What's new, What's hot /// East of your border!

[nickatnite]

[nickatnite]

2010 Maruti-Suzuki "EECO". Replaces the Omni. Lots of dabba for the money. There are only three variants, the 5 and 7 seater base models and the fancy 5-seater with a/c and heater.That's it.Price for the 5 or 7 seater base model range from RS3.13lac to RS3.26lacs on the road including taxes. The a/c model costs RS3.46lacs on the road. All prices are ex-Chennai. For more info and specs, click on:

Maruti Suzuki Eeco – Happiness family size!

[nickatnite]

@nick, i realy liked that coure shaped Maruti suzuki ZEN... do post sum pics and update on that car... id be waiting.

ZEN or ZEN ESTILO?. The ZEN is no longer in production.Anyways i'll post pics of both cars. You tell which one you want detail pics and i'll post them for you later.

OK enough of this food reporting already ! you are making me seriously hungry now and its all your fault mate !.

How is the Tourag selling in India ?

Not as well as VW would want it to. Just look at the competition from the Q5 et al as @ROHAN mentioned.By the by i'm going to remember to take a pic of the meals i like from now on to tempt you even further!.

[chinyoti]

yup the zen

[nickatnite]

yup the zen

I know of a team-bhp member who owns a 2001 Zen and i'll ask him to bring his car over so i can take pics for you. Since, it's out of production there's few of the original Zen on the road. On average, one can buy a Zen in fairly good condition between RS1.0-1.5lacs and even lower for a fixer upper. Very popular with students wanting a pocket rocket on the low. It is one of the best cars from the Suzuki stable . I get to drive it's replacement, the Estilo and though it's a great city car, it doesn't match the original. Below is a pic of the Zen Estilo(2008 model), which has been redesigned since 2009 and the 2nd pic is of an Enfield "Classic". Great cruiser. I've updated the previous page with some Swifts. Maruti-Suzuki is offering a variant of the Swift for RS4.02lacs ex-showroom!. Now you know that the new model is on it's way when they start discounting existing models to clear inventory!. More updates later.

[ROHANGENIUS]

Well Toureg belongs in the Q7 and X5 territory where I think its quite competitive. The VW vehicle in the X3 and Q5 category is called the Tiguan which is going to be released in India shortly. As far as Pagero and Prado are concerned, well you can't compare them price wise with German cars, can you?

hmmmm...Thanks for the info there:)

The new Bullet Classic.........AWESOME!

[nickatnite]

Today's another holiday!.India's 60th Republic Day. Yet, i get a call from my local Honda dealer asking me if i wanted to test drive the BEAT. Sure, why not?. The roads are clear on days like these!. So i did. And the following are my impressions:

I like:

• The zany styling. Totally funk'd. All it needs are nice rims
• Gearshift is awesomely light and easy
• Peppy engine with enough pickup in 'stop and go traffic'
• Adequate interior space for atleast four large adults
• Unique speedometer design

I don't like:

• The ride quality.Shimmered a little bit on uneven surfaces
• Less than adequate luggage space(has 60:40 option, though)
• Sound system not upto par for the money. Needs speaker upgrade.
• Absence of 'dead pedal'.
• Manual OVRMs.

Would i buy it?. The featured car is a 1.2liter LT model and comes fully loaded minus alloys/ABS/Airbags which is part of an option pack. Price on the road is RS4.48 lacs(rounded off) and you do get a lot of car for the money. I was told the tire upgrade will do the trick as far as ride quality along with alloys. The current wheel covers are a let down. So, to answer my own question, YES!. My main reason?. One doesn't feel scrunched up with a co-passenger in the front like in most economy hatchbacks. It feels like a big car inside and the positives outweigh the negatives for me.How often is one going to load up a city car with more than a few grocery bags?. Buy it, i say and that's my final answer.

[nickatnite]

Interior-The dash is one of the best attributes of this car!. The steering and speedometer are tilt adjustable and all controls are within reach and easy to operate. There are cubbyholes on either side to place a cell phone and loose change built into the dashboard which is a nice feature. Cupholders are ok but lacking depth a bit. Doorside storage space for large bottles , newspapers and such is good.

[nickatnite]

Interior-rear seating and storage. As you can see from the pics the rear seating is ergonomically configured and pleasing to see and sit in unlike other small cars. But, at a cost of boot space which is ok for carry-ons, grocery/gym bags and the like.One of the rear seats will have to be folded to accomodate heavier loads. The engine is the best 1200cc small mill GM has operating @85bhp.

Hope you find the review as informative, though short as i have to get ready to see the latest Sherlock Holmes in a little while!.

[nickatnite]

The Mercedes CL featured in the previous page is an used car and the asking price is RS75lacs, negotiable!. I've never seen a Honda Civic hatch before(they don't sell one in the US market). At first while driving up to the light i thought that this car was a TATA Indigo CS!. First time for everything.IN the 3rd pic i was very intrigued by the white van like vehicle with a 'crown' on it's head. He made a quick left turn after the light turned and sped away else i would have pulled up next to him and asked him about it. One does find oddities on the road and i kinda like them. In the prior pages i've posted a pic of a eclectic caravan painted with murals driving around town. So it goes. Later.

[dr3vil]

beat has nice specs but i think its ugly
@nickte
man do u have all these type of colors there i mean parrot green u won't find on our roads

[nickatnite]

beat has nice specs but i think its ugly
@nickte
man do u have all these type of colors there i mean parrot green u won't find on our roads

re: colors, Indians are funky people.Check the websites for the zany colors offered by Indian auto manufacturers from Pink metallic to shocking blue and purple shades all direct from the factory.

The BEAT is NOT ugly. It's totally funky cool.(H). The Spark looks like a dowdy old hag next to this one and you can now buy it for RS2.8lacs. If you were here i.e. Watch this thread for various versions of this car once it's on the streets and guys get to trick it out.

[nickatnite]

Next up on my review list, Chennai's own newest hatchback from Ford, the FIGO. Estimated price RS3.5-4.0lacs on the road. I have a sneak preview coming up. Meanwhile, here's a preview of the car on youtube:

//youtu.be/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chqANiz701c

[nickatnite]

I know that the BEAT can be too much to digest for some and that's why GM continues to sell the Spark at a much discounted price, but then there is a price to pay for having the latest cars in the world in their respective segments in your doorstep and that is 'go with the flow'. Change is good and just like the Aztec, there will be those that look good to some and not to others. Indians are getting used to the same phenomenon in their own backyard. Some of my neighbors just looked plain shocked and some just loved it. I must take some care next time to photo the cars well and that includes lighting. I'm trying and the BEAT test drive was just spur of the moment and happened in minutes. The Honda dealer is about 1/2km from where i live here. FYI, all GM(India) cars are made in Halol, Gujarat state.

Which brings me to my next car to review, the Ford FIGO, made in Chennai!. Estimated price range RS3.5-4.0lacs also equipped with a 1200cc engine. My sneak preview coming up soon in this thread,.

Here's a preview of the car on youtube:

//youtu.be/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chqANiz701c

Coming up in this thread VW Polo, TATA Aria MPV showroom pics....

[chinyoti]

@nick, i think india is the only market to have that Zen, nd MrWagon named as Zen estilo, mayb coz different markets have differnt needs.

on launch of Baleno they still had esteem there, nd on launch of Swift we still have Cultus.

I wonder y they discontinued the Zen, it was a far better option then the Maruti 800 it even luks better. as u said (pocket rocket)

btw theres no Daihatsu in India? or i mised it?

[nickatnite]

@nick, i think india is the only market to have that Zen, nd MrWagon named as Zen estilo, mayb coz different markets have differnt needs.

on launch of Baleno they still had esteem there, nd on launch of Swift we still have Cultus.

I wonder y they discontinued the Zen, it was a far better option then the Maruti 800 it even luks better. as u said (pocket rocket)

btw theres no Daihatsu in India? or i mised it?

The Zen was past it's prime. That's why they replaced it. Now every manufacturer here follows the 5-year timeline on replacing car models. The exceptions are the Santro Xing and Lancer among the few who still soldier on for various reasons. The Zen is a fantastic car to drive and is popular among boy racers.The 800 has also disappeared from urban markets due to emission norms. The new Wagon-R is releasing in March followed by the new Swift in June. Lots of new models this year too, keeping me busy.lol. No Daihatsus sold in India, but if you followed my Delhi Auto Show thread, you will see Toyota's first entry into the small car segment with the 'Etios' sedan followed by a hatchback if there is demand. The sedan is already 90% production ready at Toyota's plant in Bangalore.In the pic you will see the two most popular hatchbacks behind the black 7, the i-10 and the Swift. You can run into anyone of them in any side street!.

[Ducati]

The BEAT looks nice more of a french styling to my eyes and your review was very informative. Love the pic of the Enfield

[nickatnite]

The BEAT looks nice more of a french styling to my eyes and your review was very informative. Love the pic of the Enfield

The BEAT is very "in your face" kinda car. I saw a silver BEAT pass while waiting at a street crossing and everyone else there were like "what the.... was that?". I love it.

Talking of the French, here's Maruti-Suzuki's latest color option on the SX4, "French Eclair".The white Swift-VXi i came by in the 2nd pic ready for delivery @RS4.87lac including tax/title/registration. The rear spoiler is in lieu of a cash discount, alloys extra.

[nickatnite]

This one is quite innovative as it has an e-edition with excellent graphics!. And, it's free!.Click on the link below for the e-edition:

http://emag1b.pressmart.com/Quarter-Mile-472/emag/index.aspx

[nickatnite]

@chinyoti

I haven't forgotten your request for the Zen pics. Coming up soon.The Ford Mondeo and the Hyundai Getz still find themselves in my fav list of cars here.