheapest automatic in the country which is sure to appeal the city goes. The Maruti Suzuki’s habit of pricing its car is very aggressively we can expect the Celerio to be yet another success from India’s largest Car maker Maruti Suzuki but the only thing is that it can not really compete with Hyundai’s Grand I 10.              

Tata Zest Compact Sedan Price Specification Review

The compact Sedan segment is one of the hottest segments in the Indian market especially with the recently launched the Hyundai Excent, the Honda Amaze and of course the Maruti Dzire and now there is going to be a new entrant in the form of the Tata Zest. This is  just a not new car in fact this is one of the most important car, the Tata Motors will ever roll out. So the big question is what that Tata Motor’s Zest all about is. Well let’s find out.

The Tata’s Zest is all about the new design language and it all starts from the front, with the new Tata signature grill, the new sharp cut headlamps and the aggressive front bumper design. The Zest has also projected headlamps with Chrome Extants, DRL’s, Rear LED’s, 15 Inches Alloy Wheels plus the snazzy color options that you see. The over all design is much better than I think Tata has ever made. And also in first impression, the build quality has also been improved. Inside there has been Massive improvement over the Manza and the Vista, the better quality material and ultra modern designed. You certainly like the most sporty steering like the one in the Vista. On the features front Tata Motors has packet in a lot and they really mean by that. You get a new infotainments system over here, Bluetooth, Smart Phone Recognition, Smart Phone Integration which also supports phone in built navigation, Social Media Integration and Touch Phone Control Interface. When it comes to space, the rear seats are very comfortable, and of course head room and leg room, a Tata Motors Strength remains. Over all the Zest Cabin is really good place to be in certainly with its Rivals and other competitors in this regard.

The Tata Zest will have 2 Engine Options, starting with the new Riverton 85 BHP 1.2 Turbo Charged Petrol Engine. Now the Turbo Charged 2 is the new beginning for Tata Motors and one of the biggest benefits is of course Fuel Economy. Tata Motors actually has not revealed the figures but we expect the Zest has to deliver good economy figures. Now the Tata Motors has also launched the Zest with 90 BHP Diesel with 200 NM of torque. The talking point is that the Tata Zest diesel will have a 5 speed automated manual gear box. The Tata Zest also features new electronic power assisted steering, new ABS and dual part suspension for a better ride. Tata Motors is likely to launch the Zest around June 2014 as the company is already heavily promoting this car, now Tata Motors will only release the Variants and Prices by its official launch but looking at the Technology and the features, it seems the Tata Zest will become a threat to the segment leaders. Now we expect to have the Zest’s Starting Price for petrol base model that will be below 5 Lakhs to compete with its rivals which means the Zest will certainly be value for money. 

Honda Mobilio V1 5 I Dtec Diesel Review

It is compact on the out side but it is incredibly spacious in the inside. It can seat 7 and is more fuel efficient than a Hatch back. And that’s the Honda Mobilio for you. An MPV Based on the Amaze and Brio plat form. The front has been Superb a bit lot but the average person will have to look hard to spot the differences. The changes are in the bumper and the fat chrome grill mainly. They have given it a slightly more macho look. The rear look is pretty good with wrappers on tail lamps and floating roof giving it a station wagon like feel. The dimension platform has been stretched to 4386 MM in length and wheel base is generous 2652 MM. What’s amazing about the Mobilio though is the space inside it. It’s the three row 7 seater which offers excellent flexibility in space, with all rows in place it still gets 223 Liters of boot space bigger than most hatch backs and enough for two big suit cases. Flip and fold the 50-50 split third row and you will be free up for a Sedan riding with 521 liters of boot space. The middle row too can be folded for even more flexibility. Now I have to say the Honda Mobilio has one of the best middle row as far as the MPV Has go. This row is really comfortable, you have lot of leg room and you have things like drop down arm rest as for your comfort and you get also can recline the seat if you want to. Not only that you can also push it forward and backward to increase legroom for the rear passenger, which by the way for third row which is not really bad. There are enough comfort features in the middle row too, such as an AC Panel which has separate condenser and blowers to increase cooling at the rear. Getting in to the third row is really easy but you do have to crow chip for it. Now the third row in any MPV is usually a punishment mostly because you really have not much space but not so with the Mobilio. This is one of the most spacious third rows you could find among in MPV’s of the segment. Not only that, you also have things like me able to recline the back rest for added comfort and you have decent knee room over here except that probably you knees are little raise because its height is little low but other wise this row is really comfortable and very usable as in term.

The nice large windows make sure the passenger won’t really get hanged over back there. The beige interior may be a paint to keep clean but again to add feeling of space. The Mobilio isn’t that great in the features though, its got all though I expect, two air bags in front and ABS to ensure safety, the dashboard is the same as the Brio and the Amaze but the instrument panels is slightly different with the blue rings surrounding the 3 pod meter console. It does not have automatic climate control and speed sensing locks or extra charging points even but it has steering audio controls, powered outside mirrors and power windows as standard.

 So right now I am driving the Honda Mobilio Diesel which has the 1.5 L i-dtec engine 100 PS of power and 200 NM of torque, this engine is very familiar with the Amaze and the Honda City but here what Honda has been done, is they have lowered the gear ratio a bit and that has make a world of differences in this car the Mobilio. Pick up is instant, hardly any trouble like and they have also worked from Amaze’s level a bit which means it is very refined inside the cabin, you hardly hear the engine noise here.

What’s even better is the ground clearance, the 15 inch 185 width tyros are the wider as seen at this plat form, and has got an SUV rivaling 189 MM of ground clearance which is pretty re assuring. Body role is hardly evident and it drives pretty much like a car. I think this car can be afforded very sorted as far the MPV is go, nothing much to think about here. What’s really good is the fuel efficiency, 24.2 KMPL, even during our drive, we got close to the 20 KMPL overall. That will be one of its biggest selling points. Overall for some one looking for a versatile vehicle that can seat 7 and carry luggage, with car like handling and of course excellent fuel efficiency, the Honda Mobilio seems to be the near perfect vehicle in its segment. 

Nissan Sunny First Drive Review

The Nissan Sunny has been in the Indian car market almost from last 3 years, Over the time this car has been known for its space offerings, the feature list, the value for money tag and of course the proven diesel engine. How ever, other models that have got up in the competition and this is where I think it was a matter of time before Nissan would get this new Sunny to India as well. It was shown to us at in Auto Expo earlier this year and finally this is under us to experience the car. So can the new Nissan Sunny spice things for the company in India, well lets find out.

The new Sunny is not drastically different than the outgoing version. Of course a lot has been done in terms of style changes but instantly even a non enthusiast can make out that this is a Sunny that has paid a visit to the beauty parlour. Upfront we love the new sharper and bigger head lamps and the way designer has skirted the bumper with new fog lamps insert and of course the order of chromes that can seen at places, Nissan says Sunny is the most chromed car in the segment. The overall effect in this new shape does look pleasing and impart the sense of premium ness. Some thing that the company wanted to achieve. At the back, not much have changes apart from a bigger chrome garnish and a new bumper with sharper edges. You also notice the rear parking camera with sensors. Side profile remains intact except the new wheel caps for the lower versions and white shaped alloys for the higher version. On a personal note, the diamond cut design seen on the Terrano alloys would have looked fantastic here. So while new Sunny looks better the higher version reach to 10 Lakh Rupees mark in terms of on road price and at this price point, cars like the new City and the Verna looks more appealing.

Thankfully Nissan designers have worked equally hard in the inside and immediately you can make out the new better looking steering that seems to have been borrowed from its international siblings. This new wheels looks fabulous with the chrome inserts also houses well damn buttons for audio system and answering calls with blue tooth. The other big change is the centre console that now gets a Piano black finish first seen in the Micra last year. The centre air con vents are rectangular now as compare to round ones for the earlier versions. The XV model also gets the 5.1 inch screen for the audio system and this doubles up for rear view camera, a feature missing on the older version. This new system sounds better as well. Nissan seems to have improve over all quality of material used and there are two premium pack to pick up. Pack 1 gives you leather seats while pack 2 gives you side air bags. What remains unchanged is the ackles of room in the car which, even at tall passenger in the front there is more than ample of space at the rear for 6 feet plus people. No other car can comes close to Sunny in this regard. That’s it. We have been appreciating rear air con vents for the rear passengers’ bench these air re circulation vents.

 So while it looks and feels better, technically the Sunny remains un changed. Making use of same 1.5 L Petrol Engine and the famous 1.5 L Dci Diesel engine. The former also comes with an optional CVT transmission that is actual more fuel efficient that the manual one while the diesel continue to come with same 5 speed manual gear box. Power and Torque on both the engine remains un change, while the diesel puts out 5 % more economy. The certified figure now stands at 22.71 KMPL compare with 21.7 KMPL for the earlier version. The diesel engine continuous to impress us with its negligible turbo lag and linear power delivery. NBH levels has been improved and with Air con running, intrusion of diesel clattering to cabin is pretty well controlled. While this engine might not offer terrific out ride performance most users won’t have reason to complain. The CVT automatic makes your life easier but does become noisy when want to get going faster.

 So while this Sunny has change, Diesel has priced up what remains un changed is how car behaves on road and this is not a bad thing at all. The Nissan Sunny is very specific car to drive and it’s a car that can play different role, it can be a self driven car, it can be a chaffer driven car and depending on your age, your sister, your daughter, your  mother, your wife can drive the car as well. The steering remains light and is good for city use and yet has bigger feedback for highways and the mountain roads. The big windows have an airy feel and visibility part how ever on personal note the road noise has been less.

 First launched in September 2011, the Sunny was a pretty tempting deal how ever that hasn't been the case lately with the all time low sales of less than 500 units per month. Can this new Avatar change the fortune of Nissan’s only mass segment sedan in India. The new Nissan Sunny is more than just an upgrade, it looks better, it feels better, the diesel engine has an economy better and finally the feature list impressive as well. Further on, Nissan is not saying the support by offering a tempting pick up price making the whole packet value for money deal. For well this car might not offer you terrific performance or driver’s package. As a all-rounder, as a family car, this car is till manage to take the right boxes. 

Mercedes GL63AMG Road test review 2014 India

The Indian automotive segment has never been so active that flew of launches across various price bands. In fact I am keep telling my team that you were all lucky to win a decade when the industry witnessing the most exciting and performance oriented models from across the world and I am not just suffering to super cars. Range Rover sport and the Porsche Cyan Turbo has opened up a new segment of emerging super SUV’s in India and latest one to join this segment is Mercedes reply to the British and German offerings. Its call the GL63AMG and comes with an engine that puts out almost 50 % more power then even the Ferrari California. Well stay tune, as we diverse deeper in to the details of this mega SUV today.

While there have million finer details about the GL that I can talk about but lets start the review by discussing the heart of the matter. Something that is surprises in this SUV’s is from its cheaper diesel power assembly. Under the massive hood is an equally massive power plant that is fine built; a twin turbo, 5.5 L petrol unit with 8 cylinder position in a V configuration, this engine puts out over a 550 Bhp of power along with 760 Nm of torque. The put forwarding to prospective the GL63AMG put out 4.5 times of power and almost 4 times a torque as compared to petrol A Class. With and engine like this at your command is just not mistaking punch line on your face but the way the GL63AMG  picks up the speed from lowest of RPM and eating up gaps in traffic and disappearing up view from the other motorists and all these complete by the sweetest exhaust nod we have heard from any SUV’s in India. Brilliant stuff is this.

Of course being an SUV the GL63AMG can also take a fare bit of off roading as well, though we doubt any owner will indulge in endings like these. Raise of the suspensions this thing can think of the most challenging experience some thing that we found out from the diesel siblings last year. It’s only the road by styling that can be early and can be a slight issue on rainy spots and slippery wet snow roads. This engine is made to the AMG’s speeds shift plus 7 lead tronic systems that has 7 gears and 3 transmission modes. There is an automatic, double d cap function as well to enhance the emotional experience and of course driving safely. The three modes get accelerated paddle and shift curve and these are C, S and M. now what you are hitting down the city roads and daring down with extra stretch the GL63AMG is importing stance will give you a more that just give you a handsome of glances. Are media car came with a special kit of AMG as well which usually makes it better over a standard model. Talking about front of the car, a new grill with two glowing chrome lines, a new front bumper with AMG styled eight shift centered eight m, AMG specific daytime running LED’s and new AMG alloy wheels and new rear bumper with quadrille tail pipes but it is large in dimensions with 5.1 meter of length and 1.9 meter in width and 1.8 meter for height you don’t have to honk twice to make other drivers to give you way on the road. It all happens automatically and as you overtake hatchback in sedans you literally tower over them while being cuckooed in a typical Mercedes environment. Talking of environment, the GL63AMG has the exact interior designed in normal GL but of course with lot more features added. Fly in the huge cabin and you have more than enough space to host a small dinner party. It is even enough letter to save the most expensive Sedan being loaded upper and lower section of the instrumentation panel a bet line upholstered in man made black leather. This SUV is blend with full convenient features. Let me take a deep breath for these features out. Electric seat with memory and heated rear seats and both heat and cool front seats, electric mirror with auto dimming, climate control air conditioning and entertainment system with DVD screen, a massive panoramic sunroof, parking camera with sensors that supports a 360 degree view including the top shots, electrically reclining third row seats, 9 air bags, Mercedes tsys sytem, Fraction control, active curve system, down hills revolution, crumple zone impact beams and so on, you also got a night vision assist system which hardly usable in India and if don’t get in to much, you adjust support and massage functions of the front two seats with click of button in its command interface and to get off from morning hangover you can even use the warm function of front two cup holders to keep your super strong coffee hot as you drive to you stud farm or after importing client meeting. The AMG stretch is loaded with Stainless steel door handles with AMG Lettering, AMG Doormat, AMG instrumentation cluster with 11.4 cm TFT multifunction display, AMG main menu including the race time of and of course the 320 KMPH dial. Then there is AMG performer 4 Spoke steering wheel with flat in bottom and AMG bag in the back seat and there is Chrome look electronic key with AMG emblem and stainless steel paddle. The GL63AMG find itself in a jungle of sports. A jungle that has other creatures in the firm of super isolated Sedans, super cars, converted ones and super powerful SUV’s all fighting for space in Rs. 122 crore brackets. The biggest and the most powerful Mercedes offering in India, roam around feeling like it massive rivals jungle and drive it to top in term of sales.

Power and performance, they come at a price and in this case the GL63AMG has a price of Rs. 1.66 Crores Ex showroom Delhi adding approximately 30 Lakhs and the on road price goes to more than 2 Crores Bracket and yet we are complaining. This SUV is completely unique. It will do what other can’t. Eyes catching features, Safety Aids, Comfort zones and of course day time performance that can be convertible and this sounds like a real super car. If you are very deep pocket and looking for super SUV then go ahead and indulge in GL63AMG. 

Skoda Superb Drive in India 2014

As you know that recently we shown you a lot of facelifts, we shown you the facelift of Chevvy Beat, we shown you the face lift of the Nissan Sunny The Ford Fiesta got a face lift and today what I am going to show you is a Superb Facelift and when I say Superb Facelift I don’t mean that facelift is kind of Superb what I mean is that the Skoda Superb has gone through an update.

And now this is the facelift of the Skoda Superb and like any other facelift that we know especially of the Bollywood Celebrities this one is actually quite bull. Skoda has changed the entire look of the car.

This is a brand new bonnet Skoda has done away with a green round logo that all of us for a will update you get a new logo here in the pretuding section of the bonnet which is quite distinctive and very appealing. One of my able friends thinks that this logo has been changed to preventive from Skoda Emblem thefts. Apart from this the Skoda Superb facelift supports brand new innovates. All headlamps with new LED’s which in my opinion is quite stunning. There is a brand new grill but we have seen this in 2014 Octavia it has been carry forward to the Superb which is Skoda’s new design language, there is new bumper design with add in fog lamps, housing is new and of course our favorite definition of lines and designs, chrome has been generously used. Well now to talk of side profile of the car the Skoda Superb still maintains that long look that it always have, there is no design change in the side profile except for the new alloys and there is changes on the rear too and I am glad that the changes are not restricted to just adding a dashing chrome in fact Skoda have done away all look of the car and now if you look at the rear it is brand new. The new set of rear lamps with LED’s, there is a chrome strip at the bottom of the boot gate and Skoda has written out Skoda and Superb very distinctly and actually is quite attractive, complementing this whole new look with new twin exhaust.

Then comes the most important part, the looks department has been ticked. The Superb looks maushy and saucy than the out going model but here is where there is no facelift not even increase of single bhp. It is powered with the same 2 L turbo charged engine. The 2.0 L turbo charged engine comes out with a power of 140 PS and torque of 320 NM. The engine is peppy and one of my favorite diesel engine motors. Now this 2 L motor on the Skoda Superb is actually makes you fall in love with it. It has a decent note, its happy to go fast. Its is mighty to a 7 speed DSG which is Skoda’s direct and shift technology and in fact just when I was saying this line, I went to 4 and then to 5 and you don’t feel the up shift in the gear, that is how smooth this unit it is. The steering is responsive, it has very good feedback, even at higher speeds it in still stands confidence in you which I think is quite phenomenal, over all if you are enthusiast if you will just love to drive your car, you will enjoy every moment of driving this car.The diesel engine is only with DSG and there is no manual option so paddle shifts is what you have make with it.

The petrol engine gets a manual transmission and an automatic one, not just this diesel motor is surprisingly fuel efficient too, for an engine of this size, it promises 17.2 KMPL plus it is so confident on the road, take a sharp cut, corner. Even with the traction of the car feel so planted that the confidence is inspiring for few of its rivals. Now there are a lot of things that go in the favor of the Superb even before this facelift. 1^st thing is that it literally faces very little competition in the market, Honda has discontinued  the Accord, Volkswagen has discontinued the Passat, the little competition that it faces is come in the form of Hyundai Sonata which doesn’t have sell very well and in the form of the Toyota Camry very comfortable car, there is a hybrid version but it only comes in petrol, so the reason behind the popularity of the Skoda Superb, the 1^st reason I think is the only car in its segment 18-24 lakh rs. Bracket which actually offers a Diesel motor no other car offers a Diesel Motor.

Now don’t worry, no magic happened here, I am on the rear seat just to justify my reasoning that I was in the middle off, my editor is driving the car so we all are in safe hands. So now to tell the 2^nd reason why you should buy this Skoda Superb, look at the space here, there is so much room in this car that it is actually unwilly, the one of the finest and most comfortable rear seats that you can be in. Skoda has taken care of the comfort and convenience of the rear seat passenger too, which in most case going to be the owner of the car, you get side curtains here which I think is very need touch, on the center here there you don’t get no ac vents feature, you just get a clock, a 12 w charge and some space of storage, the ac vents are in the B Pillar which I think a very need touch again and you get ac vents under the front seats, my legs are short to reach there because of this huge space, in the arm rest how ever you only get the cup holders and nothing else no audio controls, you get a little bit of storage when you lift this but what Skoda has done is, it has given access to boot from the rest.

The facelift doesn’t end here; there are changes in the cabin as well. Let me show you changes as I take a break. Well there is all new steering wheel design and rest all is the same. This 6.5 inch screen for audio, telephone and music controls, rear sensor display while reversing, no rear camera and that is disappointing. The quality of the plastic and wooden inserts is really good and looks good. The front dash has smooth flow and its easy on the eyes. The dials gets chrome around and can be easily readable. There are enough cuppy holds in the car though. No matter how many small things you carry, you will get compartment for it all.

Now after this review, I must say that in the 18-24 lakh rupees bracket, Skoda Superb is the now one of the finest purchases that you can make. For three reasons: - very very comfortable rear seats, it an absolute pleasure to drive and now the car actualy looks very good. So now yes this facelift can prove to be what the company has been waiting to boost their sales. That’s the take on the 2014 facelift of Skoda Superb.

Maruti Suzuki Celerio in India Test Drive Review

Well country’s largest car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki also decideded to add a little bit of convenience to our life. This convenience is called the Celerio. Now this is a hatch back that comes with an automated gear box and is actually fuel efficient. So today we will going to find out if this automated gear box is actually a convenience for us on the road or not.

The Maruti Suzuki Celerio has replaced the A-Star and the Zen Estilo in the market, on the look of it, it comes with fine and neat lines, and there is not much of design language to boost of. The Celerio looks wider and taller that other Hatchbacks in market that are in the competitions. The total length of the Celerio is 3600 MM and it stands 1560 MM tall.

Well now if you look at the Celerio, there is not much of designing to boost about, first you look at it and you can easily recognize it to be a very typical Maruti, you see you get standard grill, you get the same set of Lamps in fact if you get a closer look to it you will as a Maruti took a box, Put Zen Estilo in it, put  Alto 800 in it mixed it very well and pop it out, The Celerio.

Even the side profile has not much to talk about, in fact it’s a little too plain. It does come with the large windows and windows can roll down completely so that the passengers in rear seat do not feel suffocated. Well another thing that impresses me a lot about this new Celerio is that the amount of space that you get in this car. Well you don’t get this kind of space in any other car that it is competing with. This seat has been adjusted to my height and there is good amount of knee space here and good amount of headroom here and the seats are actually comfortable with enough thigh support and enough thimble support. So this is a car that can seat three adults and it can do it quite comfortably.

On the rear, the lamp stands tall on the both sides of the boot door. There is no lever to open the boot from the cabin. You get a boot handle on the door only.

Now let’s hit the road to find out how this automated gear box really works. This segment’s first technology has created quite a buzz since its launch. The difference between an automated and automatic gear box is that in an automated gearbox the gear shifts happen through an electronic hydraulic unit placed on top of the gear box. There are two advantages of it, one that’s it maintains engine almost at par with the manual and second it doesn’t compromise on fuel efficiency. Now the Celerio spark with same K10 engine that we are all familiar with. For the figures it’s the 68 BHP output and a 90 NM of torque. When you take it out on the road, in the city it is sufficient even on the highway its not bad. In fact if you are driving in the automated version, the gearing is a little long so it gives you the that extra little power which is needed when you are overtaking of maneuvering in the city and it adds as a benefit when you are on the highway as well. This automated gearbox on the Celerio isn’t very smooth unit though. There is an evident hick up in the car when there is an up shift in the gear, the down shift is rather smooth in comparison. Its small size is easily to maneuver in the city and a turning radius of 4.7 Mtrs makes it very easy to park as well. The car is quite easy to drive in the city, the steering is nice and responsive, and it is not very precise you have to give it regular inputs but it does the job quite decently. It easy to cut and corner in fact it is quite easy to park as well. You also get a manual transmission option here, where you can change gears as per your desire RPM levels for that extra punch if needed at all. But mostly automated gear box which is made for the Celerio, which is a first time thing that Maruti has introduced in Celerio is very convenient. If you are driving in the manual mode and have to come to a sudden halt then the gear drops to the first on its own without an input. Another good thing about the Celerio is the suspension, the Celerio takes bumps with the ease and ride quality is very good. Around corners, it feels confident and on high speed also it does manage to remain calm and composed. The engine sure get noisy once you push this 1000 cc engine beyond its comfort zone. One more pick stop before we wrap to run you through the features of Celerio.

This is the automated top variant which is the VXI, it sufficiently loaded with all four power windows, the Kenwood music system that you see here is not standard and neither speakers. How ever there are two cup holders in the front and one bottle holder just behind the hand brake. The dials are big and easily readable; they display average fuel economy, door hazard warning etc. The rear seat is 60:40 split for bigger luggage otherwise there is sufficient boot space of 235 Litres. The air conditioning is manual only and there is soothing ambient light in the cabin. Now there are a lot of reasons behind the popularity of the Maruti Suzuki Celerion, for starters we live in a country which is obsessed about fuel efficiency and in fact the Maruti Suzuki is the one that came out with punch line asking “Kitna Deti Hai”. Well to answer that question, Celerio in mix conditions City and the Highway returned us an economy of almost 16 KMPL which I personally believe is phenomenal for a car of this class. The 2^nd thing about the Celerio is the fact that its price is just about to right. The ZXI version is only available in the manual. The top variant which you can buy in automated gear box is VXI which we have with us and it just priced at 4.43 lakh ex showroom Delhi. So that price is very competitive. It is spacious, it is comfortable and it is fuel efficient.