Mahindra Scorpio Classic to debut on August 11

Mahindra has announced that the Scorpio Classic will be official unveiled on August 11, 2022. The Scorpio Classic is essentially a refreshed version of the previous-gen SUV. It will be sold alongside the new Scorpio-N. The Scorpio Classic is expected to be offered in 'S' and 'S11' trims with either 7-seat or 9-seat configurations. It could be powered by a 2.2-litre diesel engine producing 130 BHP @ 3,750 rpm. The engine could be paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. The Scorpio Classic gets minor exterior changes, including a revised radiator grille and new dual-tone alloy wheels. Inside, the SUV gets a dual-tone cabin with a touchscreen infotainment system. It gets the new 'Twin Peak' logo on the steering wheel, while the twin-dial instrument cluster has been carried over unchanged.

Car totaled 3 months ago, insurance settlement pending: Best approach?

BHPian handsofsteel recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Dear all, In an unfortunate turn of events, my car was totalled three months back. This has happened out of state with the vehicle now parked in the nearest svc. I raised an insurance claim with the company within the stipulated claim period. The company launched an investigation which ruled out any foul play. This took about a month. Since then, the following has been informed to me:An internal debate within the firm regarding repairability vs total loss (SVC declared it a total loss same time).Assessment of damage by the insurance company - took nearly 1.5 months.Floating of tender for a scrap quote. I was initially informed that one quote has been obtained (against the minimum two required) and now, in an about turn, they say nothing has come.I have been strung along with contradictory inputs all this while without any concrete inputs regarding the progress of the case. The company-provided app for monitoring the claim status is useless. Finally, I managed to get a number of the circle head who assured me last month that the claim would now be settled in 15 days. Three weeks later, he tells me that scrap dealers are not quoting for the car and therefore there's a delay. The only alternative/worst-case scenario as per him is to get my car de-registered (I assume it's a lengthy process as it is out of state). They are, therefore, asking me to give them more time to obtain the salvage quote.Is this correct or are they stringing me along? If yes, for what?Is de registering the car my headache? If so, what after that?What are my obligations regarding the svc where the car is parked? (I have started getting calls for an interim payment for parking/estimate preparation charges)It's been 3 months and a week thus far. I have spent the whole summer without a car and the prospect of getting through the monsoon without one doesn't cheer me up. Considering that I am now getting some inputs (correct or otherwise) from the firm, I am inclined to hold on a little longer before going all out on social media/ombudsman/IRDAI etc to name and shame the company. I would be really grateful for some specialist opinion from someone knowledgeable. Thanks in advance. Here's what BHPian speed79 had to say on the matter:I am in the same boat as my car (2015 Safari Storme) got totalled in a road accident in mid-April. Since I was injured in an accident with a fracture in my right hand, I could not pick up my car from the accident spot as local police (AP) did not let my friends and demanded that either I or my father should come and take the car, and car lied there for 5 days, during which time different parts from the car were plundered. Once I was out of the hospital, my father went 200 km in a taxi and got the car towed to the Tata Service centre in Bangalore. The towing charges were my cost. I chose the SVC which had a cashless claim with the National Insurance company (as I was hopeful of getting my car repaired as I loved it so much) as the process becomes smoother. The car was declared a Total loss by the insurance company. Once the insurance company decided on a total loss, and I agreed (I was devastated once I saw some parts plundered from my car), they took my authorization to put an advert in the newspaper for salvage auction. They got 4 quotes and the highest bidder has been selected. I was asked by the insurance company to get it de-registered at RTO, so that car can be sold as salvage. The RC cancellation is my responsibility. I went to RTO and applied for RC cancellation on May 9. The agents asked a huge amount to get RC cancelled, so I went on my own for the RC cancellation process. It has been about 6 weeks and I hope to get it completed this week. Once RC cancellation is completed, the salvage buyer would take the car away. The car is currently parked at my home as I was advised by SVC and the insurance company to take the car home after repair estimation, as I would be charged RS 350 + GST per day as parking charges. So I had paid parking charges for the days' car was at SVC + estimation charges. I hope this information is useful. If you need more details on the RC cancellation process, let me know.Here's what BHPian Sran had to say on the matter:Have you visited the insurance company's office yet? Go there, talk to the manager. Telephonic conversation can only get you so far. Do it at the earliest because the service centre will take a hefty per day charge. If there is a problem due to it being in another state, get the car towed to your place. De-registering is your work. You will get a refund from RTO for the remaining years left. I am not sure about the timing i.e. when to initiate it, you can read various threads about it. All I know is you have to be stubborn. Some 5 years back, I had to barge into an insurance company's office and had to impolitely speak to a manager for my friend's stolen car settlement which was languishing for 3 years. They paid within a month. Good luck.Here's what BHPian thanixravindran had to say on the matter:Sorry for your loss and great that you are safe. On the insurance part, your insurer is buying time to sell the car 'as is' to reduce his payout. This is the reason he is yet to give you a scrap report and ask you to deregister to sell as scrap. He is hopeful of finding a buyer who can repair and sell it. This is the reason he won't provide a total loss report (not possible to be repaired to be road worthy) but use it as a constructive total loss case (repairable to be road worthy but not financially viable). In that case, you will have to sign a car transfer ownership form, will get money from the buyer and the insurer will pay the balance of IDV. In an ideal scenario, insurance has just to just settle the claim with you and take over the totalled car and they can do whatever they can but this is India and they play all these games. Unfortunate but true. My suggestion - If you decide to fight, please take a look at your insurance document and find the Irdai plan registration number as all insurance plans need to be submitted to Irdai. Take the section on claim processing and scrap/salvage process whether it belongs to you or the company. Send a printout of it along with your claim number in a registered post asking to settle the claim within 14 days beyond which you can proceed legally to the ombudsman to recover your money. If you want to avoid confrontation, explore cash loss settlement with an insurer, say around 80% of IDV and settle with insurance. If they settle, the totalled car is yours. Work with your SVC and sell it off or deregister and sell it to scrap. They will help you as they will also benefit and have contacts with scrappers. Finally, I am not an insurance specialist but naming the insurance company is not going to adversely impact your claim anyway.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Ford Figo's MID displays engine overheat warning: Finding the right fix

BHPian giri1.8 recently shared this with other enthusiasts. My Figo finally decided to throw a tantrum. One fine evening, the MID displayed an engine overheat warning. I spotted a petrol bunk and decided to stop and get some coolant to make sure no nasty surprise awaits. BIG mistake! I went inside the store and asked for 5 litres of coolant and the guy immediately asked if it was for my car and if there was any issue. I told him that the car was showing a warning, so I was just going to have it checked. He immediately called a few people and told them to check the coolant level. The level was okay, but I could feel the engine bay being unusually hot. One of the two guys checking the car tried to open the coolant cap. I could see the coolant level raising and told him to take tighten the cap and take his hands off and not do anything. He said that the coolant was spoilt and needed immediate change (repeated this at least 4 or 5 times). Then the other guy told me that in case of any airlock, it would take a minimum of half an hour and they couldn't assure anything. I understood that they had no idea of what they were talking about and decided to make a move if the engine had cooled down. Here is the best part. The guy looked at the MID after I fired up the engine and told me that the 36-degree coolant temperature is not high and I should be worried only if it exceeds 42. All this time he was referring to the outside ambient temperature display. I decided to switch off the A/C and took a less crowded road and reached home safely without overheating the engine. The next day, I did the same and reached Ford's A.S.S before peak traffic. Left the car with them for diagnosis. After running all kinds of diagnostics they found the thermostat valve was faulty and the radiator had a lot of dust too, which reduced the cooling efficiency. I got the job done under warranty and the car has been running flawlessly. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Vehicle retail sales drop by 8% in July 2022

According to the data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), vehicle retail sales were down by 8% in July 2022, compared to the same month last year. Overall sales for the month of July 2022 stood at 14,36,927 units, compared to 15,59,106 units in July 2021. Compared to June 2019, when 17,94,297 units were sold, total vehicle retails have dropped by 19.92%. July is generally considered a lean month before the festival season starts in August. The 2-wheeler segment witnessed poor demand and high inflation, an erratic monsoon and high cost of ownership made matters worse. The passenger vehicle segment has been witnessing a dream run as retail sales are already higher than in 2019. Better supply is expected to bring down waiting periods in the coming months. Tractor sales dropped by 27.72%, from 82,419 units in July 2021 to 59,573 units. Two-wheeler sales decreased by 10.92% to 10,09,574 units from 11,33,344 units in July 2021. Three-wheeler sales were up by 80.41% in July 2022. 50,349 units were sold, compared to 27,908 units in July 2021. Passenger vehicle sales dropped by 4.66% compared to the previous year. 2,50,972 units were sold last month, compared to 2,63,238 units in July 2021. Commercial vehicle sales increased by 27.32%. 66,459 units were sold in July 2022, compared to 52,197 units in the previous year. Team-BHP's detailed analysis of theJuly 2022 sales figures.

My Jeep Compass petrol MT: Great car, but poor after sales experience

BHPian argchoff recently shared this with other enthusiasts. I feel I should now share my ownership experience of the 1.4 liter petrol manual sport Compass after driving it for around 300km. I will keep the review focused mostly about the car and its performance in general as my post sales and service experience has been extremely disappointing so far. As we all know it is impossible to get a test drive of the Sport petrol manual variant, i hope my review would assist in potential buyers seeking to buy this variant. Firstly I would say I was and still am totally hooked on the Tata Harrier XZ in terms of looks and drive quality in spite of the known niggles like quality, fit and finish and the dashboard hurting the left knee. However because of the uncertainty of the future of diesel engines and possible DPF issues I decided to skip diesel vehicles all together. That left me with only petrol cars with manual transmission to choose from and I tested the XUV700, Skoda Kushaq, Kia Seltos GTX, MG hector MT. Since Jeep compass manual was not offered for test drive I test drove the AT petrol and also tried the Hector CVT back to back with the AT petrol Compass.Mahindra XUV700: Most powerful among all the contenders, very responsive. However I found the quality of interior fit and finish not so good. Also the long waiting time for the AX7 was a turnoff.Kia Seltos 1.4 GTX: Peppy and fun to drive till the car went over some uneven roads. The worst suspension ever with the car making squeaking noises over uneven patches. This was felt even more when i sat on the back seat. I was able to press the metal with my thumb near the lock assembly when I opened the driver side door. The metal appeared very thin. That experience matched the GNCAP ratings I saw on the internet.Skoda Kushaq: Thoroughly enjoyed the 1.0TSI. The 1.5TSI though more powerful, for some strange reason kept stalling at low speeds. Luggage space was less and the car appeared more like a hatchback than SUV. Did not feel like value for money.MG Hector hybrid MT: Sluggish and under powered. Car had too much body roll.Jeep Compass petrol AT: Car felt reluctant to move from standstill / crawling speed in auto mode. No matter how much pedal I applied, the car took its own sweet time to gather any speed and i was unable to do any quick overtakes. Amongst all the cars the suspension and handling felt the best. However the sluggish response of the automatic gearbox was not to my liking at all.MG Hector CVT: Immediately after the Compass petrol AT I test drove the Hector CVT. As soon as I applied the accelerator pedal, with ever so a very small couple of seconds delay the car took off nicely and gathered speed quickly. Overall I felt the car was way peppier than the compass AT and overtakes on the Pune - Bangalore highway happened easily. However as my preference was for manual transmission Hector was dismissed.Compass petrol MT: SE showed me the car in their stockyard. For a base model with fabric interiors, the car was impressive in terms of the premium feel I got looking at the interiors. The fabric quality with its orange stitching felt very premium and the grey fabric insert in the dashboard and doors felt classy. The fit, finish of the plastics, steering column and dashboard was very good and did not feel cheap at all if compared to the XT+ version of the Tata harrier or Hector sharp. Booked the Sport variant in red color.The difference in the engine response when compared to the petrol AT is easily noticeable. Where I felt the AT variant to be slow to respond and sluggish to pedal input, the manual variant felt outright peppy and fun to drive. I do not understand why Jeep does not have this manual transmission in the Limited variant. If it was, I would have upped my budget and gone for that. Gear shifts are smooth and precise and pick-up is good. However if the revs drop below 2000 RPM whilst on the move and you shift to a higher gear, there is a sudden power loss felt and it takes time for the engine to respond till the RPM needle nears the 2000 mark. Sometimes if this happens at a time you want to do quick overtakes, it becomes difficult to do so and I felt the need to shift down to lower gear, losing a precious few seconds and sometimes not able to execute the overtake. This was something I could do effortlessly in my Ford Fiesta 1.6 NA petrol car. This intermittent temporary power loss is felt in the first 3 gears only especially between 2nd and 3rd gear. As mentioned by other owners of the same variant, the 1st gear is very short and changing to 2nd gear is necessary as soon as the car is in motion. I think if the engine was tuned to engage the turbocharger around 1500RPM or earlier the car would not feel loss of power at any point. The AC cooling stops / reduces when the car comes to standstill at traffic lights. A soon as I apply the accelerator, the cooling resumes. In the May heat the AC is effective from a fan setting of 5 and above only. TPMS is now available in the sport variant also. The infotainment system is responsive and the audio quality is excellent. I love the ergonomics of the car, everything is in the right place and driver friendly. The metal quality is good, doors are heavy and shut with a nice heavy thud. Overall the car feels built like a tank. Suspension is excellent and simply devours bad surfaces. I felt the steering to be on the stiff heavier side and this is noticeable at slow speeds. However at high speeds this is actually very good, in that the feedback is perfect.A very quick description of the after sales/service experience:The car I received came with an inherent paint flaw which I failed to notice while inspecting the vehicle in the stockyard. Almost on every panel there were bubbles in the paint as if residual debris on the car was painted over leaving small bubble like bumps. These are not easily noticeable unless one looks at every minute detail. I got the delivery of the car in middle of May 2022 and the VIN indicates manufacturing date as April 2022. As soon as I made the full payment, I got a message from the dealer that a different car has been allotted to me than the one I was promised before payment. They took me back to the stockyard to show the newly allotted car so my suspicions were sort of hushed. Fearing I was being given an older car, all my concentration was checking for paint shade difference and VIN (which was April 2022). The car was delivered with a slight scratch on the front left bumper which they agreed to rectify and took the car away two days after delivery. When the car was returned, the bumper was painted so poorly that even a road side novice with a spray paint can could do a better job. That made me check the rest of the car and that's when i noticed the bubbles. Dealer insisted to fix the paint issue in the service center so I took the car again myself over there. While I was discussing the issue with the CRM, I saw that a large crowd had gathered around my car. Fearing that some one dashed my car, I ran out only to find that their service staff, without my permission had removed my front left wheel and was in the process of ripping out the black mudguard cladding, trying to access the foot well area on the passenger side. After escalating this issue, they stopped and said, Sir we forgot your keys in the car and the car is locked. Due to this we cannot move your car and other customers cars are all stuck right up to the main road. Apparently they were trying to access a lock reset button in the foot well area. I made them stop the activity, got their driver to take me back home and went back with him to the service center with the 2nd key. I have escalated the issue to FCA India as the dealer response has been very elusive and disappointing. I certainly won't be taking the car there for servicing. The space is crammed up, service staff is arrogant and unprofessional. One word of advice to future buyers: Insist, absolutely insist on filling up the registration form, especially the chassis and engine number and take a photo of the same. The car as a product itself is amazing and fun to drive. However the sales and service is pathetic, dishonest and incompetent. This experience has taken away what could have otherwise been a happy buying experience. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Tata Tigor XM iCNG Launched At Rs 7,39,900 - 26.49km/kg Mileage

Indian car manufacturer Tata Motors has launched the Tigor XM iCNG. The Tata Tigor XM iCNG is priced at Rs 7,39,900 (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Maruti Suzuki Cars: How will Grand Vitara likely prove to be an ace for company, this fiscal? Here is the answer!

In his address to shareholders in the company's annual report for 2021-22, Chairman RC Bhargava has said that the upcoming mid-sized SUV Grand Vitara will play a key role in the challenge to touch 20 lakh units

My Swift almost stolen from IHC basement parking: Here's what saved me

BHPian kushagra452 recently shared this with other enthusiasts. I believe, that yesterday (07 Aug) there was an attempt to steal my Swift VXi AMT from the basement parking lot of the India Habitat Centre - which is a popular convention center located in the heart of the city! I had parked my car in the basement parking after taking the parking slip at the point of entry. After enjoying my afternoon coffee with a friend when I was walking over to my car I noticed that the hazard lights were blinking and the driver's door was ajar. I immediately realized that there was an attempt to break in and drive away with the vehicle. I informed the private guards who were of not much help. I believe that the only reason the car was not stolen was that I was carrying the parking slip - without which exiting the premises is not possible. This incident was shocking. It's worth mentioning that this break-in attempt happened around 3pm-4pm in the basement parking lot of a popular convention center located merely 3 kms-4 kms from the Prime Minister's residence! Since then, I have been searching for ways to secure my Swift VXi AMT. I have asked two local shops for a gear lock. However, both have told me that it's not possible to get a gear lock installed in the Swift AMT. Is this true? If yes, what other devices can prove to be effective deterrents for thieves? Thank you very much. Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:Thanks for the reminder! I usually park the slip on the sunvisor. Will keep it on me, going forward. At some places, valet parking is safer as they guard their vehicles fiercely, have a dedicated area to themselves & outsiders aren't allowed in.Here's what BHPian audioholic had to say about the matter:If you are parking in a fishy location then just remove the fuse for the AMT Pump. We will see which thief can have a workaround for this one. Of course, if you try to start the car without this fuse it will not start and throw up a DTC with the Check engine light on. But as long as you put it back before starting the car, it will be alright.Here's what BHPian Sidjohri had to say about the matter:Sorry to hear about your ordeal. I'm a frequent visitor to IHC and usually park my car in the basement without any worries. From now on I'll surely keep your experience in mind while parking my car there. Note: you might wish to check with the security in charge at IHC for any CCTV coverage they might have with them.Here's what BHPian PearlJam had to say about the matter:The Maruti Swift (all variants as per their website) seems to come fitted with an engine immobilizer. So are you sure that the parking slip is the reason that they couldn't steal your vehicle? Is it possible that the thieves were novices, and realized that the car wouldn't start unless they have the original key? Or probably, they were scared when the hazard light started blinking and just scooted? It seems like the parking slip saving the day, seems like a very small probability. I am sure that the exit gate would hardly give a second thought if you said that you lost it. Sorry, a lot of details are missing from the original post, so I'm forced to speculate!Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

10 years & 36,000 km with my Skoda Superb: Ownership experience

BHPian dkaile recently shared this with other enthusiasts. The Superb 'superbly' chugs into its 10th year. Being a quite low mileage car, I have relatively faced very few issues. I had last serviced the car myself at 28,342 km on 27-03-2018 i.e. more than 4 years and 8,017 km back. So will perform another service soon. Since then the only thing that conked off was the Horn (3000 bucks). And I also refilled the AC gas recently (the last refill was 4 years back) for around Rs 1000. Plus some 200-300 ml oil top-up in the last few years. And that was the only expense I did on the car in the last 3 years since my last 7th-year update. Here's the odometer reading today, and as a song, playing says 'Abhi to Party Shuru hui hai' or let's say that 'Abhi bhi party chal rahi hai' lolz. Recently also did a, quite pleasurable, 295 km trip to the hills. So one of the horns conked off and I replaced the complete pair myself in December 2021. It is located under this plastic panel under the bonnet, beside the right headlight Plastic screws and rivet which was removed to open the panel The dirt-filled horns revealed below A closer look at the OE horns A closer look at the OE connector. The brown wire side is negative. I initially procured a pair of Hella Midnight Black horns, till the time the OE horns could be procured from the dealership, and thought if these could be made successful in a VAG car. I even made a wiring harness to fit into the OE VAG connectors and they worked perfectly A closer look at the self-made custom connector Here are the Hella horns fitted in place of the OE horns. Though they were slightly broader than the OE ones, there was ample space for them to be wiggled into place. I used the Hella Horns for a few days without any issues till the OE horns arrived from the dealership Cost and part numbers of the original horns received from the dealership A closer look at the replacement new OE horns These were fitted and all is well the car is going strong as ever with minimal expenses and zero headaches. I intend to keep the car till 2027 i.e. till it completes its 15 years or maybe even further, due to the absolute zero trouble it has given me to date. Maybe because I maintain it myself. Let's see. Cheers for now... Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

My preowned Ducati Panigale 959: Yearly service & other updates

BHPian AtheK recently shared this with other enthusiasts. It's been a year last servicing was done, and that meant it was time for yearly service and try to make some tweaks to some of current consumables to see if they make some difference. The bike has been running well and hence did not need any special service, so what we did was the basic servicing with usual fluids change and replacing consumables. It was a straight forward exercise and we were done in few hours. One thing that anyone who has been reading this thread knows, is the heat from the bike. I had done a coolant flush last year and used Engine Ice, but had very quickly realized it probably is not the best choice for 959, it heats up very quickly and cools down quickly too, but the bike gets very very hot in city traffic. Add to it, Engine Ice needs to be replaced every year, so I decided to change it. Coolant was flushed and I have decided to try Maxima Coolanol this time: Now it's raining and I did not get a chance to take the bike out, so review about this is on hold. Next major change was the air filter, I have been running stock air filter and wanted to change it. I decided to go with Sprint air filter this time, the best thing about the Sprint air filter is that you don't need to oil it every year, you can just blow dry air and fit it back, so it is literally zero maintenance. Notice how the stock paper one is crumpled and reduces air flow, this should make air flow better and make the engine run better. Again, review to be published in due course of time after some rides. Other then that it was run of the mill stuff with new engine oil, I retained shell which is OEM, oil filter used was hiflo followed by cleaning of brake pads and internal components. This concluded the yearly maintenance, and bike was ready for phase 2, which was to drop it to friend place and get it detailed. I will let the pics do the talking from here. A mandatory wash: Looks nice: Bit of paint correction job: Before: After: Some buffing and ceramic coats later... This took care of the bike and got it back to it's own shiny shelf, to my credit, not much work was needed and things were easier for my friend. I won't let go of a chance to win some brownie points!! This though brings us to most difficult part of the ordeal, since it has been raining non stop in Bangalore, we had to figure out a way to get bike back to my home, this while making sure that the bike does not get dirty again. We got a window after three days when we got some dry roads in the morning and bike was ridden back in early hours back home. Now I am itching to take it for a long ride, but the weather keeps playing spoilsport, hopefully it clears up soon and I can take it out to test how is the bike performing with new coolant and the air filter. The earlier upgrade to get an underbelly exhaust is getting a bit tough, so what I am thinking instead is to get a decat pipe and remove the catcon altogether, this I have heard helps with reducing the heat as well. This is something which I am actively exploring. In the meantime I ended up picking another partner for Mark 13, details about which I will pen down in another thread soon. Signing off for now, with couple of final pics, and will write about my experience with coolant soon: Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Advice needed: Which 125cc scooter to buy under 1.25L

BHPian BudgetBoy recently shared this with other enthusiasts. I am looking to buy a scooter with a medium budget (around 1-1.2L); 125cc. Usage: Casual usage at home or for office to home in a metro city. I'm an average user and won't cross 60kmph almost ever. So, looking for comfort over extreme performance. Priorities:Decent suspension and fewer vibrationsGood front space (I have a big build), also for keeping stuffGood enough performance, not looking for the best in the class engine but must do the jobLongevity and good service (or at least fewer repair issues)Mileage must be great, I'm an economy user.Went for a test ride for the following: Yamaha Ray-Z - less leg space, felt the drive a bit sluggish (maybe I'm confused) like the acceleration and pickup. TVS Jupiter 125 - Plus points: Good boot space, front filling for petrol. Other than that felt nothing new. TVS Ntorq - Not feeling it because of the lack of a front storage spot and the bike seems to be loud than it needed to be. Didn't feel comfortable choosing it. I don't need that tad bit of extra performance to convince myself for ntorq. Suzuki Avenis - Felt decent overall. Had good front space, a slot for mobile and extra box, petrol fill on the outside, good enough ride experience I believe. No complaints in specific. Suzuki Access 125 - Okayish but it feels small for my shoulders so didn't prefer it over Avenis. Couldn't get to try Burgman, fascino cause the vehicle went out for a ride then but I'm assuming they would feel most probably like their relative models of the brand. Didn't try Aprilia, Vespa as they are pricey and high-performance models which are too much for my purpose. What are your thoughts on this? Currently, I'm inclined towards the Suzuki models. But I'm open to suggestions from experienced users over a single test drive! Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say on the matter:You're right to be gravitating towards the Suzukis. Overall they'll provide the nicest quality I feel. Certainly better than the likes of N Torq. I think the Burgman is the nicest of that lot with your set of priorities. Its 125 cc, is probably the most comfortable and has a nice suspension. Give it a test ride and pick it if it appeals. The Access is a fantastic scooter too and within those three options (counting the Avenis) hard to go wrong with any.Here's what BHPian rkv_2401 had to say on the matter:I'm not too well-versed with the 2-wheeler scene, but I have noticed that my friends' TVS scooters (Scooty Zest and Jupiter (110)) have slightly more comfortable suspension than my Suzuki Swish. Suzuki scooters are overall very well-rounded, though, and their 125cc engines are smooth and powerful, you definitely won't ever feel down on power with them. I can fit a full-size helmet in my scooter's storage compartment, and the newer models are more commuter-oriented so that shouldn't be a problem. I've had my Swish for 9 years now with no major problems or service costs other than the usual punctures and battery replacements.Here's what BHPian GreasyCarb55 had to say on the matter:Well you've got your answer right there, the Suzuki 125's. All three Suzuki 125cc scooters are essentially based on the same basic platform but have 3 different styles. The Burgman is the Maxi style scooter, the Access is your everyday scooter and the Avenis is supposed to be the youth oriented model so pick what you like the most. I would also suggest you test ride the TVS NTorq 125, it's a sporty scooter and excluding the electric Ather 450x and Ludicrous Yamaha Aerox 155 it's the best sport scooter in the country. The major downside with the NTorq is the Fuel efficiency, the Suzuki 125's get around 48-50kmpl in the city while the NTorq gets about 40-42 (for context even the fire breathing Aerox 155 manages to get 45-46kmpl in the city) The top variants of all the scooters here (Burgman 125 Street Bluetooth, Access 125 Disc Alloy + Bluetooth, Avenis Race Edition and NTorq Race XP) all are under 1.2 Lakh (On-road Hyderabad).Here's what BHPian carthick1000 had to say on the matter:Why don't you consider the updated TVS iqube electric ? Pls. do take a test drive. Also in this day and age, it is surprising to see that your shortlist doesn't have any electric scooter at all. Kindly search for TVS iqube electric thread here in team-bhp. From TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) perspective, in the budget you are looking for, electric scooters are the best.Here's what BHPian sri_tesla had to say on the matter:TVS iQube (electric) will excel at almost all of your priorities. I would suggest you test ride it once to see if it fits your needs. The base variant will cost Rs 1.25 lakhs and the iQube S variant will cost about Rs 1.31 lakhs. If you find the design boring, check the light blue, copper brown, or red colors. Suspension is similar to Jupiter and the riding posture is more comfortable than Ntorq. Decent space, almost zero noise, and vibrations. It will be the cheapest to operate (operating costs will be as low as 1/8th or 1/10th compared to petrol scooters).Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 launched at Rs. 1.50 lakh

Royal Enfield has launched the Hunter 350 in India. The bike is available in Factory Series, Dapper Series and Rebel Series and is priced at Rs 1,49,900, Rs 1,63,900 and Rs 1,68,900 (ex-showroom, Delhi), respectively. The Hunter 350 is based on the J-platform, which is shared with the Classic 350 and the Meteor 350. It has a wheelbase of 1,370 mm and the seat is set at 800 mm. The bike weighs 178 kg, which makes it the lightest of the three. In terms of design, the Hunter 350 looks like a typical retro roadster with a teardrop-shaped fuel tank and a circular headlamp & instrument console. The bike rides on telescopic fork suspension at the front and has dual shock absorbers at the rear. It also comes with stylish alloy wheels and a short exhaust. Powering the Hunter 350 is the familiar 349cc, single-cylinder engine. It produces 20.2 BHP @ 6,100 rpm and 27 Nm @ 4,000 rpm. The engine is paired with a 5-speed transmission. The bike comes with disc brakes at both ends along with dual-channel ABS.

Comfortable & performance luxury car under 70 lakh: Bought a BMW 330Li

BHPian Angad sahani recently shared this with other enthusiasts. We just got home a 330Li. We were considering any luxury car of around 70 lakhs (on-road), that could provide the following:Very comfortable seating for 4 tall adults (with good ingress & egress) and usable space for 5 occasionally.Decent ground clearance - didn't want scraping on most speed breakers with 4 people and some luggage on board.Great performance regardless of choice of fuel. Mercedes is the only company whose diesels looked more attractive than its petrols.Test drove the following:330Li520dA6 45 TFSIJust took a showroom visit for the following:C-ClassGLC330iC-ClassPros Exceptionally classy interiors, great looks, feature-rich.ConsNot a comfortable 4-seater because of narrow seats, lack of headroom and legroom and poor ingress & egress (mind you, my requirement was for 4 adults, all almost 6 ft tall and I have elderly parents and my grandfather).Very expensive, no discounts and a minimum of 2 months waiting.C220d - 68 lakhs (on-road Mumbai)C300 - 72 lakhs (on-road Mumbai)GLCDidn't check the car much, but faced the same issue. Absolute space is lacking, although headroom is definitely better and the car now feels its age with newer Mercs around.330iIt somehow felt better in terms of headroom and knee room compared to the C-Class, but still not up to the mark and the sales executive told me that BMW is now producing the regular 3 Series only when they get bulk bookings and not otherwise (not sure how much truth there is in this or it's probably just a scam to push us upwards to the Gran Limousine).520dThe 5 Series variant that would fit in our budget was the 530i M Sport, thanks to massive discounts available on the car. The available test drive car with Navnit Motors was a 520d Luxury Line, but during the test drive the SA pointed out that the ground clearance is an issue with the car and as it turned out that with just 3 individuals on board, the car scraped a regular speed breaker. We weren't keen on finding out more about the car because of this issue.A6Absolutely beautiful looking car, thanks to the choice of colour by Audi Mumbai South West - Manhattan Grey in Technology trim A6 45 TFSI. Apparently, the car got a mild makeover for 2022 and the changes included more kit and bigger rims, 19-inchers in this case. We were blown away by the car, thanks to the looks and interiors. It was much more loaded than the others we saw - B&O audio and virtual cockpit were some of the highlights of the car. The A6 has a humongous boot with the space saver neatly tucked below the boot floor. It offers almost 530 litres of space (it's the biggest in class). The space was good including headroom and knee room, but not the best that we had seen. The cherry on the cake for this car is the discounts. One can easily get an A6 Premium Plus for under 70 lakhs and the Technology for around 73 lakhs, both of which are staggering prices for the car. The engine is good and performance is also adequate for the size and class (not something that will blow your mind away, but the car is very smooth in terms of gearshift and ride comfort and NVH is also very well contained). We kept this under consideration for a good amount of time.330LiConsBoot space is okay - The boot is long and wide, but lacks height thanks to the raised boot floor to accommodate the space saver.Lack of some essential features - In a car specifically designed for the chauffeur driven, how does BMW feel okay not giving a single rear sun blind (none on the sides, nor at the back)?360 parking camera - almost all cars in this budget offer one. BMW themselves were offering this along with comfort access - keyless entry in BMW speak, wireless charging for the first 8 months after launch, but later removed it sighting chip shortage. SA told me that initially, that was the case, but now that issue is solved. But they would probably re-introduce these features in different trim and at more cost.Keyless entry - Almost all top trims of cars priced between 10-40 lakhs get keyless entry today, but luxury carmakers find it okay to reserve these for the uber luxurious models.Fuel efficiency - It's my fault in the first place to discuss this topic for a 2.0 litre turbo-petrol sedan, but for my initial 900 kms, half of which were done in Sport and the rest in Eco Pro, the car is returning an average of around 5.5 km/l in city usage.ProsExhaust note - How has not a single YouTube review spoken about how amazing the car sounds while revving and even more while idling or reversing?Performance - It has the total kick-in-the-pants feel and you will love how all 3 driving modes give a varied driving feel. In Eco Pro, the car feels almost as silent and smooth as an EV. In Comfort, it is fast, but effortless and smooth. In Sport, please fasten seatbelts and don't consume any food because most of it will spill over at a gentle tap on the throttle.Space - It has the most legroom and knee room in any luxury car on this side of an E-Class. There is no car that simply comes close.Ride comfort - While the regular 3 is stiffly sprung, the GL (Gran limousine) simply glides over most potholes and very sharp bumps make the suspension hud, while still not making it uncomfortable.Ground clearance - Even with 5 people on board, there is simply no need to worry about speed breakers as the car goes over 95% of them with so much ease that you can just drive straight rather than swerving and taking them diagonally.Luxury feel and equipment - For most first-time luxury car buyers, it has enough to keep them very happy - Harmon Kardon 16-speaker 480W audio, Panoramic sunroof, BMW 10-inch touchscreen infotainment with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 11-colour ambient lighting, Electric tailgate, Powered driver and passenger seats with 2 memory settings for the driver seat, Heated and antiglare ORVMs (the left mirror for some reason doesn't get antiglare), 3-zone climate control, 1 USB-A port for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 3 USB-C charging ports, BMW park assistant and reverse assistant (both work flawlessly in most situations), Very well cushioned and supportive seats for 4 passengers (the 5th seat is narrow and very hard), Excellent choice of interior colour by BMW - it ups the luxury feel tremendous, Quality, fit & finish is great with very few hard plastics in some not very easy to touch and see areas, Great build quality.Exhaust note - I am mentioning it again because most people will simply be wowed by how it sounds. BMW should have put more effort into handing out the 330Li M Sport for reviews (but I guess this particular trim isn't the preferred choice of their target audience and hence, they didn't bother).Colour - Anyone choosing the M Sport trim should definitely look at the Portimao Blue Metallic. It is simply awesome.Pricing - One can easily get a 3-4 lakh discount on the overall price of the car through discounts on varied components, which actually make the car fantastic value for money.If there is any car I would recommend to anyone buying a luxury car for around 70 lakhs, it has to be this. You must take a test drive of the same. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Facing issue of delay in gear slotting on my 2020 Tata Tiago petrol MT

BHPian Kanna_8118 recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Hello guys, I drive a BS6 2020 Tiago XZ, I have almost no issues with the car in my 1.5years of ownership except a weird issue with gear change and the infamous petrol choking once in a blue moon. But the main issue is with the gear change. Almost every time I change gear from 1st to 2nd, it takes about 1-1.5 seconds to slot the gear. Quite irritating to drive in traffic and sometimes dangerous too. Done a bit of search on YouTube and ATOM (Facebook group for Tiago Owners). Looks like quite a number of people face similar issue with slotting the gear into 1 or 2 or 3. The culprit in all the cases is found to be a loose gear cable attached to a mount. Please refer to the attached image below taken from a YouTube video: In my case, the left grey colored cable is slightly loose with the green colored mount. I tried what everyone has suggested and pressed it gently to it's place. It worked for like few minutes. In the last service I had taken the issue with the mechanic and he's not sure if the loose cable is the culprit; I had done the pig-tail update for engine-lock issue and I was told there is an update with the gear selector mechanism, they just added a washer to where the grey cable ends and ta-dah the update done, and as I have suspected, the issue still persists. I insisted to the mechanic that the issue is with the loose grey cable and to satisfy me he tightly wounded a metal wire around the cable to keep in its place. I know this mechanic for a while now and his jugaad's always work. Unfortunately not the case this time. It worked okay for 2 days and then back to normal. Every time I open the bonnet and press the grey cable to it's place, gear shifting is smooth for a few minutes and then back to normal. I have taken the issue with a F.N.G who previously worked with TATA and as per his experience, the green colored mount needs to be replaced which cost a whooping 10k. He advised me to wait for parts from a wrecked car. Apparently, the Indica has the same gear box and the issue existed from Indica days. Has anyone in this forum faced a similar issue? I am open to any solutions. Please note that the nearest T.A.S.S is around 40kms, over-crowded, understaffed and takes an whole day to get even an minor oil change. Also, I had a minor accident with the car and missed a service schedule by 3 months due to Covid, so I am pretty sure warranty cannot be claimed. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Tata Tigor iCNG XM variant launched at Rs. 7.40 lakh

Tata Motors now offers the Tigor iCNG in XM trim. It is priced at Rs 7,39,900 (ex-showroom, Delhi). Tata introduced the Tigor with a factory-fitted CNG option in January this year. At launch, the car was offered in XZ and XZ+ trims. The XM variant is the new entry-level trim in the Tigor iCNG lineup. It comes equipped with features such as a Harman infotainment system with 4-speakers, power windows, central locking and rear parking sensors. The Tigor iCNG is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine that produces 72 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 95 Nm @ 3,500 rpm when running on CNG. It is paired with a 5-speed manual transmission. The Tigor iCNG is available in four colour options: Opal White, Daytona Grey, Arizona Blue and Deep Red.

Is this Hyundais version of the Kia Carens MPV?

A test mule of a new Hyundai MPV has been spotted in South Korea. The new model appears to be Hyundai's version of the Kia Carens. The new Hyundai MPV has a large rectangular grille flanked by vertically stacked headlamps, seen on various modern Hyundais. Inside, the new model is likely to feature a 3-row configuration similar to the Carens and a dashboard layout based on Hyundai's latest design philosophy. Under the bonnet, the MPV could use the same engines as the Carens. These include 1.5-litre petrol, 1.5-litre diesel and a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol unit. It's still unclear if Hyundai will introduce this MPV in the Indian market. However, if it does arrive at our shores, it would be a good alternative to the Kia Carens and Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Source: Auto Spy viaRushlane

Mahindra Thar diesel: Vibrations seeping into the cabin

BHPian airguitar recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Here are a couple of observations about my Manual Diesel HT Thar. There is a decent amount of vibration filtering into the cabin, gear lever and dash. If I step out and press the bonnet gently from outside I can see a lot of vibrations passing on to my hand as well as noise getting louder. I figured that the engine cover was not placed properly and putting / rearranging it better reduced the vibrations on the bonnet. However, I still feel that the vibration amount in the cabin is not acceptable, especially after I compared it with a Diesel Automatic convertible Thar that has a more melodious engine hum and absolutely no vibrations passing onto the cabin. What things could I have checked at the ASS? Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:As you live with a body-on-frame Mahindra Jeep, you will realise that vibrations, squeaks & rattles are part of the standard equipment list. And they'll only increase with time. Make your peace with them. That being said, the new Thar is impressively refined for a 4x4 Jeep. You should drive the 1st-gen Thar or the MM550s to truly appreciate what the Thar offers.Here's what BHPian dr_TJ had to say about the matter:I have a Thar Diesel AT Hard Top. I also feel a bit more vibration inside the cabin or around the bonnet or front bumper region. Especially when doing a cold start. Vibrations do smoothen out once the engine reaches operating temperatures though. But sometimes, I do feel a slightly different type of irregular vibration even after driving the car for 30 mins or so. Non-reproducible so don't expect the service center guys to do anything.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

My new VW Virtus 1 month later: No major problems except one

BHPian SR29 recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Hello Bhpians, Congratulations to all the new owners of the Virtus. It's been a month since I took the delivery of my car and I've finished over 3500 km with no major problems except there is some air noise, which is creeping into the cabin over speeds of 120 kmph. Don't know what is causing this, left the car at the service center today. The mech told me that it could be due to irregularities or hardening of the rubber door beading. They told me that they will be inspecting the whole car anyway. Initially, the car used to contain wind and tyre noise really well, it used to be like a vacuum chamber inside the car. If anyone of you ever faced this before and have some suggestions please let me know. I'm delighted to share some pics of my de-chromed Virtus GT in Cherry Red. Hope you like them. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Compact SUV or hatchback: Need a safe, reliable car to replace my Dzire

BHPian sunbaj recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Hello Bhpians. Looking for some recommendations and suggestions on buying a new car. I am sure many are in the same dilemma as I currently am because of the numerous launches in the market along with new technology like mild hybrid, strong hybrid and EVs and God knows what more will follow in the near future. As for my current ride, I own a Swift Dzire ZDi 2012 and will be completing 10 years by December. I am currently based out of Delhi NCR and with the absurd ruling of NGT will have to part ways with my perfectly running and extremely well maintained car. The car was so well maintained that I have till date only used Mobil Delvac 5W40 engine oil, would clean up the intercooler every 20K irrespective of if it was required or not. The car has been driven 85K and I on an average have extracted 23KM/Liter from the car. Overall extremely satisfied with the performance of the car but as fate has it will have to part with the car. To give some personal background about me, I am in my mid 40's and regularly drive between Delhi NCR and Chandigarh which was not the case earlier as things have changed on the personal front. Most likely would be having one to two trips a month between Delhi NCR and Chandigarh which is like 270 Km one way and my daily office run would be approx. 40 Km to & fro. With the above said, I am on the lookout for a new car. Since I would be driving on the highway, would like to opt in for a safe car with at least 4* rating. Also would be preferring a car which should be niggle free and overall give me a good mileage. Would not prefer a big car and most likely be inclined to a sub 4mt SUV and even open to buying a hatchback as status symbol or going in for a upgrade from what I currently drive is of least important to me as I am more of a practical person and take decision not by heart but by practical usability. As a no brainer, I should have gone with a Brezza or a Nexon but what confuses me is with the new innovations and development happening in the car industry I believe that in 5 to 6 years the petrol and diesel guzzlers would be out of market and there would hardly be any takers for the same. So I am double minded as to whether I should invest 9 to 11 lakhs in a sub SUV or buy a hatchback costing around 6 to 8 lakhs and then go for an EV. I believe that in 4 to 5 years the EV market would mature and we would have lot many options than what we currently have. Do let me know of your thoughts and recommendations. PS: I till now have not done any test drive of any vehicle. Even when I bought the Swift Dzire I had not even gone for a test drive. I was hell bent on buying a Maruti as I had owned a Zen and it was a niggle free ownership experience then and so has been the case with Swift Dzire. Here's what BHPian shashi792 had to say on the matter:I would suggest a Hybrid (Strong vs. Mild is based on the usage pattern). With the NGT ban, diesel might not make sense for you. Petrol (petrol price vs. mileage perspective) alone also does not makes sense with the market these days being filled up with lots of options:My pick would be Toyota Hyryder or Vitara.My second option would be Tata Nexon EV Max if the commute is majorly in the city.Both these vehicles have their own advantages. Nexon EV is a tried and tested vehicle. On the other hand, Toyota/Maruti have their reliability and service center access as advantages.Here's what BHPian GreasyCarb55 had to say on the matter:If it wasn't for the bi-monthly 500km+ Delhi->Chandigarh run the Nexon EV or Nexon EV Max would've been the perfect choice but since that's out of the picture let's look at the other options. If you want a smaller car and later upgrade to an EV in 4-5 years I would look at one of these 3 cars:Citroen C3 Turbo - Mechanically it's the best car here, there's no doubt about that, it does lack a few features like a tachometer, climate control, adjustable headrests etc but if you want a fun to drive petrol car before going electric then I'd go for the baby Citroen with the 1.2L 110hp firecracker Inline 3 under the hood. Mileage is about 19-20kmpl, this car is manual only (6 Speed).Tata Punch - The Tata Punch is a proven car in terms of comfort, features and practicality but the bad part is the lethargic 84hp 1.2L NA petrol engine and the equally incompetent AMT gearbox. Mileage is about 16.5kmpl (AMT) and 17kmpl (Manual).Tata Altroz Diesel or Turbo Petrol - As I've said the Tata 1.2L NA Petrol engine is lethargic and if you like driving I'd avoid it but unlike the Punch you have engine options with the Altroz. A 110hp 1.2L Turbo petrol and a 90hp 1.5L Turbo Diesel. Both of them are good engines but the Diesel is a little more fuel efficient. Mileage is about 18kmpl (Turbo Petrol) and 20-21kmpl (Turbo Diesel), both of these engines are manual only (5 Speed). There is a Tata dual clutch automatic available but that is only available with the 1.2L NA Petrol.The on-road Delhi prices for the top models of all cars here are as follows:Tata Punch - 9.5-10.5 Lakh (depending on if you opt for the IRA pack, Kaziranga edition, AMT etc)Citroen C3 Turbo - 9.1 Lakh (C3 Feel 1.2 Turbo Vibe pack)Tata Altroz - 10.4 Lakh (I-Turbo XZ Plus) or 11.3 Lakh (Turbo Diesel XZ Plus) add 30k-40k if you want to go for the Dark edition cars.Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:Diesel has no future in Delhi NCR, especially with the advent of strong hybrids. Your usage pattern makes a very good case for them. Unfortunately, the City hybrid is 20L+, and the upcoming Toyota Hyryder hybrid is also expected to be 20+. Unless you are willing to spend that kind of money, just go for a turbo petrol. Tata Altroz iTurbo is a very good car. The base Honda City is priced only a little more, and is an excellent car for its price. Should be your top choice.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Honda CB300F launched at Rs. 2.26 lakh

Honda has announced the launch of the CB300F in India. The bike is available in two variants - DLX and DLX Pro priced at Rs. 2,25,900 and Rs. 2,28,900 (ex-showroom, Delhi) respectively. It will be sold through Honda's BigWing dealerships. The Honda CB300F is a streetfighter powered by a 293cc, single-cylinder engine that makes 24.1 BHP @ 7,500 rpm and 25.6 Nm @ 5,500 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed transmission. The bike comes with an upside down fork suspension at the front and a 5-step adjustable monoshock at the rear. The brake setup consists of a single 276 mm disc at the front and a 220 mm disc at the rear, assisted by dual-channel ABS. It also comes with Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC). The CB300F gets an LED headlamp, a digital instrument cluster and a USB charger. The bike has a stepped seat with split handlebars, a chin fairing and a single exhaust. The CB300F is available in three colour options: Mat Axis Grey Metallic, Mat Marvel Blue Metallic and Sports Red.

Sold my Hyundai Grand i10 after 8 years, recovered 70% of its new price

BHPian TejasKinger recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Eight uneventful years and 45,238 kilometers with my Hyundai Grand i10 have finally ended. Key highlights:Make: HyundaiModel: Grand i10Spec: 1.2 P MTTrim: SportzYear of manufacture: 2014Purchase: February 2014Sale: August 2022Kilometers at time of sale: 45,238Reason for sale: Upgrading to an automatic with essential safety featuresNow the story (not a long one). Let's rewind to 2014. Our 2004 Ford Ikon was just shy of 100,000 kilometers and was showing electrical gremlins by the day. We had a 2008 Mahindra Scorpio as our primary car and needed something a little smaller and more manageable as a second car in the city. Cars test driven: Toyota Etios Liva, Ford Figo, Maruti Ritz, Maruti Swift, and Hyundai Grand i10 The winner was clear. The Grand i10 was head and shoulders above the competition. The refinement, features, and perceived quality of interiors and exteriors, the dealership experience were way above everything else at the price point (and, to be fair, are still pretty good even by 2022 standards). The Grand i10 served us exceptionally well for eight years, taking us across South India on road trips comfortably, aside from braving the outrageous Bangalore traffic 95% of the time. It was perfect in terms of dimensions for tight parking spots and narrow lanes and extremely well-suited for newbie drivers to cut their teeth. The only negatives were the battle scars (and thankfully nothing more) that it accumulated from Bangalore traffic over the years. It has been utterly reliable. Regular servicing aside, the only significant costs were:Batteries once every four yearsA new set of tyres in early 2020 at 38,000 kilometersA new clutch in March 2022 at 42,000 kilometersAn AC condenser replacement in June 2022 at 44,000 kilometersIt returned an average mileage of 12kmpl throughout the eight years. It was always serviced and repaired at Advaith Hyundai, Outer Ring Road, Bangalore. The car was sold to Spinny at 70% of its 2014 on-road price (not sure how many cars other than Toyotas hold their value in this way). In all, of course, I'm extremely sentimental about letting her go - first car (for me) and all that. But I'm also looking forward to the upgrade (the waiting period has had me itching). Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Maruti plans to boost production amid improving availability of semiconductor

On electric vehicles (EVs), he said the Gujarat plant of Suzuki Motor Corporation will start production from 2024-25 and will be sold by MSIL.

New car for my 70-year-old father: Replacing his VW Vento under Rs 15L

BHPian KL01toKA03 recently shared this with other enthusiasts. My dad (70-year-old) is selling his Vento Diesel and is looking for a car to replace it. The Vento is getting replaced due to the high cost of maintaining the car. He was quoted a 1.5 lakh+ amount for ECU replacement, and although he managed to get it repaired outside the Volkswagen service centre, he is scared of future troubles. His requirements are the following:Budget 15 lakhs OTR in Kerala which can be stretched by a maximum of 1 lakh.Should not be sluggish, and should have adequate power for quick overtakes.5-seater, preferably diesel (his running just does not justify a diesel, but he likes diesel cars)No Volkswagen/Skoda carsUnfortunately, he will not buy an electric car I am trying to convince him to buy a petrol car and he seems to like the Hyryder/Vitara. Please recommend any other cars that can be considered. Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:Most definitely worth waiting for the Maruti Grand Vitara & Toyota Hyryder. They are going to enter the segment with a bang and are the talk of the town right now. For your dad, a crossover is a must (easy ingress/egress & taller driving position) and I would strongly recommend an AT too. 90% of MT-for-life people I've met are now happy AT lovers after they experienced good automatics. That includes yours truly. Other cars I'd recommend are the Creta, Seltos, Sonet, Hector, Astor & Carens. Show him our reviews, bring it down to 3 - 4 cars and go test-drive them all. Bring home the one that makes him smile the widest. Keeping his troubles with the Vento in mind, be sure to get the maximum possible extended warranty.Here's what BHPian itsmeparvathy9 had to say on the matter:Considering your father's age, it would be better to go for an Automatic transmission car preferably SUV for the ease of ingress and egress and driving position and since he used to drive a Vento sedan, anything below it wouldn't be much of an upgrade. If he is stubborn about getting a diesel, the best diesel automatic car under this budget would be the Kia Sonet HTX Diesel AT, other automatic cars in this range are mostly AMT and I wouldn't recommend that when you are spending 15 lakhs. If we want a bigger car, I'd recommend the Hyundai Creta/ Kia Seltos Diesel Manual or Petrol IMT (clutch-less manual) If a bigger car with an automatic is what you need the MG Astor CVT could do too but mileage would be on the lower side, the engine isn't the peppiest either.Here's what BHPian RijuC had to say on the matter:Buy the Toyota Urban Cruiser K15B + 4-speed Torque Converter AT, if the rear passenger seat space is not a problem. Advantages are:Ingress-egress are good.This engine+AT combination seems to be better than the new K15C+6 S AT.The Engine+AT combo is good for city drives in Bangalore traffic.UC AT costs within 12 Lakhs OTR in Gurgaon, whereas the new Brezza ZXI AT is almost 16 lakhs OTR here.A tension-free sasta-sundar-tikav compact SUV with better ground clearance and almost bulletproof reliability.Toyota HR/ Maruti Suzuki GV have advantages of relatively better leg space and well-managed interior width for the rear passenger seat, bigger boot space, a little more premium dashboard and better ICE, and panoramic sunroof in the topmost variant and paddle shifters for AT. For this duo:Ex-showroom price - unknownTest drive - unavailableYouTube expert test drive videos - unavailableIn showroom display car - unavailable (200 people jumping into a single car when it was brought in GGN for 1-2 days, the boot was purposefully locked).Pre-booking - Must, INR 11,000/- to secure a lucky spot to get it delivered within the next 15 months (the new Brezza AT waiting period is 15 months in GGN).If the primary user's height is within 5'8, Honda City's ingress-egress may not be a big problem. However, low GC will always remain a challenge.Here's what BHPian ashivas89 had to say on the matter:I see many suggestions pointing towards the Hyryder/Grand Vitara duo. They will be a great choice for:Someone who is not used to the punch of the VAG 1.5 dieselSomeone who is okay to go beyond 20 big ones for the strong hybrid because the mild hybrid will likely feel very underpoweredKnowing Kerala roads, I understand why your father prefers a punchy engine (punchy engines give that extra sense of security for executing swift, clean overtakes on narrow roads).Manual? --> City Diesel/ Kia Sonet or Hyundai VenueAuto?--> Kia Sonet diesel AT hands downOutside contenders --> Xuv 300 Diesel Manual (on the merits of the engine alone, the others mentioned above are superior in terms of what they offer as an overall package) or Nexon EV (if daily drives are well within 50% of quoted range) ask him to try one, I'm sure he will fall for the refinement and punch. All other potential options will go beyond your budget.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Honda CB300F Launched At Rs 2,25,900 - Here For A Fight

Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Honda has launched the all-new CB300F in India. Prices for the Honda CB300F start at Rs 2,25,900 (ex-showroom).

Visiting a Railway Reservation Centre after 18 years: Full experience

BHPian vigsom recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Introduction Brick and mortar setups rarely need to be visited these days, what with everything going online. I've also fallen in line, but sometimes circumstances make one follow the path less travelled. This is an account of my surprise visit and experience at an unfrequented place today - an Indian Railways Reservation Center, after close to eighteen years. I am sure folks reading this will be able to revel in this experience and relive the good old times! Planning a trip to Gadag 02-Aug-2022 I am scheduled to make a trip to Gadag in Karnataka sometime this month and was looking for a suitable mode of transport from Bengaluru to Gadag. My preference was a train, and sure enough, I found a few of them. Shortlisted 16592 Hampi Express from Bengaluru to Gadag since it was a convenient evening departure with a morning arrival; found that the waitlist from KSR Bengaluru was RLWL which meant a remote location and thus a low chance of the ticket getting confirmed. Tracked the train back, and it was showing accommodation available in AC 2 Tier from Kengeri, just one station ahead. I went ahead, casually logged in to IRCTC, keyed in all details, paid the money, and this is what I encountered. This was at approx. 2250hrs on August 2nd. Error Code I said, Okay, this must be one of those instances when the payment gateway - IRCTC link decided to take a break! Went ahead and tried again - same result. I decided to stop and try again the next day. 03-Aug-2022Tried the same route, with the same card, but the end result was the same.Thinking that this might have been an issue with my bank's card, I tried using another ID and another card - the same result.Another gateway - another card - same result.Tried again after three hours with my ID and my card - same result.Error Again Meanwhile, I booked another ticket on another train and it went through without fuss. By now, after a total of six tries, almost INR6600 had been debited with no ticket in hand. Escalated the issue to IRCTC with specific information, including the error code, and got an expected vague reply that the tickets were not booked due to a delay in remittance of the money by the payment gateway. The vague or rather standard reply Planning a trip to Gadag (Contd.) 04-Aug-2022 Since I had never faced an issue of so many false starts, I had started imagining a whole lot of things and had actually even gotten scared to login to IRCTC :Is there an issue with my account?Is there an issue with my card?Has my IRCTC account gotten into some roadblock?I decided to let the debited money first come back, but meanwhile, had to do something to get myself a ticket via the least risk route, else available berths would all be gone on other trains. How did I decide on the Reservation Center option? While returning from work, I thought that the best way to eliminate my thoughts shared above was to get to a Railway Reservation Center and then see what was going on. Checked that I had enough moolah in my purse, and after getting off the car, made a dash to the Reservation Center. Entering the Reservation Lounge after eighteen years What a feeling it was - I have spent up to three and a half hours in every single visit to reservation centres in the 80s, 90s and even early 2000s until I registered on IRCTC. The scene used to be particularly bad in Western and Northern India. Those days, we'd find touts getting into the queues out of turn, reservation clerks booking via forms handed to them in advance, and with advance, fights among people in the queue, systems hanging, and so on. It used to be like a mela those days. Getting a confirmed ticket in hand and exiting the Center was equivalent to winning an Olympic Gold! My experience at the Reservation Center this evening There was no crowd - as we can see in the pic below, no more than two people at any counter. I went in, asked for a form, and found that it had barely changed. Filled it out like a memory recall from the 2000s, handed it in at one of the counters, told the Reservation Officer there that I was coming to a Center after 18 years, and he was all smiling. He keyed in all details into the system at lightning speed, with pain in his mouth, and I was waiting with bated breath, hoping that the reservation wouldn't go through -and Lo and Behold, it didn't go through! He tried again, but the end result was the same. He then called out to the Chief Reservation Supervisor apprising him of this issue, by when I had also told him that I'd come visiting because of those six failed attempts. Realising that this was some issue with the particular train/ station, I decided to try another train which I had already kept on the shortlist, and I managed the last confirmed berth on that option. Ticket in hand, no service charges, I left the place relieved. The surprise here was that I got a text message like how one would get on booking via IRCTC. This wasn't there in the 2000s. The Air-conditioned Reservation Lounge - saw folks seated there only to cool off. Reservation Form - just a few changes Ticket in hand Couldn't I have gone back home and booked via IRCTC on another train? Absolutely yes, but a bird in hand is worth two in the bush. Having seen a string of failures in two days, I decided to end the saga here. Who knows - maybe IRCTC would throw up some new issue after I returned. When luck isn't on one's side, it is better to try the least risky option. Summing it up Although I was kind of upset with the turn of events the day before yesterday and yesterday, I'm thankful to IRCTC for letting me get back to doing a reservation the old way and reliving the good ol' times. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Hero XPulse 300 & Xtreme 300S caught testing in Ladakh

Hero MotoCorp is putting two of its new bikes through their paces in the high-altitude region of Ladakh. The bikes seen in this video are believed to be the XPulse 300 and Xtreme 300S. Although the bikes are wrapped in camouflage, there are a couple of components that give away their identity. The ADV bike clearly has a red trellis frame underneath, which was first seen on the XPulse 300 Concept. The shape of the clutch cover is also familiar. The XPulse 300 test bike is equipped with a petal-type disc brake and wire spoke wheels. The bike also has a chrome side stand and a rear swingarm that looks similar to that of the concept. While the XPulse 300 is expected to rival the likes of Royal Enfield Himalayan, KTM 390 Adventure and BMW G 310 GS, the Xtreme 300S might compete with the KTM RC 390, Apache RR 310 and the BMW G 310 RR. The full-faired Xtreme 300S features multi-spoke alloy wheels and clip-on handlebars. Both bikes are likely to share the same engine with a displacement of around 300cc. Source:Gowtham Naidu

Why I switched from a Toyota Innova to the 2022 Maruti XL6

BHPian drsarao recently shared this with other enthusiasts. I bought XL6 AT Alpha+ Grandeur Gray on 14 Jul 2022 (please note the date! Also billed on 13 Jul). Done mostly city driving till now. My previous vehicle was Innova (manual) which I owned for 15 years and sold recently because of the ban on petrol vehicles older than 15 years in Delhi. Since I have now become a senior citizen, I do not feel the lack of 'punch' in XL6 acceleration visa vis Innova/other 'turbos'. It is the perfect vehicle for a sedate careful driver - which now I have become! I plan to go for a road trip in this month and will update the highway experience. This forum had been immensely helpful to me in deciding on an AT MPV. I switched from Innova to this for 2 main reasons - cost and FE. The following points decided it for me:Reasonably priced MPV with all the safety features and good fuel consumption. I was not really impressed with the Smart Hybrid feature but Auto Engine off at signals is very good.Good height and space for a driver with 6-axis seat adjustments, steering tilt and telescoping. My height is 6 ft 2 inches with long legs.Vehicle height and stance are pretty good due to 16 wheels making ingress/egress easier.The door edge height is quite low (absent in Innova) compared to say Carens/Creta - this again makes it comfortable for older people to get in and out. The same goes for the Captain seats in the 2nd row and the really huge 2nd-row doors.Ventilated seats are heaven-sent for Delhi summers.All the control sticks, buttons, and cabin designs are almost a replica of Innova. No learning curve for me except graduating to AT from the manual which is a no-brainer after 5 minutes.Cruise control was something new for me. I used it once only in the city on a really long flyover to keep my speed constant at 60 km/h. There are multiple speed cameras and I had been challenged previously for over-speeding (63 KMPH!). I think this is a good use of cruise control.Some observations:I am still getting used to the music system. I am no audiophile and I find the system quality serves my purpose.Suzuki Connect is a creepy feature. It logs all your trips!As per the manual, I should be able to get to Android auto using ONLY Bluetooth from an android phone. However, I need to connect thru a USB cable for this feature to work.Manual mentions the Smartplay Pro Sync app for updating the firmware. But I could not find it in Play Store.I will raise these issues when I meet some 'engineers' in the workshop during the 1st service. The showroom staff is mostly clueless.This is my first post and I hope to be a reader and sometimes contributor to this vibrant ecosystem. In my internet search, I in fact stumbled on an undocumented way to switch off the DRLs! Though it is STRICTLY NOT RECOMMENDED due to safety reasons. But if you want to go in stealth mode for some reason then this might help. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Seeing Grand Vitara in person: Views of an ex-owner of Swift & Duster

BHPian Evyas recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Finally got to see the Grand Vitara in person, since I kept missing the right Nexa showroom by a day. It was a 'for one night only' type of scenario as it was the car's last night for viewing in Mumbai. As someone whose first car was a Maruti (Swift, Petrol) more than a decade ago, and as someone who thought he would never go back to a Maruti, I must say I was mighty impressed. The look was so premium, so European and 'posh' as a friend of mine said, I was taken aback. This didn't look like a typical Maruti at all. (My apologies to all Maruti owners, but even the S-Cross and XL6 didn't appeal to me much though on paper both seemed ideal for my requirements at one point). But with the GV - the build quality seemed much much better, the doors heavier, and the fit and finish also miles ahead of what I had seen in the past. Of course, it was no VW/Skoda (which I had recently done a TD of) but still, it actually made me think about the GV as an option too. The front seat has manual adjustment (much like the VW Taigun and Skoda Kushaq) but I could manage to find a good driving position - something that is hard for me since I'm 6.2. The seats were good and comfortable, but my head was almost an inch from grazing the roof - a problem I had in my Duster as well - and that had no height adjustment option! Being able to sit a little lower might help but only time will tell as this is the first time I've had this option in my car. But even without it, being this tall, I am quite well-versed with how to drive knowing the limitations of roof height in almost all cars - especially in hills where I need to bend forward a little to check on the oncoming bends and traffic (literally) up ahead! Only issue is that the back seat, while decent, had lesser under-thigh support for me, and my head was touching the roof. My father is an inch shorter than me so I am a good stand-in for him for back-seat testing. My worry was on bad roads his head will hit the roof unless I'm very careful. The sales crew were very enthusiastic and thorough, giving everyone a good chance to get a 'sit and feel' once. The interior 'fit and finish' is something I have not paid too much attention to in the past, since the early Swift and first gen Renault I owned were also very basic and rudimentary but blew me away in terms of ride quality (Duster) and low maintenance (Swift). But I do want to upgrade to a fully-loaded type of car, with all bells and whistles for once in my life! The GV impressed me enough to make it a contender. A slightly shoddy feel in the driver's seat is not a deal-breaker for me as long as the drive quality is good. I am also a huge fan of EVs but the lack of infrastructure at present makes me pause since a lot of our long journeys are in areas without many charging options as of today. So as a lot of people on this forum have rightly said, this will probably be our last ICE car. A hybrid appeals to that part of my brain too - best of both worlds, so to speak. And surely would be easier to maintain than a VGA car I feel. Of course, a LOT depends on the TD, when it is done, and on the price. If it stays within the 15-20 OTR zone in pricing, it can be one of the dark horses in the race. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Maserati announces 10-year warranty on engine & transmission

Maserati has announced a 10-year warranty program for all its models. The Italian luxury brand is offering a 10-year / unlimited km warranty on its engines and transmissions. Maserati cars that are under 9 years and 6 months old from the date of registration are eligible for the warranty. However, those that are involved in racing competitions will not be covered. The warranty is transferable in case the car is sold. It also includes roadside assistance, pick-up and drop service and a courtesy car. Customers can check if their cars are included in the 10-year warranty program by visiting a Maserati dealer. Maserati Extra10 Warranty will be available for all new cars sold in the US, Canada and Latin America starting from October 1, 2022. The carmaker also plans to introduce it in India soon.

Living with a Skoda Karoq: 2 years & 21,000 km update

BHPian Mr.Perera recently shared this with other enthusiasts. With covid restrictions mostly out of the way, the Karoq had spent a good amount of time on the road last year. The car still outshines its quality, fit and finish. No creaking noise, no loose panels, this thing is built like a Tank! There were no major problems or issues during last year. The only 'problem' we faced was the availability of the stock Hankook tyres. The tyre availability issue The Karoq's front tyre had encountered a sidewall burst while I was driving on the infamous Trivandrum-Kochi Highway. The front left tyre fell in a pothole, I was doing around 70kmph and I squeezed all the muscles in my body and heard a loud thud from the front left wheel. Luckily I was able to stop safely. When I got out and checked the wheel I saw the tyre had torn pretty badly. I was unsure if the impact had caused more damage to any other components, so I decided to call the RSA and got the car towed to my service centre. The Art The Artist The car had reached the Skoda service in Trivandrum and they inspected it thoroughly and found out there is no other issue other than the damaged tyre. They told me they will try getting a new tyre and will fit it and give the car. But the next day they informed me that they checked at almost all dealerships in India and this specific Hankook tyre that come in the Karoq is not available anywhere. I too tried searching for this tyre with all major tyre stockists in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata but no one had it. The only option I had was to get a different tyre and put it. But I didn't want to do that since 3 will be Hankooks and one will be some other make. So the frustrated me wrote a mail to Skoda, cc'ing Zac Hollis. Within a day I get a call from my dealer saying that Skoda India has agreed to change all my 4 tyres to a new one and as goodwill, I would need to pay only 30% of the entire price. The total estimate they gave was Rs 48,000 for 4 tyres and I had to pay only Rs 16,000 for 4 new tyres. Kudos to Skoda for their good customer service. They had given 4 new Continental Ultra Contact UC6 tyres. The Conti UC6 seems to be a much more comfort-oriented tyre. The comfort and noise levels seem to be better than the Hankooks. But it doesn't grip as well as the Hankooks. I can hear the tyres screeching and begging for grip on those long winding corners. Low Oil Warning At around 17,000 km the car showed a 'Check oil level warning'. I checked the dipstick and found the oil level was slightly below the lower limit. Took the car to the service and topped up around 300 ml of oil. I realised these engines consume quite a bit of oil, tried getting a 1L bottle of oil from the service but sadly they didn't have the small bottles in stock. Once it comes back in stock I plan to keep one bottle in the car all the time. Second service The second service was done at 18,300 km. Since we had taken the 4-year service plan from Skoda all works were included in that. All normal things like oil, oil filter, air filter and cabin filter were changed this time. When I went to pick up the car they had given me a bill of Rs 635 saying it is the charge for cleaning and lubricating the sunroof mechanism.Other observations:From the beginning, I was not happy with the front wipers as they occasionally made a very disturbing screeching sound. I showed this at the showroom and even after they cleaned the windshield and wiper, still the noise was there. They said there is no warranty on the wiper and I had to change them. The stock wipers cost a whooping 3500 bucks as per my Service Advisor. I later got a set of Blaupunkt wipers for Rs 1100 and boy I am impressed. For one-third, the price the Blaupunkt wipers are super value for money and do a good job during the rains. The multimedia system has some bugs when I connect my phone via Apple Carplay. Sometimes the connection gets lost and then it takes a lot of time to detect my phone again. I have never had this issue in my Octavia when I use the same phone and the same cable. Hope a software update might fix this.The Still So Good thingsThe Interiors - I can still write a long essay about the interior of the car! It is so good that still every time I get in the car it makes me go Wow. Everything is so well put together and looks and feels so fantastic. It is a bit difficult to keep the light-coloured leathers clean, but I always ensure to clean them after every long drive or once every 6 months.Driving feedback - The chassis + suspension is just magic! The car is so well planted at triple-digit speeds and gives immense confidence while driving on the highway. The engine isn't the power unit and I wish it had a bit more power, but once this thing gains speed it just flies!Headlights - The stock headlights are really good and are the best I have ever experienced in any car. Night-time driving is so stress-free and safe. To put things in perspective my Octavia also has full LED headlights like the Karoq. But those are not even half as bright as the ones in the Karoq! In Octavia during a rainy night, driving with the headlights is like driving with no headlights at all!Paint quality - Every car detailer who sees the car has so much to praise about the paint quality. They say the paint quality in Skoda and VW cars is one of the best but the paint quality in the Karoq seems to be so good that it is a detailer's dream.The not so Good thingsThe fear of having a DQ200 gearbox - No matter however good the car is, the fact that the gearbox isn't the reliable one out there still is there behind my head. Haven't heard any Karoq owner getting a gearbox issue till now, but we all have seen the multiple threads here and frustrated owners who have had a tough time due to the dry clutch DQ200 unit. Just praying that nothing such creeps up in the Karoq.The almost white coloured seats - For someone (like me) who loves cleaning their car, having these seats is a good thing. You regularly have a place to spend time cleaning the car. They get dirty very fast. But for the rest big bunch of people it is a pain to keep them clean.Getting basic accessories - The problem of owning a limited run car is the fact that getting basic accessories like car cover, window blinds etc is difficult. I have searched multiple shops and all over Amazon and have never found them. Luckily Creta's car cover was a perfect fit for the Karoq. But I'm still looking for sunblinds.Fuel efficiency - The fuel efficiency from the 1.5L engine isn't the best in my opinion. There are owners here who have got even 19 km/l on highways. But the best I have got on a highway drive is 15 km/l. That too being very easy on the throttle. Its worst during stop-go traffic, I have seen figures like 6 km/l on drives within the city.The best FE I have got to date Also noticed that the car runs much better and smoother on 95 octane petrol. The recommended fuel rating in the Karoq is 95 octane fuel. In the last year, IOC has been aggressively rolling out the XP95. And it's come to a point that it's available in almost all IOC bunks. Initially, I used to fill only normal petrol, but once XP95 came, I stuck to filling XP95 all the time. The change in refinement especially during cold starts is very obvious after that.Overall Impressions after 2 yearsThe Karoq still proves to be a brilliant car. Even after 2 years, it still looks and feels like new. A perfect do-it car with great build quality and interiors. The other day I happened to check out the top-end Kushaq Monte Carlo model which is around 24 lakhs on road. Sadly for that money, the Kushaq lacks the finesse that Skodas are known for. No offence to Kushaq owners, but Skoda should seriously consider bringing back the Karoq in India, at least as a CKD. We really deserve such well-built cars. Some photos of the Czech beauty The Karoq with its younger brother Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Why I replaced my 2 year old Renault Triber with a used Tata Aria

BHPian AdityaDeane recently shared this with other enthusiasts. As a replacement for my Triber I was looking for a Tata Aria 4x4, but I was running out of time and could not find a worthy example within my limited budget and leave constraints. So, on 23rd of June I bought a Blue 2009 Maruti Suzuki A-Star ZXi MT from Maruti Suzuki True Value with roughly 64K on the odo. A Navy person driven car with all Service Records etc. Finally, after a lot of search and bargaining, was able to find a decent 2011 Tata Aria Prestige 4x4 in Sardinia Red from Chandigarh Tricity region, and purchased it at a good price, with a shade over 1.14K kilometres on the odometer. Will start an ownership thread after spending some time with the car. Initial observations from my drive between Tricity to Manali:-The interior is quite similar to the Triber, and it feels like sitting in a bigger and more capable Triber!Interior leg room is good for all rows!The ride quality is exceptional, especially on the broken roads and over highway undulations.The AC is very good, the front AC was more than enough to keep us comfortable in the cabin for most times. Having Auto AC is an added bonus!The primary reason for choosing an Aria was the flat folding seats for using the vehicle as a Campervan for nearby weekend trips, this was missing in the 60% seat of the Triber. The roof box storages are added bonus for keeping small items. Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Next-gen Audi Q3 teased ahead of India launch

Audi has released teaser images of the upcoming Audi Q3. The SUV is expected to be launched in India around September, this year. The teaser image shows a small section of the exterior. The SUV has carbon fibre ORVM housing and gloss black window trim, B-pillar and roof rails. The new Q3 is based on the VW Group's MQB platform. At the front, the SUV gets a large hexagonal grille and redesigned LED headlamps, while the rear features wraparound LED tail lamps and redesigned front and rear bumpers. The Q3 gets a refreshed interior with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system. In India, the new Q3 is expected to be offered with a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine producing 187 BHP. The engine will be paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive system.

1998 Hindustan Ambassador: A complete restoration back to original spec

BHPian Faith Aby recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Hi petrol heads, So this is my very first forum thread or post. I was wondering what to start with, so I chose to make a project related post as I've seen many forums related to it and many users like it too. Here's my first post on the restoration project of a new toy which was brought by one of our customers. The toy is a 1998 model Ambassador swapped with an original carburetted Nova 1500cc 4cyl diesel engine. The customer basically had it parked at a workshop at Kottayam, Kerala. Sadly, it stood there for almost 3-4 years (no pics of before restoration). The climatic conditions and the age has hit it so hard. It had lots of work to be done and lots to be spent. The customer had enough funds and interest in bringing back this beauty to life. He approached us two months back saying that somebody has to drive it from KL to BLR as he planned to give it to us for the restoration. My dad found it the right opportunity to go to KL as he needed parts and spares for his Landmaster, sierra and also various other reasons. The time was convenient. My dad and his friend left for Kerala. The story of the car over there was dreaded and pretty painful. It was rusted and jammed. But the mechanic somehow managed to make it run, as it was in a shelter and luckily the garage owner used to start it once in a month. But unfortunately the car only did 40kmph max and the brake cylinders were faulty and the car had to be cranked directly from the battery to starter. But somehow with God's grace and the heart of that machine to come back to life didn't make it stop anywhere and create issues, except for fuel and cooling. They brought that beauty back to BLR in running condition.They took turns while the other one was tired. By the time she was here, she was hot and thirsty and ready to get restored and we couldn't wait to lay our hands on it. The project had already started while I was out for educational reasons. So all the pictures are the ones which I've taken after the project started. When I came back, the car's engine work had started. The engine was detached from the car and was ready to get rebuilt. The customer wanted us not to hurry it up as it may end up in faults. We did each work patiently and without stress. Here is the picture of its bypass surgery: It had a 1996 Ambassador Nova diesel engine with a 5-speed Isuzu transmission. The engine and transmission didn't match well. It didn't run properly, and moreover it grinded the clutch a lot. The desired performance wasn't received. But now the customer regrets and has somehow managed to get an original ISZ1800 engine which is in the OEM spec and can cope up with the gearbox. He has brought a 1998 Isuzu Peugeot engine which needed new pistons, rings, oil seals, bearings, valves, re-boring and cylinder alignment. Here's the pic of the old engine. That's the gearbox next to it. The old engine was not strong enough for a rebuild. The customer didn't experience much refinement and it also gave him approx. 5-6 kmpl. So he decided to change the whole setup and make it original, refined, silent with no extra mods. He has planned greater restoration plans for this car and is taking opinions and concerns from my dad and a fellow technician who who used to work at the HM manufacturing plant in his good old days. We have planned to restore it back to mint condition and back to the old showroom look which he had in 1998. But a bit different in appearance. Main focus is on making it run like a daily drive and having it not too fancy. For now, the engine work is taking place. We are planning to start the under body and running board works as the body is free. The engine work is being done neatly and precisely by our mechanic who is an expert in engine rebuilding. He has 25 years experience in laying hands on various beauties and machines. He has rebuilt Gallardo engines and various other vintage toys. I'm not disclosing all the facts in one single post. Lots more to come. But it will take time. But I'm damn sure its worth the wait. Will be the posting next update of project very soon. Stay tuned. Here's what BHPian anjan_c2007 had to say on the matter:Very proud to read of a comparatively newer Ambassador getting restored. The earlier engine swap of the HM Stride/BMC 1489 cc/ 37 bhp diesel by the owner it is apparent was purely for fuel economy reasons and the five speed gearbox mating with the archaic diesel is a bit indigestible. The ISZ 1800 (1817cc/ OHC/75 PS @ 5000 rpm/ 130 Nm @ 3000 rpm) petrol engine will go ideally with the 5-speed gearbox. I remember a road test of this car in Auto India magazine from 1992, where it said that then new petrol Isuzu engine gives the car a wolf in sheep's clothing like appearance. It gave a new lease of life to this ageing design during those years. The ISZ 1800 engine was sourced by HM since around 1985-86 but only restricted for VVIP cars after Mrs Indira Gandhi, our PM was assassinated in 1984. The new security blue book required armour plated cars with bullet proof glasses for the VVIP's. The extra mass added required a newer power plant as the older 1489 cc/ 55 bhp/ BMC B-Series engine with its ancient design could not comply and did not fit into the scenario. It was only in 1992 that this new engine was offered for sale to the general public. Fullbore Motors, UK had imported quite many examples into the U.K. sprucing these up for their local market purely for nostalgic reasons. Fortunately, many of these still survive in the U.K. and are chiefly used as wedding cars that are available on hire. But despite the upgraded engine and gearbox in 1992, HM's workmanship continued to remain poor to pathetic and the body panels coming loose or rattling, metal rusting, poor quality of plastics and poor fit and finish marred the overall outlook for the buyers of this car, when newer technology was being introduced by peers into our market. The car in question is just 24 years old, but was subjected to apathy lately and was located somewhere nearer to the sea coast where the climatic factors and neglect could have taken their toll on it. The car is iconic for India and examples are permanently disappearing from all over. The recent West Bengal NGT order to scrap all private and commercial 15 year or older cars, trucks and buses etc, will take a very, very heavy toll on the Ambassador population in its heartland, that was once the Ambassador capital of India. So much so, that the last Ambassador taxi in Kolkata may get scrapped by 2029 ! My best wishes for the restoration project.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Porsche claims EVs could become more profitable than ICEs

Porsche claims that its EVs could become more profitable than its IC-engine-powered offerings very soon. According to the company's Chief Financial Officer, Lutz Meschke, Porsche expected its EV profits to reach parity with its ICE vehicles in about 2-years' time. Post reaching parity, the profits from EVs are expected to further expand as the number of customers willing to pay for more technologies also increases. Porsche CEO Oliver Blume also stated that the company's target is to selectively expand higher-margin segments and leverage the pricing opportunities of its electric vehicles. In the long run, Porsche aims to grow its return on sale to more than 20 per cent, up from 16% last year. The German sports car maker also expects 8 in 10 Porsches sold by the end of the decade to be electric. It also claims that EVs will account for half of the luxury automotive market by 2031. Porsche currently sells the Taycan EV in the global market. The company is also working on a number of new EV offerings for the near future, including the Macan EV scheduled to go on sale in 2024. The carmaker also recently announced that they are working on an all-electric flagship EV positioned above the Cayenne. Source: Automotive News

De-chromed my Skoda Kushaq for an all-black look

BHPian DragonHawk recently shared this with other enthusiasts. I wasn't really a great fan of chrome in the car and especially with Kushaq, those thick chrome inserts in the grill were too ugly for my liking. I was in a dilemma on whether to go with wrapping it or get it painted to black. My main concern was the chipping of paint/wrap over a period of time. Finally, based on the discussion with a couple of my friends who are in the detailing business, I decided to de-chrome the chrome bits including the Skoda decals and rear chrome panels via painting. Surprisingly it came out really well, sharing a couple of pics and I will post a few more pics in my ownership thread in the coming days. Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Tata Motors To Buy Fords Manufacturing Facility In Sanand For Rs 725 Crores

Tata Motors dropped a bombshell of a news on Sunday by announcing its intention to buy Ford India's manufacturing facility in Sanand, Gujarat. In fact, Tata Motors has said that it has already signed a pact to acquire Ford's Sanand manufacturing facility.

Upgraded from i20 diesel to Nexon EV Max: 1-month ownership experience

BHPian pradheepsr recently shared this with other enthusiasts. My Tata Nexon EV Max is almost a month old now and has done 900 kms approx. The first few days after the delivery, I didn't try to get the Max out of the battery and hence drove like a normal ICE car within city limits. I used Eco and City drive modes (40:60) with seldom use of the Sports mode. Amazed at the ease and refinement it offers for the price especially after upgrading from a diesel i20 manual. I got only 180-200 kms max on a full charge initially, however, it kept improving after keeping regen braking levels between 1-2 and liberal use of Eco mode. Mostly, the AC was on with temp set at 20 since our city was hot (35-36 degrees). However, since the vehicle is also used by my drivers for ferrying kids to school and local market trips for my missus, hence, there would be a change in driving styles since these guys sometimes floor the pedal to overtake. I'm getting an average of 195 Kwh/km which I felt was way too high according to the app. The vehicle gives me a realistic range of 200-220 km with a full charge to 10 percent. I went to Detailing Mafia for a combo of ceramic coat and PPF. PPF was applied in the front bumper, front and rear piano black panels and the piano black panel around the gear selector. Any tips on how to improve the range efficiency? I have gone with the 3.3 kW charger at home since I was skeptical about the 7 kW one. Any tips or advice in this regard will be appreciated. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Upgraded the headlight bulbs on my preowned Maruti Swift VXi

BHPian Ashtoncastelino recently shared this with other enthusiasts. February 2021Headlight bulb upgrade to 90W/100WHad to drive to Kannur Airport to pick up my dad and this was the first long drive with the Swift, I had taken my dear friend too along with me for company as parents were not comfortable with me driving alone. We left around 2 PM and reached Kannur Airport around 8 PM. It was was a great drive which I thoroughly enjoyed. On the way back we stopped for dinner and I let my friend drive the way back to Manipal. He immediately found it difficult with the 55/60w bulbs and said I need to upgrade them ASAP as night drives were very difficult. The windshield moreover had hard water stains/residue which made night driving very difficult with oncoming cars on high beam. The very next day when we reached back to Manipal, I did a thorough research if it is safe to upgrade to 90/100W bulbs on the Swift. Having read few threads were the reflectors got burnt after upgrading the bulbs scared me a bit, But my uncle's 2011 Swift was running on 90/100W with no issues at all since years. My uncle's WagonR was running 90/100W setup with Philips bulbs and Philips headlight relay, but one day when I was driving, the relay just gave up and the fuses melted. I really don't know what happened or what caused it but I expected better life from Philips headlight relay but I was let down. Browsed Amazon and other websites for a day and finally decided to get the headlight relay which was of made by Vaishnu Auto Lighting Solutions. It had great feedback and customer support. IIRC I paid about 944 and ordered Osram Rallye 62204 90/100W bulbs for 300. After placing the order on Amazon, I was contacted by Vaishnu customer care, to notify them if I face any issues during installation or needed help. The headlight relay kit was made with great material, Ceramic H4 Connectors and all the wires were of Finolex make. Dad and me installed it ourselves and did a test at night to see its output . We compared it with my uncle's WagonR which was running 55/60W lights and the light output was an improvement over the previous setup. Anyways I am keeping a close watch on the reflectors to see if any issue crops, so far all good. We noticed an immediate improvement and ease in night drives. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

My VW Polo: 950 km road trip & 1 year/15,000 km service update

BHPian sinharishi recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Took my car for 1 year/15K kms service. Got underbody engine cover installed during the service. Did a short trip to Lucknow over the weekend. It was a boring drive, 950 kms of expressway! The only good thing was the FE. Was doing 90-100 kmph mostly with small bursts to 120 kmph. Did not use CC at all. The DHC LEDs are too good, I have 6200K on high beam and the throw is just amazing! Yet to drive it on the highway at night, but in Mumbai city usage, I can say they are superb. Performance in the rain is flawless. The only niggle is that when in bumper-to-bumper traffic and standstill-crawl, the reflection from the vehicle ahead is glaring even in low beam. For fog lamps, I've gone for GPNE 3000/6000k switchable LEDs. Now arranging seat covers in Nappa/Softy leather from Saddles India. Then will take a chance with Bilstein B12 kit, and finally Stage 1 remap (Wolf or Code6- yet to decide - advice welcome). Will post pictures and details about these later, when all is done. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Tesla Model Y to become the world's best-selling car in 2023

According to a media report, Tesla has announced that its Model Y is on track to become the world's best-selling car in 2023. Reports state that the Tesla Model Y will become the world's highest-selling car by revenue this year while becoming the best-selling car by volume in 2023. The Model Y is already the best-selling electric car in the world. However, Tesla expects sales to increase further once production at its Gigafactories in Texas and Berlin is ramped-up to full capacity. Currently, the title of the world's highest-selling vehicle is held by the Toyota Corolla. The sedan from the Japanese carmaker managed to sell around 11,50,000 units globally last year. In comparison, Tesla as a whole managed 9,36,222 units of sales in 2021. However, the American EV maker is on track to register over 1.3 million car sales in 2022. With the planned increase in production, the EV maker could see it's Model Y sales numbers overtake that of the Corolla and take the world's best-selling car title. The Tesla Model Y was introduced in 2020. Company CEO Elon Musk had then predicted that the Model Y would become the world's best-selling car with an annual demand ranging between 5 lakh to 10 lakh vehicles. Two years later, the prediction seems to be on track, with Tesla expected to be able to manufacture a million Model Y units annually by the end of the year. Source: Electrek

How I ended up buying a 20 year old TVS Max 100R as my first bike

BHPian Abhyjith K.A recently shared this with other enthusiasts.The Soulful Workhorse | My 2002 TVS Max 100 RThe world of cars and the world of motorcycles somehow have a sense of disconnect from each other. Growing up, cars formed my biggest passion with motorcycles being a casual afterthought. Yet somehow, one motorcycle came into my life and changed everything so completely and so unexpectedly. It truly taught me what the phrase, Four Wheels Move The Body, Two Wheels Move The Soul meant. Although my love and passion for cars has still remained unwavering, a new love for motorcycling was born and haunts me to this very day. But for some context regarding my personal history with two wheels, I learnt cycling without stabilizers at the age of 8, on a lovely little blue BSA with the constant support of my loving family. I used to go cycling every evening. But that was well within the safety of our home. I ventured out into the world on my own on two wheels for the first time when I got my first proper bicycle at the age of 15. A classic BSA SLR in a memorable maroon shade from the early 90s, which once belonged to my dad who used it to ride to college. I had completely refused my parents' offer to get me a new bicycle in favour of getting dad's old cycle fixed and ready for me as it had been sitting in storage for years on end. Such was my love for all things classic and nostalgic. After all, what's better than inheriting and using something that once belonged to daddy? That bicycle would become my partner-in-crime for the next 4 years. In the middle of those years, I had fiddled with it, taken it apart bolt by bolt and put it back together, convoyed with my friends, and enjoyed many priceless moments with it. Others also found it refreshing that here was someone cherishing something older in the sea of sleek, modernistic, carbon fibre blah blah on two wheels that start looking terrible the moment they show the slightest signs of wear and use while my cycle wore them like badges of honour and still looked the part doing so! When it came to motorized two-wheelers, I learnt to ride on my uncle's bike. A lovely black 2014 Honda CB Shine. It was and still is a great bike. In fact, since uncle wasn't in immediate need of it as he lived away and his commute involved only a brief walking distance, I would go on to use it for the first one and a half years of college and have since, formed a lot of memories with it too. While the CB Shine is practically everything one can technically want in a bike, it really isn't the most soulful. In fact, I really did not understand the true meaning of soulful until I got my Max 100. At this point, I was still primarily a car person and didn't think much of bikes. The CB Shine existed solely to satisfy my practical commuting requirements. While I used to take it out otherwise as well, there was never any real deep craving to do so. What's the danger associated with this? One ends up feeling bikes, in general, are like this and ends up missing out on a lot. Enter the desire for something else. I've always found two strokes quite fascinating for a long while, yet had never ridden one. There was also the fact that my dad once used to be the proud owner of a beautiful Maroon/Wine Red Yamaha RX 100 that he purchased brand new in the 90s and sold later on due to the possibilities that existed in those times of two strokes getting completely banned. As a result, I felt I had missed out on experiencing the two-stroke magic, that I hear about and read about all the time, solidifying my desire to own one. But here I was, a 19 year old college student with a bare-bones budget which only made the RX 100 with its current prices look like a fairly distant dream. No worries, I thought to myself. I just want a two-stroke. I'll look at my other options then. The only criteria was that I wanted an actual motorcycle, ruling out scooters and mopeds, though I still have a soft spot for vintage Vespas, Lambrettas, and their derivatives. In fact, that is an understatement. I love them. But for the time being, I wanted a motorcycle that I could truly call my own and ride daily, as well as do trips on. With Yamaha ruled out completely, I automatically turned my attention to Suzukis. More precisely, the AX 100, the Max 100, and the Samurai. The others such as the Supra, Shogun and Shaolin would automatically go outside my budget and thus, get ruled out. Just for the time being The Max 100 was one I particularly favored for I had some memories associated with one owned by my math tuition teacher's husband, back during my school days. He would fire it up when he would go out and the sound would resonate within the walls of the home. Funnily enough, my bike turned out to be the exact same spec and colour as his, with the differences only being the modifications I have done, that I'll get to, later. Not only that, but I had always looked at the Max 100 as an untapped treasure. One seemingly used by middle-aged family men throughout the country as it is quite economical (From personal experience) and cheap to run. Not only that, but the legendary durability (Also something we'll discuss). Plus, the retro looks and charms are too much to resist at the prices they usually go for. I didn't completely rule out the possibilities of getting a four-stroke though. Bikes like the Hero Honda CD 100 SS and the Kawasaki Bajaj 4S Champion did catch my attention thanks to their retro design and famously efficient engines. But the heart truly did long for the two-stroke beat, of course. A great source of inspiration and a valuable resource would come in the form of my friend and classmate back at school, Bala, who had gotten himself right after graduating, a beautiful green Samurai that he currently uses as a blank canvas to do a number of crazy mods on. When I told him about my intentions of getting a new bike, that too, preferably a two-stroke, he was more than happy to chime in and help. When my search started, these were the bikes I specifically zeroed upon and contacted their respective owners :A 2000 TVS Max 100 R in Black.A 1989 Kawasaki Bajaj KB 100 in Maroon.A 1987 Ind-Suzuki AX 100 in Red.A 2002 TVS Max 100 R in Forest Green.A 2001 Suzuki Max 100 in Red.A 1993 Kawasaki Bajaj 4S Champion in Maroon.Only the 4S had its documents all in current while the rest required updating. However, I kept the 4S as the last option as I mainly wanted a two-stroke. The KB 100; Now that was something I really would have liked to have. But the seller ended up replying to me, the exact day after I had bought my bike. Maybe it was meant to be that way. I had no regrets though. I was already in love with my bike. More on that later! The first bike I would go on to see would be the black Max 100 R. It was a single owner from new bike and looked wonderful in the pics. So Bala and I hopped onto his Bajaj Chetak and went to see it. We were, however, terribly disappointed that it wasn't as advertised. It was a non-runner with locked-up brakes and when he tried the kick, the compression wasn't anything signifying an engine that still worked. So we left it as it is. The second bike I would go on to see would be the one. I still remember that day like it was yesterday. The morning of Saturday, the 19th of Feb, 2022. This was the Forest Green Max 100 R. What's more, this bike is a 2002 model year. The same year of my birth. Happy times! I still remember waiting for the owner to turn up and then, hearing her for the first time as they came into view. I already knew she wasn't in great shape, but was still, a runner with clean documents. The test ride I took after a brief chat with the owner and inspecting her, changed everything for me. Coincidentally, that was also the first time I ever rode a two-stroke ever. I initially marveled at how light and compact it felt. Then she fired up with a roar. But I stalled her a few times. After riding the CB Shine for so long, I was unaware that she required some application of throttle to move from a standstill. But when we finally got moving, nothing would prepare me for what happened next. Her throttle was so messed up that for most of the rotation of the grip, nothing would happen, and then at the end, everything would happen! When everything happened, that moment was truly special. Her roar turned into a symphonic wail. One which I still adore listening to this very day. But it's the first time that is always the special one. I pull the clutch in and shift to second. She responds so brilliantly that it felt like we were truly connected, Then, I try to shift to third, but accidentally hit the rear of the shifter (As that's how I was used to upshifting on the CB Shine). She screamed loudly and jerked me forwards, yet still forgave me and didn't throw me over. I corrected it quickly and shifted to third. Then immediately to fourth, where I experienced a different side of her. A calm, composed, yet still wonderfully musical side. But I was running out of runway and had to brake. I slam the right pedal (Again, like I used to, on the CB Shine). The rear wheel locks up and skids with a loud screech. But I immediately let go of the pedal and twitch it and regain control. Then pressed the pedal softly and pulled in the clutch while downshifting as I came to a halt. I turn back slowly and stall her twice again. Then I finally reach the owner again. I guess at this point, it's blatantly obvious that it was too late. I had already fallen for her (Not literally ). I told the owner I loved her and really wanted her. He was an extremely friendly guy, just recently turned a father, who wanted to sell his bike as he wasn't using it much at all and could do with some extra money for the household. After discussing the flaws (Yes, I still did let my mind work. A bit ), he agreed to reduce the price a bit for me. I told him I'll ring him up that night and tell him of my final decision. That evening, I went to see another bike. This was the red 2001 Suzuki Max 100. The evening was lovely, the neighbourhood very homely. The bike was mechanically in better shape than the green one. P.S, I locked the rear brake yet again during the test ride and skid it, but again, controlled it to the shocked gasp of the owner. This bike ran better, and had a light and properly functioning throttle, but was a bit of a downer in terms of cosmetic appearance. Also, a light issue with the documents was there, leading me to eventually rule it out. That evening, I made up my mind. The bike I saw in the morning would be mine. I rang up the owner at 8 P.M that night, just as I had said, and informed him I was coming to collect it tomorrow. He was extremely happy that the deal was coming through, while also a bit sad at the same time that he would have to say goodbye to his pride and joy. Both of which were quite obviously noticeable in him when I met him the next day. So on Sunday morning, the 20th of Feb, 2022, I made her mine. I met up with the owner, he took me for a cup of tea at a nearby place on the bike; The return journey was the last time he would ride his bike before handing her over to me. We came back, and have a nice long chat, after which, I pay him the amount fully in cash, he hands me the keys and we shake hands. He stood and watched while I rode her up to the highway, after which, I took a right turn into the OMR Highway and disappeared with the beautiful exhaust note getting fainter and fainter. But it wasn't the classic tale of me riding off into the sunset in pure bliss. One thing I immediately noticed is that she was screaming in top gear, but was nowhere near her top speed. No worries, I thought. She had been sitting idle for quite a long time and requires work on the engine anyways. Then when I pulled the throttle open fully, she cut out and I slowly pulled over to the side. I thought I had overstressed an engine already in bad shape. She fired right back up on the second kick, so I decided to take it easy on the throttle from then on. The previous owner had told me to stop and refuel as she was practically running on fumes at that point. He had even told me the exact location of the pump on the highway, but in my sheer excitement, I passed by the fuel station. Only God knows what I was thinking at that time. The result? Me dragging my new bike with an empty tank about 800 metres back to that same station. I put in enough fuel to make it back home. I didn't pre-mix oil as the oil tank was full and the previous owner told me he only uses the pump. Then, she fired up immediately and I happily embarked upon the 15-kilometre journey to meet Bala whom I had also called, and surprised with the good news that I'd gone ahead and bought it simply because I fell for it. But that's when love would get tested and all the happiness came down crashing to pieces. She would go fine for maybe a kilometre or two, after which the engine would cut out, forcing me to pull over to the side and keep kicking to start her back up. I think this happened a grand total of more than eight times throughout the perilous journey. Moreover, she wouldn't idle in traffic and keep cutting out, making me have to constantly keep playing with the already messed up and unbearably tight throttle. Finally, I made it to the front of the Accord Metropolitan where Bala would soon arrive at to meet me, on his Chetak, only to find me thoroughly exhausted, sitting on my bike on the main stand. After hearing what had happened, he immediately gets to work and removes the spark plug only to show me what can only be described as one caked with black soot which he then cleaned off. He told me it's a very old make and considering its condition, it was a miracle I even made it this far on it. Oh, but that wouldn't be the last miracle. He then asks me how much oil is there pre-mixed in the tank. I reply that there is none, as it's using the oil pump. He then points out to my inexperienced (Read Nonexperienced) eyes that the pump was not even connected! So that everyone, is the story of me riding my new bike for 15 kilometres without oil and God knows how much the previous owner had done so, although he did tell me that he very rarely uses the bike with it sitting in storage for months on end. And even when he does use it, it's mostly for short rides around the neighbourhood. I completely believe him as that's the only way the engine could have possibly survived this long. That was my first and last straw with the oil pump. To this day, my bike runs on pre-mix. It's just way better at least for the peace of mind. The pump and the tank are still there on the bike, but I'll be removing both after a future overhaul of the engine. There's no substitute for simplicity. After checking the papers, Bala parks his Chetak nearby and we get on my bike with him riding it to test it and me as a pillion and we go to the nearest fuel station. There, he pre-mixes the right amount of oil in the tank and we get going again, this time, to an auto parts shop where we get a new spark plug. He shows me how to adjust and swap it over. The bike then fires with a single kick and we look at each other with a smile on our faces. We go to a nearby isolated road where we pulled over and Bala quickly tunes the carburettor. There was now, a massive change in the way the bike felt. We had a lot of fun on that road, pulling the throttle wide open and listening to the wail. After thanking him for his timely rescue and promising to meet, later on, we bid our goodbyes and I started the brief ride back home. She still couldn't go all too fast, would cut out under sudden throttle application, and felt insecure in traffic, but was still, miles better than how she was before. Now that she actually had oil in the system, she felt way smoother and refined. Bala told me to ride it as it is till I get used to it, but I didn't feel secure with it. So since it was a Sunday that day, I decided to get it to the mechanic immediately on Monday. After reaching home, the first thing I did was to get rid of the utterly horrible and worn out Passion Pro tank cover and give the bike a good dusting and wipe. She looked so much better now, but there were a lot of things to be done. Here is the list of things the bike required working on:She had no mirrors.No battery.No indicators.Completely shot handlebar switchgear.The headlight was wired to be on all the time, right on the coil.The speedo and odo on the left side of the instrument cluster worked, but the right side was completely inactive (My bike has the twin circular TVS gauges and not the rectangular Suzuki one). The right side houses the indicator, low oil, neutral and high beam lights. The previous owner told me that they all actually do work, but they're just disconnected due to some wiring issue (Which I would go on to find out was true).Also the instrument cluster casing was partially broken on the bottom right side.The seat covers were old and ripped.The engine & drivetrain with lacklustre performance.Broken side panels that are still somehow, staying put.The wheels, the visible mechanical components, the chain guard, the saree guard all looked tired and required refurbishing.The tank was very clean within, but the side stickers are not in good condition and there are a few not-so-deep scratches.All in all, it was an untidy mess. But she went and stopped in a perfectly straight line. The core of everything, being the basic foundation is important after all. The tyres were also in good condition although the rear was a Michelin Sirac while the front was a Ceat Secura . I guess that'll also have to be rectified. But even with all these flaws, it was no big matter. She could still be ridden. So after having my lunch and getting some rest after that entire ordeal, I get back to her in the evening and take her out for a ride around the neighbourhood and also a little further around the city. That was when I discovered the joys of what I call, soulful motoring. She couldn't be driven too fast, but she was still going and genuinely seemed to be immortal. She's a real survivor. And she never missed a beat while doing so, pun totally intended. She sang wonderfully as I saw the same familiar sights of the great old city, but now, in a new light and with a very different, yet fitting background music. The next day, I visited my agent at his driving school and auto consultancy office to get the documents in order. He was my former driving instructor too (Although daddy will always be the one who taught me the most). We had a lovely chat and after submitting the papers and other necessities, I took my bike to the mechanic in the evening. They were very professional and created a list of all the things that required doing on my bike and sent me the invoice. I told them to cut back on some specific non-essentials as I was on a very tight budget and just wanted my bike running and able to pass its upcoming Fitness Test. I received my bike about a week later. I was unbelievably excited that day after all the waiting. I picked her up at about 7:45 P.M after a very busy day at college. I was delighted at the work they had done. New mirrors, indicators, a thorough water wash, the instrument cluster fully worked (Including the neutral light), she got a new battery, rectified wiring, new handlebar switchgear, and most importantly, a serviced engine with a cleaned carburetor and silencer. She fired right up, as if happy to see me again. I had to run some errands that night immediately. She gladly accompanied me and on that beautiful night, I finally felt the intense satisfaction within that I had done the right thing getting her. Everything was finally falling into place. The Fitness Test came a week or so after I got her fully readied up. I went to the RTO right after college after getting the Pollution Under Control Certificate from a nearby fuel station to meet up with my agent who immediately pointed out that the rusty number plates wouldn't allow the bike to pass. So we took her to a person nearby working on the roadside who hand paints and refurbishes number plates. After getting the plates refurbished, I join the line of folks waiting for their inspection. Right in front of me was a gentleman with an old Bullet 350 in black. There was also a fully restored CD 100 SS with a very unique paint scheme that reminded me of my earlier considerations of getting one. There were also a number of new vehicles in line including a brand new Honda CB350 RS with no number plates. After the inspection, I left for home in complete satisfaction now that the important job was over. I would receive my Smart Card another week later through my agent. I was beyond elated as now, I could finally ride my bike legally on the roads of Chennai and potentially and most definitely, beyond! She did attract quite a bit of attention when I took her to college of course. The wonderful thing about the Max 100 is that it completely lacks the snob factor associated with the RXs and mostly attracts positive, curious attention. This is all the while looking and sounding in its own unique way that's in no way shape or form, inferior. What it lacks in performance as compared to the RX, it more than makes up for in economy, affordability and the truly special wail! The TVS badging only makes it more of a curiosity as most people are more familiar with the fact that its a Suzuki at heart. I have other patriotic reasons to prefer the TVS branded ones as well. We had a great time, fooling around, giving my friends rides, and in general, having a good time. To this day, I've been riding her daily to college as well as for shorter trips and longer highway blasts. There are other things I've done to my bike and will do to my bike that I'll document in this thread. For now, I hope you enjoyed reading my very first, albeit long post on Team-BHP. Having been a reader for a long time since I was a child, crazed about automobiles, I am honoured to finally become a member and make my very first post - That too, of my beloved Suzanna. Yes, that's her name. It's derived from the first three letters of Suzuki, and since she's a TVS with the only Suzuki badging on her being a Suzuki Max 100 etched on the rear mudguard, I thought the name suits her well. And on a final note, this is what she looks like currently. I'll detail the mods I have done and will do, soon. Cheers and happy riding! Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Road trip on superbikes in the rain: 500 km on an R1 & CBR Fireblade

BHPian krishnaprasadgg recently shared this with other enthusiasts. In this week's episode of Dumb (Xaos636) and Dumber (Yours truly), Xaos636 and I decided it was the perfect time to ride 500 km from Bangalore (where it's raining daily) to our homes in Kerala (where it's raining like there's no tomorrow) on our supersport motorcycles (One bike doesn't have ABS and the other doesn't have Traction control) with no rain gear. Recipe for a perfect riding day, what can go wrong? But wait, we weren't entirely idiots though, we were smart enough to keep our luggage in my brother's car who accompanied us in his Octy VRS. See, I told you, we were intelligent people. Anyways, jokes aside, had a blast of a day on the road and covered around 500 kms in the process. Here are a few pics from the ride. Coffee breaks on TN highways just hit different Just look at the rear ends on those machines! Xaos636 had to stop to make sure that he saw the sign actually said 100kmph. Well, not really but I thought that'd be a good caption. Striking a pose Not gonna lie, these 3 together in formation do grab a lot of eyeballs More rain incoming The truck guy said he can smoke the Fireblade in a straight line, Xaos636 didn't take it well, clearly. Second home Almost there. The home stretch Touchdown. Something about vehicles that have all the dirt and grime after a long road trip makes it look so awesome. I just can't get enough of it. Tripmeter for the day ODO as it stands Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

DIY: Installed new wiper blade rubbers on my 5th gen Honda City

BHPian CylinderHead recently shared this with other enthusiasts. The wipers started making some nasty sounds in my almost two-year-old 5th Gen City V (MT). It was time for a (much needed) wiper blade change! Dealership is some 30 kilometres away and being the lazy guy that I am, didn't feel like driving all that way for such a trivial job. Tried sourcing wiper blades from nearby auto parts stores but couldn't find any for the 5th Gen City. So fell back to buying a set from Boodmo and while searching, I noticed a category 'Wiper Blade Rubber'. I had always wanted to just change the blade rubber instead of replacing the entire assembly including the metal frame. So went ahead and ordered OEM rubbers. The one on the driver side is 65 centimetres long and the other one is 35 centimetres. Cost me Rs.598 including shipping from Rajasthan to Keralam. Installation was a 10-minute job at home requiring a screwdriver and a cutting plier as tools.Removed the wiper blades from the car by pressing a lock on them and tilting and sliding the blades towards the windscreen.Pried open the locking leg that holds the rubber in place using the screwdriver. This released the old rubber.Slid the old rubber with its metal backbone (2 metal strips on both sides) out.Removed the metal strips from the old rubber and placed them in the new one.Slid the new rubber back into its frame and locked it by applying pressure on the locking leg using the cutting plier.Installed the blades back on the car.Purchase Links: 1, 2 OEM rubber: Wiper blade with the rubber blade removed: Old and new blades along with the metal strip: My red beauty with her shiny new set of wipers: Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Citroen C3 6-speed AT to be launched in H2-2023

Last month, Citroen launched the C3 crossover in India. At the moment, the car is only available with a manual transmission. However, according to media reports, Citroen plans to introduce a 6-speed automatic gearbox in the second half of next year. The Citroen C3 competes with the Tata Punch, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger in the entry-level sub-4 meter crossover segment. A 6-speed torque converter automatic will give it an edge over its rivals, which use an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT). Reports suggest Citroen will source the 6-speed automatic from Aisin. The Japanese brand also supplies transmissions for the Skoda Kushaq, Slavia, VW Taigun, Virtus and the MG Astor. Citroen is also said to be working on a new-generation 1.2-litre petrol engine. The third-gen Puretech engine is expected to be cleaner and more efficient. The upgraded motor will be assembled locally and will likely be introduced along with the 6-speed automatic transmission. Source:Autocar India

Tata finalizes its acquisition of Ford India's Sanand plant

Tata Motors and Ford India have signed a Unit Transfer Agreement (UTA) for the transfer of the latter's manufacturing plant situated at Sanand, Gujarat. As part of the agreement, Tata Motors will acquire the entire land, building and vehicle manufacturing plant along with machinery and other equipment at a cost of Rs. 725.7 crores (excluding taxes). The deal also includes the transfer of all eligible employees of Ford India's vehicle manufacturing operations at Sanand. Ford India will continue to operate its Powertrain Manufacturing Facility by leasing back the land and buildings of the plant from Tata Motors. Tata has also agreed to offer employment to the eligible employees of the Powertrain Manufacturing Plant if Ford ceases operations. The government of Gujarat, Tata Motors and Ford India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to acquire the production facility on May 30, 2022. Tata plans to make further investments to reconfigure the plant to adapt to its existing and future vehicle platforms. It would unlock an annual production capacity of 3,00,000 units, which is scalable to 4,20,000 units.

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Vs Honda CB350RS Vs Jawa 42 Vs TVS Ronin

Royal Enfield has finally launched the much-awaited Hunter 350 motorcycle in India. Moreover, Royal Enfield launched the Hunter 350 motorcycle with an aggressive price tag of Rs 1.49 lakh (ex-showroom, India).

Why I was impressed with the Mahindra Scorpio-N petrol AT

BHPian kosfactor recently shared this with other enthusiasts. As with the Thar and the XUV 7OO - M&M has taken things to the next level with the Scorpio-N. Driving impressions The Scorpio-N feels like a more hunkered down 140PS Scorpio. I felt right at home. I could very easily slot into drive and just go as if it's my own vehicle. Tight parking spots did not bother me one bit and I'm not a parking sensor or camera user, but it's easy to park. The direct steering, engine response , the way the vehicle darts through traffic is all exactly like how you expect a Scorpio to be. The Scoprio-N petrol is eerily quiet, you'd think it's an EV till you floor it and you hear a growl from underneath. I completely forgot that it's an electronic power steering apart from when parking at low speeds where it's super light. The AT and mStallion motor are trigger happy if prodded, but with smooth throttle input it goes along at a traffic friendly speed with minimal brake use. Brakes are sharp but just right for a tall vehicle, anything more and it would be uncomfortable. The turn indicator sound is very nice, stereo sounded like how Sony used to be before the subwoofer culture came in, so it's clear and doesn't hurt your ears. I noticed that side glass is thinner now but has a good amount of tinting. You can put a garland on the grill and it will block the front camera adequately; given the height of the bonnet that camera is good to have. Horn pad is not hard and the horn is of the Windtone type. Just a reminder, the XUV 700 is the better urban vehicle. There is very much the old Scorpio underneath all those creature comforts on the inside and it suits those who need a BOF utility vehicle. Just that it's now more comfortable and silly fast. PS: I sat in the third row of XUV7OO and N back to back, there isn't much difference. Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

My experience renewing the registration of my 1960 HM Ambassador Mk1

BHPian arun1100 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.Fitness Test - Update!The Ambassador was all set for the Fitness Test and on 20th July, Bhpian Funkykar (Karthik Makam) and me had been to the Bangalore's KA-03 RTO. Quite fit Ambassador! In-house fitness inspector! Karthik driving the Ambassador! Video The Fitness test process of paying the fees, documents verification and inspection was quite smooth as expected. Karthik and me were now relaxed and drove to the nearby coffee shop. Sequence of events as seen in the Vahan website. Updated details of the Ambassador as seen in Parivahan App. Catch up with friends over the weekend! Ambassador is now fit and legal to be on road for the next five years!Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Dzire owner gets a Nexon: Buying & ownership experience & upgrades

BHPian Valhalla recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Hello, fellow BHPians, I purchased a Tata Nexon XMS Red color in May 2022. It has clocked around 3000 KM.LikesHandling and driving dynamics.Torquey yet fuel-efficient engine.ESP Package and 5-star safety ratingComfortable suspension and rigid body (no undulations on the highways are felt by the occupants).DislikesNVH Levels at high speeds (had double damping done, but still engine is noisy over 130 KMPH+ in Sports mode).Dealership and service centre experience.AMT lag in city driving conditions.Stock headlights and interior qualityMy previous car ownershipI own a Maruti DZIRE ZXI 2015 model. It has clocked about 60000 KM and I wanted to upgrade to a pseudo SUV (since most Indian SUVs on sale are crossovers in reality).New car requirementsShould be a diesel (or an efficient petrol), AMT, 6 gears, SUV stance, high ground clearance, compact to mid-size in length, in the budget of 15-16 lakhs.Car hunt- Alternatives consideredXUV 300- no black edition in AMT variants, no projector headlights in mid variants (W6 AMT), also Mahindra is reducing features very frequently.Creta EX & Seltos HTK: AMT in only higher variants, lacklustre build quality. Both cars were not stable at high speeds.Skoda Kushaq and VW Taigun 1.5 TSI DSG models were out of my budget, 1.0 TSI had air-conditioning issues in both the VAG cousin test drive vehicles.Tata Harrier was out of budget and only Nexon was the viable option, test drove a high-end AMT Nexon, liked and booked it.Booking experienceNexon XMS A Red Diesel was booked on 21-2-2022 and allotted on 6-5-2022. Booking experience was smooth but the delivery was quite rough as I had to follow up with the dealership executives for more than 5 days after the full payment on 17-5-2022. I had to pressurise the MD of the dealership through political interference just to get my vehicle delivered on 22-5-2022.Extended warrantyCost about Rs. 21000 - covers 1.25 lakh kilometers, 5 years. Initial warranty was for 75k km or 2 years.Driving experienceExcellent driving dynamics, superior cornering ability, stable at very high speeds (I tried to get it up to 170 kmph), highway mile muncher- comfortable suspension setup and strong chassis torsional rigidity.Safety equipmentFull ESP suite by Bosch, electronic stability, cornering stability, traction control system (front two wheels though), hill ascent, hill descent.BrakesDisc wiping through ESP, brake pre-fill, bite of the brakes is good, can get the car to a halt from triple digit speeds effortlessly.Engine performanceMeaty engine with enough grunt to pull effortlessly. Very noisy compared to the competition particularly in the Sports mode at high speeds.Fuel efficiencyCity mode gives an average of 17 KMPL at 120kmph on highways and 13-14 KMPL in city driving conditions. Sports mode gives an average of 16 KMPL at 120 kmph on highways.AMTVery laggy in city driving conditions, takes around 3 seconds to respond after crossing over a speed breaker, I've had to manually shift in order to derive the best out of the engine in city driving conditions. It's a whole different machine on highways in Sports mode though, responds sharply at higher speeds and ensures smooth overtaking.Build quality & looksLooks - Subjective. I find the front side better looking but the rear is polarizing.Solid exterior - all doors felt hefty, mediocre interior, sub-standard plastic quality (felt like Renault Kwid from a few years ago).ACChills up faster even if the outside temp. soar above 40 degrees centigrade.MIDFelt like a toy car, Tata should've used Harrier or Altroz MID.SteeringEPS works flawlessly, soft in the city and hard on highway driving conditions.NigglesWheel Alignment issue from the factory (car was dragging to the left side by a point), sorted out during tyre upgrade from outside (not from TASS).Paint chips here and there across the car (quality control from Tata is worst).3. Clunk sound from the front left side (fixed during the first service from TASS, a loose clamp below the diesel hand pump had been the culprit).Service center experiencePoorly trained executives and technicians. They gave the car without sorting the above clunky sound. Had to force them again and get it fixed.Upgrades doneTyres: 195 60 R16 TO 215 60 R16Wheels: Neo Royal Series alloy wheelsTweeters: 4 - JBLReverse Parking cameraJK TYRE TPMSWhite line painted black to make it look sportier on the sides and back of the carLights: Headlight low beam - HID, High beam - LED, Fog lamps - 3 in 1 Bi-LED projectorManually adjustable IRVMHorn upgradeLeather seat covers, leather steering wheel cover, bumpersDoors - double damping Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Mahindra Scorpio N pros & cons after test driving 4x2 petrol AT variant

BHPian MetalClank recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Took a TD of the Scorpio N 4x2 Petrol Automatic for the first time. It was a Deep Forest color.ProsAs said by everyone, the steering is butter smooth and driving is child's play.Suspension feels like floating in the clouds, hats off.The centre hand rest is a life safer, especially for the automatic version.No engine sound.AC was good at both front and back but it was a cloudy day. SA said that there are two compressors. He said that in other cars which have 3rd-row vents, the 3rd-row vents are connected to the 2nd compressor and the middle row vents are usually the last ones to receive cold air. I also did not understand what temperature does the Scorpio N choose for the 2nd row AC (the blower knob just controls the fan speed).Good engine creep without pressing the accelerator.2nd-row comfort is good and supportive.360-degree visibility from the driving position is phenomenalConsThe mileage shown on the MID was 4.4 KMPL (yes 4.4) for this Petrol vehicle which was a bit worrisome, not sure if it was due to the vehicle being a TD vehicle.Boot space is non-existent unless one wants to push some small bags under the 3rd-row seat.The vehicle looks massive from the outside, but inside space looks less. I suspect it's due to the dark interior colors plus a hell lot of padding (thickness) of the door plastic etc.I checked two cars and in both, the front door had to be shut really hard else the car gave a door ajar warning. Not sure if this is good or bad.Another TD vehicle was showing signs of scratches on the interior maroon-colored plastic. Don't know if this can be reversed with wax polish.The button panel under the touchscreen felt shaky (the same panel that houses buttons like Drive mode etc).3rd row is OK for someone up to 5'5'' but the headrests need to be removed to avoid a hunch position.There is a footrest to the left of the clutch in the manual version. It felt a bit oddly placed, maybe it was just my leg, not sure.Left leg does touch the dashboard but it is manageable.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Accessories for my Seltos: Seat covers, 7D floor mats & steering cover

BHPian ashis89 recently shared this with other enthusiasts. As the car approaches the 3-year mark, some changes were in order. So I got new seat covers and while at it, I got a new set of floor mats as well (the current ones were difficult to clean). Got a leather steering cover too. The gray color was chosen to compliment the gray elements on the dashboard and yes, the gray Coyote. I posted the details here A look at those stripped-down interiors made me rethink my decision for seat covers so I didn't look further until the seats were back. Since the 7D mats were to be installed, I had to get the interiors vacuumed nearby. I had requested for full body water wash but had to bail out due to the waiting time. I was very happy with the seats and started driving back home. But Google maps had other plans. Not too familiar with the roads in South Bangalore, I was blindly following my guide. And that bugger, instead of taking me through good wide roads, chose a lane where 2 autos can cross each other only when ridden carefully. And that bugger probably found many gullible guys like me - the lane had bikers, cars, pick-ups, a minibus and whatnot. Spent good 30 minutes stuck in the deadlock. And to get things moving, I crawled through some very tight situations, had to climb onto the footpath, doorstep and more to come out of it. Now, need to find time to get the car washed properly. I wanted the door pads to be cushioned as well but Shiva confirmed that it is not possible as KIA doesn't provide any gap in the panels for them to insert the fabric. That was a big disappointment for me. I had already checked at the dealership if those pads are available separately but they aren't. I need to replace the whole door panels - expensive and overkill. Let's see if I can find any other solution for this. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Scoop! A 13-seater version of the Force Gurkha 4x4?

Force Motors is said to be working on a 5-door version of the Force Gurkha. It will be sold alongside the 3-door model that is currently available. Now, a third version has been spotted in Pune. The extended body on this long-wheel base version of the Gurkha looks similar to the Trax Cruiser. Note that it is longer than the5-door Gurkha test mulesspotted earlier. The front fascia is identical to the 3-door Gurkha and is equipped with a snorkel, windscreen bar, roof rails and rear ladder. Inside, it has seating for 13 people, including the driver. In order to accommodate them, the 2nd row captains seats have been replaced with a bench seat, while the rear section has two side facing bench seats. We've been told that the SUV uses the same 2.6-litre diesel engine from the Gurkha 3-door. It produces 90 BHP and 250 Nm and is paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox and a 4-wheel drive system with low range. Thanks to BHPian Blackwasp for sharing these images with other enthusiasts!

My preowned 2006 Maruti Swift VXi: Buying experience & ownership review

BHPian Ashtoncastelino recently shared this with other enthusiasts. T'was the year 2020 the pandemic, my 2nd Semester examinations (Bachelors of Computer Applications) had just started and abrubtly stopped due to the virus was at my native when the lockdown started. Government had announced that there are specific timings to get essentials and all of us initially found it difficult to adjust to the restrictions. Me and my uncle were the ones to go and get the essentials for the family members. I always had the craze for vehicles, be it a two-wheeler or a four-wheeler. During the pandemic, I noticed a lot of people on OLX and Facebook Marketplace selling vehicles due to financial issues. I was always keen on getting a Yamaha RX100, yes, I'm a sucker for old vehicles. The average price for a well maintained RX100 was about 45,000-60,000. I managed to spot a 1986 RX which looked to be in great condition. Spoke to the owner and he said he had maintained it supremely well and was ready to let it go at 42,000. I told my parents about this and Mom was convinced, dad was worried about spare parts and Fuel consumption. Now here comes the best part, my parents ask my sister who is about 2 years younger than me about getting the RX100 and what she thinks of it. Obviously, she straight away says NO. She explained that getting another two-wheeler is not necessary when we already have a Scooter (Activa 2005), getting a car is a better option instead she mentioned. So, the search for a car began! I found a 1996 white Zen with about 1.09Lakh on the odo. It was the carb model obviously since MPFi rolled out post 2000's for the Zen. Me and uncle went to get a drive of it and initial impressions were good. Car felt peppy and had no power steering. This was the first time I was driving a Zen. Checked body for rust spots and considering the vehicle's age, there were very less. The engine had that same old common oil leak from the distributor in all Zen's, other than that the engine bay looked good. Now coming to the price, the owner was adamant and ready to let it go at 55000. I quoted at 50,000. We both matched our prices in the middle and verbally settled it at 52,000. I hadn't done the payment and told him I'll come within the week with the payment and pick up the car. Now final decision had to be done after discussing it with my parents. Parents gave the green signal and so did sister, but was not happy seeing photos of the car. So, I was set to pick-up the car and pay the owner the next day. I kept checking Team-BHP for the reviews and mods to be done on the Zen. The next day , it rained cats and dogs in the morning and I couldn't go to pick up the car, called the owner and informed him I'll come in the evening to pickup the car. He asks for advance, but since the amount was 52000, I assured him that I'll come in the evening to pick it up. About 2 hours later I get a call from him saying the car has been SOLD! Didn't want to talk much so I just hung up the call and genuinely felt sad about what happened.Finding the Swift:Back in 2019, I had paid a visit to my Dad's friend place with my uncle and he mentioned he was selling his brother's 2006 Swift VXi which had run 64,000kms. I had taken a photo of it just to run the plates and check Vahaan history. He mentioned he was selling it at a price of 2.8Lakhs and if my uncle were to buy, he would let it go at 2.5Lakhs. I was persuading my uncle to get that swift because I loved its looks and color. My uncle has a 2010 WagonR F10D, he said the swift lacks the storage space and its low slung for him. I had to agree with him so it ended there. Now coming to 2020 June, I had suddenly remembered about this Swift after the Zen incident happened. So, the next day me and my sister went to get essentials and slowly passed by my dad's Friend's place to see if the swift is still there or not. I was overwhelmed to see it there, Not knowing if the owners still want to sell the swift or not, I went and spoke to them and asked about the car, The minute they told the car is still for sale I was at all ears. While I was conversing with them, my sister checked out the car all around, Body line and everything was perfect. I clicked few photos of the car to show my parents. The car had run about only 800 kms since I first saw it in 2019. Now coming to the price point, they quoted a price and I didn't even bargain because OLX and marketplace were selling mediocre condition Swifts which I ran away after seeing the prices above 2.4Lakhs and moreover they were high run with dented body lines. Best part was Sister approved and told parents that if we are getting a car, this is the perfect one. So, dad spoke with his friend and the deal was settled. Within that week, I got called to pick up the car and the car was washed thoroughly and kept ready. Odometer on the day of delivery: Recent photo with the previous owners of the Swift: So, there it was, An Azure Grey 2006 Swift VXi with 64888km as my family's first car. First thing I did after delivery was obviously a full tank and headed home. Sister again did a thorough inspection of the car as she has OCD of keeping everything clean and arranged. Now I wanted to know the history of the car, so I paid a visit to my MASS and asked for the service history since the previous owner used to only take it to MASS for any repairs / Service. I got all the service records from 2006 till 2019 on the Maruti app on my phone and the in-depth service record (Parts changed, Labour charges) was available only with MASS. The last time it was serviced was on 2019 January in MASS according to the Maruti App.Observations of the Swift:Likes:Reliable G13BB MPFi engine and its power till redline.Very light clutch.Short gear throws with tall gearing.Great AC cooling.Refinement of the engine.Stiff suspension gives you confidence when cornering hard at high speeds.Handling and feedback from steering.Overall, looks of the car has a timeless design.Dislikes:Low end torque is not great and requires downshifts for it get going on inclines.Fuel efficiency ( Hovers around 12kmpl in city).Rear seat space, It gets cramped due to the less leg room.Very small boot space, Basically NIL in this decade.Stiff Suspension is tiresome in the city.Lack of ABS.Missing features in VXi such as electromagnetic tailgate opener, Rear wiper with washer and defogger.No Manual Day/Night IRVM in the type 1 Swift VXi/LXi.RATTLES !! (Fixed later).Driving experience of the Swift:The car feels lethargic initially because of its poor low end torque but once it crosses 1200RPM there's no drama, it feels punchy. The gears are slick to shift through and the clutch weight is perfect. The brake bite is good but could have been improved further. The steering weighs up very light for the city, and weighs perfectly for speeds on the highway. I absolutely love the steering feel and handling of the Swift. The engine revs at 2100rpm at 80kmph on top gear. The throttle body is cable operated and I seem to like the cable operated accelerator rather than electronically controlled. Since the car is tall geared, its ABSOLUTELY FUN to redline it, the grunt is amazing and pulls strong till redline. First gear tops out at 60Kmph at 6700RPM redline, second gear tops at 100Kmph and so on. The power is distributed well across the rev band. The ORVM's are not electrically adjusted and are manually adjusted from the cabin. A separate front Fog light switch is given near the headlight levelling switch unlike new cars which have it on the headlight stalk itself. The headlight stalk has a switch for the rear fog light which can be switched on when the headlight is turned to full position. No sort of tilt adjustable steering and no steering mounted audio controls are given, heck even the ZXi Type 1 (2005-2007) never got them. The seat is not height adjustable since its the VXi only ZXi got them, but even then the stock seat height in the VXi is perfect for my height (I'm 5'11). The previous owners have gotten the seat covered in faux leather with a good contrast colour. Coming to the Fuel efficiency Point of view, The G13BB motor was never meant for fuel efficiency. It returns a fuel efficiency around 12-14 KM/L in the city and 17-21KM/L in the highway with my driving style. I do drive sedately with a very light right foot and have a habit of revv matching while downshifts. Photos taken within the first week of ownership: Fixing the 12V Socket wires:Now since I was new to cars at that time, I was curious to know how it all worked and wanted to learn how to diagnose if and when I face any issues. The first thing I wanted to fix was the 12V socket which was not getting power. Checked the fuses and it all looked good. So, one day with the help of my grandfather I opened up the center console trim and was shocked to see wires eaten by Rats. Previous owner did mention due to their low usage, it was rat attacked but it was fixed in MASS for any issues regarding the same. I guess MASS forgot to have a look at this: Me and my grandfather fixed it cleanly by de-pinning and soldering new wires and the socket got the power upon ignition. T'was job well done and assembled everything back perfectly.Start of Modifications and Accessories:The first month of getting the car, I slowly procured the accessories that I felt were necessary:Door visors -Got these from my local accessories shop.12V Mobile Fast Charger- Sourced from amazon and came with a Type-c Cable. It was made by Amkette.Pair of Horns - I got these installed from my local auto electrician and replaced OEM horn which was squeaking.Armrest - I found this very useful during long drives in my neighbour's Dzire, hence felt the need for it. Sourced it from Amazon during a sale.Those were the only accessories added on to the car in 2020, I had been out of the country and returned in Jan 2021. Even when I was out of the country, I was preparing and listing what all needs to be changed at the 70k service. Continue reading BHPian Ashtoncastelino's review of his preowned Maruti Swift for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

Tata Harrier facelift spied with new features

A test mule of the updated Tata Harrier has been spotted. The SUV is expected to get a larger touchscreen infotainment system and a 360-degree camera. The test car in these spy images looks identical to the current Harrier. However, upon close inspection you would notice that the ORVM has an integrated 360-degree camera. A peek inside the cabin reveals a heavily camouflaged dashboard, which suggests that the car could be equipped with an updated infotainment system. The Harrier facelift is expected to get subtle cosmetic updates as well. Reports suggest that the SUV could also come with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Under the bonnet, the Harrier will retain the FCA-sourced 2.0-litre diesel engine. The carmaker is said to be working on a new 1.5-litre turbo-petrol motor for the Harrier and Safari. However, details of the new powerplant are still unknown. Source:MotorOctane

Confusing ADAS feature names: Proposal to unify terms across all brands

BHPian sarathlal recently shared this with other enthusiasts. AAA along with Consumer Reports, J.D. Power, National Safety Council, PAVE, and SAE International released a set of expanded and updated recommendations for universal terms for advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features. This is an attempt to standardise and unify ADAS technology-related term usages primarily because most new vehicles are equipped with numerous advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The names used to describe them across the industry, however, varies greatly, which creates confusion for consumers. The six overarching categories of ADAS are:Collision warningCollision interventionDriving control assistanceParking assistanceDriver monitoringOther driver assistance systemsDriver monitoringRecommendation details for each of the above categories are as follows: The one pager report can be downloaded here. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Paddle shifters: When & how to use them

BHPian asmr recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Hey TBHPians! I have driven only MT cars all my life until about 9 months back when I got my Taigun Topline AT, which comes with paddle shifters. I have not seen a need arise to use them except when driving in the ghat sections and that too only because I wanted to try out how the experience differed from driving an MT. Overall, my Taigun's AT has proven itself to be capable of handling the standard variety of roads in TN and KA without much stress at all. So, for normal day-to-day driving or on long highway runs, how/where does the usage of paddle shifters fit in? It feels like I am missing something that might make my life somewhat easier. Is there a right way or time to use the paddle shifters? Any inputs from experienced folks here would be greatly appreciated. Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:The ATs of most cars are tuned so well that using the paddle shifters is entirely optional. I use paddle shifters mostly for (in order of priority):Engine braking. Am a big engine-braking guy.Downshifting to prepare the car for a sudden burst of acceleration or overtaking.When driving in pure manual mode. Not too often, but fun on your favourite roads.Sometimes to upshift too. Cars these days learn the driver's behaviour well. On occasion, once I am done with hard-driving, I'll use it to upshift and let the engine relax.I am such a heavy user of paddle-shifters when I'm in the mood that my passengers have commented on the constant clicking sound.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

1,47,000 km old Suzuki Fiero: Overhaul engine or sell bike?

BHPian ashish recently shared this with other enthusiasts. Hello Guys, This is Ashish from Lucknow. Not very active in commenting/replying in forums. But, do have a regular watch on all the topics going on here. I owned a Fiero from 2001. done almost 1.47L km so far without any major repairing work till date. But, now it needs engine overhaul and likewise. Problem is as the bike is too old, am unable to find mechanic here in Lucknow. Though I went to local authorized TVS dealer but they are helpless as parts are not available at there end. I managed to find a shop here with all the necessary spare needed but the issue is of mechanic. Want suggestion from you all :Is it advisable to get the complete overhaul done ? , if yes, can anyone suggest good mechanic here in Lucknow to whom i can contact.Or, have to move on for a new bike ?Waiting for valuable suggestions from you all. Thanks in advance. Ashish Here's what BHPian Mr.Boss had to say on the matter:Only you could answer this question Option 1, if:There are sentimental attachments to this bikeLove to ride a classic (or soon to be), forgotten yester-year bikeWilling to spend money & timeOption 2, if:You need a reliable daily rideWilling to taste something newHere's what BHPian shancz had to say on the matter:A friend has a Fiero of similar age, engine overhaul at 1.25-1.3 lakh kms, about 7-8 years ago. Mechanically the bike is still sound, visually not so much. Partly due to the effort required in procuring the parts, partly due to lack of interest in aesthetics. Due to the an expired registration and the new increased fines in getting it road worthy and the ever higher chances of older vehicles being taken off the road he has decided to scrap it while he can. Emotional values aside the bike doesn't meet the present needs. It would have been better if he had sold it before the overhaul, IMO. He tried the Ronin and was mightily impressed. He said the compact size, refinement, acceleration and the exhaust note reminded him of the Fiero.Here's what BHPian Gypsian had to say on the matter:Your query has put me into a dilemma. After having raced Fieros on the autocross circuit, I'm naturally inclined towards Fiero. The Apache series are all based on the Fiero. Be that as it may, still and all, today's motorcycles are safer with ABS, traction control ( few motorcycles ), better seating comfort, handling and mileage. You will thoroughly enjoy new motorcycle after having ridden Fiero for this long. Nevertheless I suggest you to retain your Fiero, provided its feasible for you to do so. I dont think any 4 stroke of that era could take as much beating as a Fiero.Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

BMW X3 M40i: Service & ownership report after 1.5 years & 32K km

BHPian mobike008 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.20,000 Miles (32,000 Kms) Regular Service @ 19 Months OwnershipBlau Rakete has been serving me well for the last 19 months that I have owned this amazing performance SUV. I was fast approaching 20K miles so I decided to schedule a service with BMW. Since everyone is running busy and have long waiting for appointments, I got one that was earlier than my planned 20K miles completion. I was at 19,600 miles but, I confirmed the appointment as the next date was far out and also didn't have a loaner option. I dropped off the car at 9:00 am with the following requests to Chris (My Service Advisor)Multi Point Check of the entire carCheck tyre depth of all tires as I have reached 20,000 miles on my stock Pirelli run flatsEngine Oil and Filter ChangeRefill all fluids in the carI got feedback that my rear tyres from inside were wearing out faster so an alignment was recommended and was quoted $250 as that's not covered in BMW Care. I declined as I would be changing the tyres soon and would get them all balanced and aligned at that time. I also requested them to clean the brake pads as I felt the bite was not as strong as when it was brand new. They normally don't remove the pads and clean but Chris made an exception. Within 15 minutes we were done and he handed over a 2021 BMW X3 30e (Hybrid car) with a comment we normally don't do loaners for a regular service when cars are returned the same day. Well, I told him Negotiating what's not regular is what I do for a living. I picked up the loaner and drove over to another car dealership where I had an appointment at 10:00 am More details on that 10'o clock exciting appointment can be found here. Prior to that, I enjoyed an overnight experience of this.20,000kms Ownership UpdateAs some of you are aware that I have a long history of car and motorcycle ownership and many of them are shared here on the forum as ownership threads. One of the biggest concerns (more than me, it's for my family) is that I lose interest in my steed after usually the 3-year mark or sometimes even before that. Besides this issue, I have never owned a preowned vehicle in my life. As you can imagine, it makes zero financial sense to not just buy new but, also change the auto as early as 3-years passing on the depreciation benefit to the next owner. Heck, I am like that who rarely uses brains and rides on emotions/feelings/heart. I think this car has changed that mindset and ownership style as I don't plan to sell this car for the next 5 years. Every mile of the past 20,000 miles has been the best driving experience of my life. I'm searching for excuses to drive the car like:Buy unnecessary groceries just because I want to take the car out for a spinAlways take the longer routePlan trips every single weekend (As I don't get to drive much during the weekday)In a nutshell, Blau Rakete has brought me smiles that are equal to all smiles put together of my entire car ownership till date in this short time span.Driving, Performance and EngineThis is a ridiculously fast car and is almost like a sports car in the guise of a compact SUV. Out of the 4 modes - Eco Pro, Comfort, Sport, Sports Plus below is my rough guess of the percentage of time the Blau Rakete spent in the last 20,000 miles.Eco Pro : 30%Comfort : 40%Sports : 20%Sports Plus : 10%Eco Pro is the most relaxing way to drive and the car is silent and passengers can enjoy the quiet and also the ride becomes plusher. My mom is visiting us for the last 6 months and she loves to sit in the front seat. Initially, she got scared by the B58 loud sound whenever I accelerate so I always drive in Eco Pro when she's onboard. Comfort is the best of both worlds where you get to enjoy the lovely growl of the B58 engine, increased power and minus the pops and crackles when you brake. Sports is where the real fun begins. Blau Rakete gets radically transformed into a lethal machine and this can be felt in the entire car's dynamics. Suspension becomes hard, Steering feels nicely weighted, Engine growl increases and whenever you brake and slow down, the pops and crackles of the engine bring a huge grin to my face. Sports Plus is a mode that I use rarely and only when I am in the mood to drive aggressive and fast. To share a simple analogy, the dynamics of the car feel double of what I have described in Sports mode. It feels like a tool meant to be on track and gives so much confidence in acceleration, braking and pushing in corners. In this mode, even if you gently feather the gas pedal and car will be hovering at 90mph or 100mph. It is impossible to be below 80mph in this mode and feels like you haven't even scratched the surface. There are not enough words in the dictionary to praise the B58 engine BMW. This is by far the best engine that BMW has produced and discussed and praised at length in multiple automotive forums. The power is so relentless that it feels like it will never end. Even at the top end, there is absolutely no harshness (I tried it multiple times on the mountains using paddle shifters and it hits the limiter and feels smooth as silk). Of so many articles out in the wild, this is by far my most favorite article on the B58 as it covers the entire aspects of this engine in simple terms to understand for an engineering noob like me. I have read it so many times, I feel like now I am ready to take an exam on B58. LOL! This is also the most tuneable engine that BMW produced till date and with minor updates like adding a Cold Air Intake, Better Exhaust System etc B58 can be tuned to 650 HP at the wheel from its stock avatar. Essentially for as little as $2000, it can be bumped up to a 650 HP monster (This will happen for sure in future). A recent video of the beautiful engine note of B58.Infotainment, HUD, ICEThe Infotainment is wonderful with a clean UI, Bright Display and Crisp with HD quality of text and pictures that pop with bright colors. The touchscreen is snappy and there is absolutely no lag. Music system is decent and can be enjoyed when driving in Eco Pro mode (in other modes the engine note takes over..LOL) but, when you bump up the volume at the higher end the music quality deteriorates. For a car this expensive, they should have given a Bang & Olufsen at the bare minimum. Connectivity is absolutely phenomenal. BMW is partial to Apple probably because of their tie-up with them. iPhones connect to CarPlay/Android Auto seamlessly and wirelessly. When I step into the car, everything is already connected and the music moves to CarPlay. For example, If I am listening to music on my AirPods/Powerbeats Pro, I step into the car wearing them the music automatically transfers to CarPlay instantly. Same thing happens with phone calls. Also, switching between users like me and my wife is equally seamless. If she opens the car with her key, all settings are as per her choice. But, 8/10 times, I am driving the car so it's rarely we use this amazing feature. Heads-Up Display (HUD) should be made mandatory in every car. It is such a useful feature that now we cannot live without it. BMW HUD is one of the best in business, Crisp, Clear and High Quality. The HUD can be moved up and down depending on the height of the driver. Only downside, Maps shows up on HUD when using an iPhone. However, if you are using an Android Phone or Google Maps, then maps are not shown on the screen. BMW seems to be more pally with Tim than with Sunder. Haha! Maps and Songs, Playlist can be seen in 3 different places- HUD, Instrument Cluster and Infotainment Screen. Amazing technology. I also have the Parking Assist Package which is a useful feature as the 360-degree cameras come up as soon as you slot the gear in reverse and the camera is HD quality and shows a view all around the car and even a top-down view. Everything works as seamlessly as it did on the day we took delivery of the car. Super Happy!!Build QualityThere has been not a single squeak till date, plastics creaking or anything falling off from the interior. It's built like a tank and we still enjoy a silent cabin with zero complaints on anything related to build quality.Stock TyresI'm surprised that stock RFs have lasted this long. As per the feedback given by SA, they will last more as the current tyre tread depth is 6 in front and 4 in the rear. Typically, it's recommended to replace the tyre when the depth is 3 (Look forward to some inputs and advice from tyre experts here). I will most likely change all 4 tyres when the depth reaches 3 at the rear as I don't want to risk it any further as I love aggressive driving and push the car on a daily basis. For now, I don't get the same confidence in corners so I am taking it with my foot off the gas and also I can literally hear them in the cabin as they got loud which was not the case a few 1000 miles before. And, we are going to get rains in the next couple of months so need to clock some more miles before and change the tyres as there will be a serious risk of aquaplaning during the rainy season.Fuel AverageThis is another area where I am super happy. B58 fuel consumption is reasonably good for such a powerful engine and if I push really hard the gas mileage drops to 17-18mpg but, since I toggle between Comfort and Sports, I get a pretty good city average of 20mpg-22mpg. Just a comparison, some of my friends who own muscle cars- Mustang and Challengers have a hard time getting past 15mpg. Overall, it has been a phenomenal ownership experience of my X3M 40i and I love driving it every single day and mile. Keeping my fingers crossed that I get to enjoy this beast for many more years to come. Lined up for Service Service done at a princely sum of $0 Tyre Depth Report My Loaner for the day (X3 30 e) Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Took delivery of my 2022 MG ZS EV, impressed with the overall range

BHPian speedmeister recently shared this with other enthusiasts. We took delivery of our MG ZS EV on 29th July. Booking and delivery experience was smooth and no issues there. Post-delivery, we did a 500Km+ drive over the weekend from Bangalore to MM Hills to Mysore and back to Bangalore. Quick summary of my likes and dislikes. A detailed ownership report will follow. Likes:Silent effortless drive which reduces fatigue in a big way.Excellent safety features including 3 point seat belts for all passengersPowerful motor offering quick overtakes on two lane roadsComprehensive list of featuresSpace and comfortDislikes:Headlamps, the LED projectors are just adequate.Missing features like Auto dimming IRVM, ventilated seats, steering adjustment doesn't offer reach, no call cancellation button on the steering wheel.Few bits of the infotainment system which can be bothersomeAC in Eco modeSofter suspensionThe car behaved brilliantly. We were 5 adults and boot full of luggage. I drove just like my regular cars and at no point there was any anxiety on range or performance of the car. The car was always on normal mode with AC on. Started off at 100% SOC from Bangalore, reached Malavalli Fast charger which is at 98KMs from my place at 76% SOC. This charger is conveniently located on the highway with a good restaurant. The car was fully charged even before we completed our lunch. We reached MM hills with 66% SOC and range of 285Kms. This is with an uphill climb. The SOC was down to 59% after all the local running about. Drove another 140Kms to Mysore to drop off my parents. SOC was at 18% with 52Kms range. Drove around Mysore a bit and the range was down to 11%. I used the Zeon fast charger to Mysore to top off the SOC to 80% from 11, this took about 44mins. Left for Bangalore at 9PM to reach home by 12 Midnight with 40% SOC. Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Spent 6.70 lakh on my Maruti Baleno RS for an audio upgrade

BHPian ROG_AK recently shared this with other enthusiasts. The quest for better audio is something I'm sure most of us yearn for, me being no exception to that. Although I wouldn't classify myself as a hard-core audiophile, I do enjoy good clean audio. This led me on a journey to fulfil my desires and in the end finally say 'I'm done with audio.' It all started back in 2018 when the first set of upgrades was done (more details can be found here). Just to summarize the changes:3M damping on all 4 doorsPolk Audio DB6501 components in the frontPolk Audio DB522 coaxial in the rearPioneer GM-A6704 4-channel amplifierPioneer TS-SW3002S4 12 shallow mount subwoofer in an enclosed boxStock HUIn this setup, the front components were driven by the amp while the rear was powered by the HU. The other 2 channels on the amp were bridged to power the subwoofer. Stock wiring was retained, and no high-low converter was used. I had no clue about car audio installation during this time and relied on the installer completely. As it turned out, the installer was absolute trash (something I found out later) Although it was much better than stock, it just didn't sound right. The highs were tinny, mids muddled with vocals and the sub could be heard but not felt. It was also just not playing some of the lower frequencies. The audio also used to cut off now and then, while people in the rear complained that the bass was overpowering and couldn't hear the music clearly. I ran with the setup for a while and tried to find a proper installer in the meantime, someone whom I can really trust to get things done and not just do it for the money. As luck would have it, I stumbled upon an old high school friend who is in the auto industry. Jackpot! I didn't have to worry about getting cheated and ripped off for anything related to cars anymore!! I spoke to him at length about car audio and he got an expert (Raghu) along to help. The first step was to assess the damage: Removing the so-called 3M damping. The only useful thing is those metal plate: The crossovers were placed inside the door. This explains why the audio used to cut off, it got wet. Luckily nothing shorted: Tapping the wire: Well, it was time to start fixing things. First up, damping! The plan was to damp all 4 doors and the boot. Raghu was meticulous with his process and took about an entire working day to get it done. He decided to use Dr Artex Iridum medium with a thickness of 2.0mm. The damping was done on the interior and exterior of the door, it took about 12 sheets: Damping inside: Damping inside the boot lid: Damping outside: Damping outside the boot lid: During this process, we realized that the rear speakers (DB522) were only 5.25 and it would be better to have 6.5 speakers instead (another noob thing I did not realize during the initial installation). This is probably why the rear fill was lacking. They had to be replaced and were done so by the Polk DB651, which should complement the front perfectly. The smaller 5.25 DB522: Replaced by the proper 6.5 DB651: Right, with the speakers and damping sorted, things should sound better. It did, the sound was clearer and had better separation. It still didn't feel balanced though, it's hard to put into words but it felt lacking. Raghu suggested replacing the HU with a Pioneer one, I wasn't ready to shell out so much (at the time) and I wanted to maintain the stock look. The next best thing would be a DSP according to him, my idea of a high-low converter was swiftly dismissed by the claims that it would not help much in terms of SQ. DSP it is then! We decided to add the Pioneer DEQ-S1000A to help fine-tune the sound and improve the overall SQ. A consequence of this would be that all 4 channels of the AMP are needed for the speakers and the sub is left out in the cold. A mono block was needed and came in the form of the JBL Club 5501 and it would also run off the DSP. A bit of extra wiring was needed running from the DSP to the AMPs. The speaker wires were not changed and didn't need to be, according to Raghu. The previous installer had cut the main harness to the HU and that also needed fixing. A tedious and time-consuming process. WIP: Continue reading on BHPian ROG_AK's audio upgrade on his Baleno RS for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

Google Maps now displays speed limits in India

Last month, Google Maps announced the introduction ofStreet Viewin India. Google has also rolled out the speed limits feature in select cities. Google Maps will show speed limit information in Bangalore and Chandigarh. The company is looking to introduce this feature in more cities by working closely with the local traffic authorities. Google has also partnered with Bangalore traffic police to optimize traffic light timings. The company claims to have observed a 20% reduction in congestion across all intersections in the city and is now looking to run a pilot project in Kolkata and Hyderabad in the coming months. Google will be working closely with local authorities to provide information on road closures and incidents across eight cities in India. These include Delhi, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Gurgaon, Bangalore, and Agra. Source:DNA

TVS patents hydrogen fuel cell-powered e-scooter

TVS Motors is developing a hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric scooter. Details of the new model have now been revealed through a leaked patent filing. The patent image appears to show a pair of hydrogen canisters integrated into the front fairing, just behind the downtube, while the filler nozzle is locate on the front apron. The battery is positioned under the rider's feet and the fuel cell is tucked-in under the seat. The image also reveals other components like the pressure regulator, flow meter and shut-off valve. One of the main advantages of hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles is that refilling hydrogen is as easy as filling petrol. However, storing hydrogen is tricky, and the infrastructure required is still in its nascent stage. Source:The Hindu

Honda Jazz petrol AT: Service costs & overall mileage after 31,000 Km

BHPian sridhu recently shared this with other enthusiasts. 31k Service Report December 2021 Service Report here. Gave the car for a 31k service as it was feeling slightly rough & there was a slight jerkiness to the steering when I turned the wheel at slow speeds. As I had heard of some Jazzes having power steering issues, wanted to get it seen at the earliest. No other major issues other than the rear power window switch not working intermittently. Prior to the service, I got the battery changed (largely time based; the horn was a bit weak). I had also done a WB/WA because it was due, at Goodyear, HSR. (Recommended place) Service Service consisted largely of replacing AC filter, oil etc. We decided to replace air filter & transmission oil etc in Dec/ Jan. They figured that the rear power window motor has to be replaced. I am to place an order 1 week before I give the car for service next. The jerky steering feel at < 20kmph speed they figured was due to uneven tire wear. They rotated the tires and the feeling did go away. Overall costs: 6.3k Other work The car developed a puncture in a recent trip to Coimbatore. Unfortunately when they rotated the wheels, they did not replace the external TPMS valves correctly. So the driver (I was not in the car) looked at the indicated tire and found it fine. It only occurred to him to check all tires 50-60 km later. At that point, it was too late for the punctured tire. It had suffered from tyre wall damage & had to be replaced Since it was 32k on the OEM and the tire wear indicator was already showing (had about 4k km, IMO) and because of the jerkiness in steering wheel and because (so many ands!!) the tires were about 5 years old, I decided to replace the tires. Went to Madhu's and got Apollo Vredestein 175/65/R15 tires for about 20k. Also got Sensairy internal TPMS (4 units) for about 5.7k I went with these tires becauseIt is a city car - ride & silence is more important than major gripThe 195/60/15 tires were a minimum of 6400 each. The difference of 1.3k per tyre was simply not worth it.Since I put in Sensairy, I did not have to pay for tyre valves - was a reduction of about 150 bucks per tireLifetime Statistics Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Tata Motors Announces Exclusive Offers Ahead Of Onam Festival In Kerala

Though Kerala is a relatively small state, it is one of the biggest markets for Tata Motors in India. Now with the festive seasons soon approaching, Tata Motors is looking forward to capitalise on this opportunity by introducing exclusive offers for

Hyundai Tucson 2022: New teaser of fourth-gen SUV out; Check launch date and how to book online - Details

According to the company's official website, the new SUV will be available in two variant options - Platinum and Signature. Both these variants will come in petrol-automatic and diesel-automatic configurations. The company has also commenced the booking of fourth-generation Hyundai Tucson at the price of Rs 50,000.

Tata Motors' Onam plan: Automaker eyes increase sales by 40% in Kerala

To mark Onam celebrations, the company is extending offers up to Rs 60,000 on its cars and is offering priority delivery for customers.

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 first look: Check launch date, specifications and more | Video

Royal Enfield Hunter 350:The company's Managing Director (MD) Siddharth Lal has posted the upcoming Hunter 350's sneak peek teaser on personal Instagram account.The new RE motorcycle will be available in dual-tone colours.

EV fire: Government says safety paramount, experts on the job

The drop in EV two-wheeler sales, according to industry experts, is due to the fear among consumers regarding the safety of EV two-wheelers.

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Exhaust Note Teased

Royal Enfield has released yet another teaser of its upcoming motorcycle, the Royal Enfield Hunter 350. When launched, the Royal Enfield Hunter 350 motorcycle is expected to be the most affordable Royal Enfield motorcycle in the country.

Top 10 Best-Selling Car Brands In India (July 2022) - Maruti Continues To Dominate

Car sales in India rose by 17.10 per cent in July 2022 compared to the same period last year while Month-over-Month sales also rose by 6.38 per cent compared to June 2022.

Maruti Suzuki Rewards Celebrates 2nd Anniversary With More Than 7 Million Members

Maruti Suzuki Rewards is a unique loyalty program introduced by Maruti Suzuki in India. Now, the Indo-Japanese automaker is celebrating the 2nd year anniversary of the Maruti Suzuki Rewards program in the country.

Honda Dio Sports Launched In India - Prices Start At Rs 68,317

Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer Honda has launched the limited edition Dio Sports in India. The Honda Dio Sports is offered in two colour options and prices start at Rs 68,317 (ex-showroom, New Delhi).

Fire-resistant batteries for electric two-wheelers launched - Check availability and more

EV company Komaki on Tuesday said it has launched fireproof batteries in India that will be available in all company vehicles from next month.

What do we do about all the people who cant charge an EV at home?

Two-thirds of US drivers can charge at homethat leaves plenty who can't.

Electric Mahindra Bolero Pik Up Teased Ahead Of Arrival - The Future of Pickups In India?

Indian carmaker Mahindra has teased the arrival of an electric version of its Bolero 'Pik Up' truck. The arrival of the electric version of the Mahindra Bolero Pik Up was teased through a new video on Mahindra's Youtube channel.

This electric two-wheeler company leads in EV segment sales in July; Ather and Ola see sharp drop

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), which comes under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, said this week that it issued notices to four to five EV two-wheeler makers in the light of several complaints raised by the consumers over battery explosions and fire incidents.

2022 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 Could Be Launched Sooner

The upcoming 2022 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 motorcycle could be launched sooner in the Indian two-wheeler market than expected as the automaker hints with a background poster in its latest teaser video.

Royal Enfield Hunter 350 Launch Soon - Teaser Mentions Bullet Meri Jaan

Royal Enfield has released a new teaser online. Though the new teaser does not reveal any motorcycles, it does mention a date at the end - 7 August 2022. Moreover, the teaser carries a youthful yet vintage vibe - Signifying the character of the upcoming motorcycle.

Mahindra Scorpio N Records 25,000 Bookings In Just 1 Minute - Sets A New Record

The 2023 Mahindra Scorpio N records 25,000 bookings in just 1 minute. In addition to that, more than 1 lakh Mahindra Scorpio N SUVs were booked in just 30 minutes. In comparison, it took 1 hour for Mahindra XUV700 to record

Royal Enfield Super Meteor Spotted Testing Again - Looks Almost Ready

New spied images of the Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 motorcycle have surfaced online and these images reveal that the upcoming 650cc motorcycle from Royal Enfield is almost ready for a grand launch.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Prices Leaked Online - Undercuts Hyundai Creta By Almost Rs 1 Lakh

Ahead of the launch, the prices of the upcoming Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV have been leaked online. According to this leaked information, prices for the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV start from Rs 9.50 lakh, ex-showroom.

Blazepods are interesting training gear, but theyre overkill for casual users

F1 champ Max Verstappen trains with Blazepods before going into a race.

2022 Mahindra Scorpio N Bookings - Everything You Need To Know

Mahindra has finally revealed the booking dates for the all-new Mahindra Scorpio N SUV in India. According to the automaker, the bookings for the new Scorpio N SUV will commence on 30 July 2022, 11 am onwards.

Nissan achieves milestone of shipping out one million 'Made in India' cars

Nissan Motor India has shipped its cars to about 108 countries since 2010. Nissan has transitioned its primary export market from Europe to the Middle East countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

Large order book, production ramp-up to drive passenger vehicle sales in July: Report

Passenger vehicle segment should witness a robust growth on a large order book and production ramp-up, with automakers such as Tata Motors, M&M and Maruti Suzuki expected to log 49 per cent, 28 per cent and 8 per cent volume growth, respectively, in July, the brokerage firm said.

Honda to discontinue 3 models - Jazz, WR-V and 4th Gen City in India

Sources said the three models were being phased out as the company prepares to launch SUV models in the market.

Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Alpha Variant - Everything You Need To Know

The Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV is one of the most-awaited SUVs in India. Now, the top-of-the-line 'Alpha' variant of the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara has started arriving at Nexa dealerships across the country.

Audi India Inaugurates Audi Approved: Plus Facility In Coimbatore

Audi India recently inaugurated a new pre-owned luxury car Audi Approved: plus outlet in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

Euro Slumps To Two-Decade Low, Oil Tumbles As Recession Fears Intensify

Euro zone recession fears were exacerbated by concerns about an energy crisis in Europe and by Tuesday's data, which showed a sharp slowdown in business growth in June, following Monday's news of a...

Tata Motors Signs MoU With EC Wheels India; To Supply 1,000 Xpres-T EVs

The deliveries of the Tata Xpres-T electric sedans to EC Wheels India will commence in phases.