Issue 11 - Oct 2012

DA SH AI N SP EC IA

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PASSION OBSESSION LIFESTYLE

EXCLUSIVE

REVIEWS

October 2012 Issue 11 NRs. 100

HyundaiVerna BajajPulsar200NS Commencal Meta AM

FEATURES AL CYCLIST National Downhill Championship DIY: Hydraulic Disc Brake Adjustment FACEBOOK

ROADTRIP

Ride to Spiti Valley

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EVENTS

NADA Auto Expo 2012 Mahindra Tri Nation Escape

Night Bus Service Quick Dashain Getaways

WISHLIST Renault

LEGENDS Valentino Rossi

October 2012

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AVAILABLE AT: CONVERSE, SHOP NO S31, CITY CENTER PH:4011711 FUTURE, RANJANA GALLI, NEW ROAD PH:4221103

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CONTENTS

ISSUE 11 OCTOBER 2012

26 news and updates

REGULARS 70 wishlist: renault

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72

legend: valentino rossi

pulsar 200NS

96 legend: valentino rossi

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hyundai verna

TESTS 36 hyundai verna

62 pulsar 200NS

commencal meta am

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commencal meta AM

complete buying guide

DIY

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roadtrip: ride to spiti valley

CONTENTS

46 NADA auto show

ISSUE 11 OCTOBER 2012

FEATURES 58 dashain getaways

76 public night bus

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mahindra tri-nation escape

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46 NADA autoshow

national downhill championship

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dashain getaways

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INTERACTIVE

public night bus national downhill championship

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readers’ submitted photos

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86

movie review

84 playlist

crossword

196,200.-

CASTELLO/4 bedroom set CASTELLO 6 ft Bed 58,900.4 door wardrobe 109,200.CASTELLO dressing table 28,100.-

Metro Park, Uttar Dhoka, Lazimpat 4415181 Steel Tower, Jawalakhel 5000270

Offer valid till Tihar only

Issue 11

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Are things changing around us? For better or worse is of course a different thing. But it wouldn’t be an understatement to say that our automobile industry is certainly heading towards a better direction. If nothing else, the success of the recently concluded 2012 NADA Auto Show is a living proof of it. Not only did the show grab the headlines amongst visitors and enthusiasts with the better organization, but as well revived the industry sales which had been in a slump for a while now.

There were quite a lot of new models unveiled at the show and the companies too have come out with attractive schemes and offers keeping in mind the big festive season of Dashain.

On that note, we also hope that all of you out there have a wonderful and prosperous Dashain.

Obviously, a comprehensive coverage of the NADA Auto Show serves as the major story in this issue. On the test front, we got our hands behind the wheels of two new vehicles that were unveiled at the show - Bajaj Pulsar 200NS and Hyundai Verna. The Pulsar 200NS is a game changer in the general motorcycling scene and regarding the Hyundai Verna, you must have already painted a picture of our impression with the ‘Korean Invader’ tag in the cover. And keeping up with our trend to try new things every time, we have introduced a cycling review in this issue. The 2012 Commencal Meta AM 1 was put through a rigorous test on a national level downhill track and our test rider had a good time speeding and sliding through the woods. Also read about our feature on the Night Bus Service in the city and event coverage of the Mahindra Tri-Nation Escape and the National Downhill Championship.

On the regulars, this time there’s Renault on Wishlist, Valentino Rossi on Legends and our reader Sherap Sherpa’s dangerous ride to Spiti Valley.

Keeping in mind the festive days ahead, we also have a special feature on some of the nearby destinations that you could head out to for a drive or ride. So break free from your humdrum schedule, take a time out and drive/ride away to these getaways with your dear and near ones. The weather will be at its best and with the clear roads, there couldn’t be a better time to get your motors running.

HAPPY DA S HAI N PS: The next issue we complete a year and it will be a milestone achievement for us with the anniversary special. So don’t forget to send us those good wishes and your valuable testimonials on our progress so far. By the way, we really love to hear good things coming our way.

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VOL 1 ISSUE 11 OCTOBER 2012 SOFTROCK MEDIA PVT LTD BALUWATAR, KATHMANDU, NEPAL TEL: 977-01-441546 REGD: 84553/068/069

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Autolife is an automotive magazine (DAO Regd 213/067/068), published 12 times a year by Softrock Media. All rights reserved in respect of all articles, illustration, photographs, etc published in Autolife Magazine. The content of this publication may not be reproduced on whole or in any part in any electronics or print form, in any language, without the written consent of the publisher. The opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, who cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omission.

Autolife has a dedicated review team for all test drives and rides. We research, study, plan and execute our tests and publish our real experience without any influences. We have our loyalty towards our readership and are not biased or inclined towards any specific brands or services. All advertisement insertions are a part of our marketing campaign, due to their relevance with the magazines content; and published only after authorization from clients or their respective media agencies.

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news updates

autolife

nepal

LEON MOTORS CO-SPONSORS THREE STAR

>> Leon Motors, the authorized dealer of Mitsubishi Motors for Nepal,

has signed a one year co-sponsorship deal with Three Star football club. Three Star Club, an A division football outfit of Lalitpur, extended the co-sponsorship deal with Leon Motors Pvt. Ltd for the second year in a row. Three Star will receive Rs 3,00,000 cash support from Leon Motors and Mitsubishi´s logo will be displayed in the club´s jersey. Leon Motors Executive Chairman Ashish Shrestha said he was elated to be associated again with Three Star Club and has vowed to extend the sponsorship to the next year with additional fund. Western Union too pledged Rs.1 million to Three Star Club, and the record joint co-sponsorship deal amounting to Rs 1.3 million is the highest amount committed so far by a co-sponsor to any football club of Nepal. Executive Chairman Ashish Shrestha, Senior Country Manager of Western Union Atish Krishna Shrestha and Three Star President Lalit Krishna Shrestha inked the deal in a signing ceremony at Hotel Dwarika on September 17, 2012.

ENFIELDERS RIDE FOR A CAUSE >> Twenty Royal Enfield riders set off on September 25, 2012 for a seven-day tour across the eastern side of the country to promote motorcycle tourism along with the national Hand Wash With Soap (HWWS) programme. Handwashing is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrhoeal and acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children in developing countries. Scientific studies have shown that the mere act of washing hands with soap can reduce diarrhoeal incidence by up to 47 per

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cent and reduce respiratory infections by an estimated 23 per cent. Every year, on October 15, more than 200 million people celebrate Global Handwashing Day, which was originally created for children

BRAND ‘HERO MOTOCORP’ LAUNCHED

>> Hero MotoCorp Ltd (HMCL), the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer launched the brand ‘Hero’ and its range of two-wheelers in Nepal, marking the new brand’s foray into the country. Speaking at the opening ceremony, managing director and chief executive officer of Hero MotoCorp, Pawan Munjal said that the company was elated to announce Nepal as its second international market after Sri Lanka. Nepal General Marketing (NGM), a subsidiary of the Jyoti Group, has been appointed as the sole authorised distributor of Hero motorcycles in Nepal.

This division of the Jyoti Group was earlier known as Syakar Company. The newly branded products will be distributed through a network of more

than 70 existing outlets spread across the country and another about 30 new outlets will be added in the next one year. The range of Hero motorcycles which will be available in Nepal include the HF Deluxe and HF Dawn in the entry-level segment; Splendor Pro, Splendor NXG, Super Splendor, Glamour and Passion Pro in the deluxe segment; Karizma ZMR, Hunk and Xtreme in the premium segment; and Pleasure in the scooter segment. Miss Nepal Shristi Shrestha unveiled the Hero Pleasure while cricketer Binod Das rolled out the Hero Xtreme at the event. Early this month, HMCL also formed its third international technology alliance with renowned Italian two-wheeler designing firm Engines Engineering to scale up its own in-house R&D capabilities. Hero MotoCorp Ltd. has been on continued growth path since embarking on its solo journey from Honda over a year ago.

and schools in over 100 countries around the world. Yubaraj Lama, member secretary of National Sports Council and Sharad Ranjit, chief communication officer of UNICEF flagged off the riders in front of United Nations House, Pulchowk before they embarked on their journey. The bikers taking part in the event promoted the campaign across seven districts in Nepal. The bikers celebrated World Tourism Day on Sep 27, 2012 at Kakarvitta and promoted motorcycle tourism around exotic places like Janakpur, Dharan, Bhedetar, Taplejung, Phidim, Ilam and Sandakphu. They were also joined by other Royal Enfield Motorcycle Club members from Dharan, India and Bhutan at Kakarvitta. Following the footsteps of Che Guevara, along the way they also visited Lal Ghad Hospital who are working for the benefit of the Leprosy affected people on Nepal.

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news updates

autolife

india

YAMAHA’S NEW RAY OF HOPE

>> What makes the Ray scooter so significant for Yamaha is that it’s the first time the Japanese bike maker has launched a scooter in India. The Ray scooter was first displayed in January at the Auto Expo 2012 in Delhi. The Ray’s youthful styling has sharp lines and a front apron that bears a resemblance to the Honda Dio. The stylish and compact Ray powered by the 113cc motor which makes 7 bhp and 8.1 Nm of torque is sure to be well-suited to urban commuting duties. The Ray uses a scooter-typical 4-stroke, air-cooled, CVT automatic transmission engine and a top-drawer telescopic fork front suspension. The scoot comes with a low seat-height for ease-of-use and further provides the convenience of easy-to-use main- and side-stands. This has all been maintained keeping in mind their female centric approach and target audience of young ladies under 24 years. The latest Yamaha has been affordably priced at IC Rs.46,000 and is offered in Pink, Purple, Blue, Burgundy, Grey and Black.

THE PHANTOM SERIES II ROLLS IN

>> Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveiled the new Phantom

II in India. The new model with a new look front end featuring all LED headlamps, though an evolution of the 2003 model, isn’t an all-new car. The Series II gets

by a new 8-speed automatic transmission, a new rear differential and overhauled electronic systems in the cabin. It’s mated to the same 6.7-litre V12 developing 460bhp with 720Nm of torque at its disposal. The suspension has been tweaked to be softer and the car can be customized to insane levels as per one’s choice. The luxury car is available in various ranges as a saloon, extended-wheelbase saloon, coupé and drophead. The Phantom II retails in India for a starting price of IC Rs.4.5 crore while the extended wheelbase version has a price tag of IC Rs.5.10 crore.

TVS PHOENIX LAUNCHED

>> TVS marks re-entry into the competitive 125cc executive segment, with a new 125cc EcoThrust engine. An electric starter fires up the four-speed power train Phoenix 125 that puts out 14.7 bhp at 8000rpm. minor upgrades like a redesigned media controller The motorcycle features a fully digital with a larger 8.8 inch screen and fully LED headlights speedometer with an amber backlight, a with cornering adaptive functions. What has changed digital fuel gauge, low battery reminder, underneath in the new car? The V12 is now more trip meter, service reminder, soft texture efficient by a claimed 10% and is complemented grips and soft-touch switchgear.

The company has also equipped it with hazard lamps to enhance rider >> The much anticipated sensor. The Quanto is built safety. On the mechanical front, on Mahindra’s Ingenio Mahindra Quanto has been the Phoenix 125 comes with a platform and Mahindra officially revealed in India. five-step adjustable ‘series spring’ has said that another more The mini-SUV is powered by a suspension and a high response powerful 4-cylinder engine modified version of the mHawk damper. TVS claims the motorcycle variant is on the cards, diesel engine called mCR100, has a fuel economy of over 67kpl which could be offered which is a 3-cylinder, 1493cc under standard riding conditions. with 4x4. The price of the and 100 bhp diesel engine The motorcycle is available in five Quanto was revealed as which produces 240Nm of dual tone colours: Moroccan Red, Drive Assist System (DDAS), driver seat per the variant order - IC torque. The motor is married Alaskan Green, Helsinki Black Rs.5.82 lakh for the lowest to a 5-speed transmission. The height adjust, body coloured bumpers, Silver, Belgian Black Red and car is available in four variants electric wing mirrors and an integrated end C2 variant, IC Rs.6.35 Oxford Grey, and is priced at IC audio system with CD, MP3 and radio. It lakh for C4, IC Rs.6.86 lakh and the top-of-the-line C8 Rs.51,000 (with drum brake) & IC also gets a rear defogger, ABS, dual front for C6 and IC Rs.7.36 lakh variant gets alloy wheels, Rs.53,000 (with disc brake). power windows, a sleek Digital airbags, fog lamps and a reverse parking for the top-end C8.

MINI SUV FROM MAHINDRA

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news updates

autolife

international

JAGUAR’S F-TYPE REVEALED

MC LAREN P1 SUPERCAR REVEALED

>> Unveiled at an exclusive event at the Paris Motor Show, the

>> McLaren has taken the wraps off its P1, the company’s all-new

new F-Type takes Jaguar back to its roots of the old XK120 and E-Type. You get three flavours of F-Type - a 335bhp entry-level version, a 375bhp F-Type ‘S’ featuring a supercharged 3.0-litre V6, and the range-topping 5.0-litre V8 with 488bhp in the ‘V8 S’ variant. In 335bhp form, it’ll hit 100kph in 5.1s and hit a limited top speed of 260kph. The F-Type S does 0-100kph in 4.8s and a top speed of 275kph. But you’ll naturally veer towards the V8: 0-100kph in 4.2s and a top speed of 300kph. These engines come mated as standard to an eight-speed automatic - albeit with ‘quick shifts’ - powering the rear wheels on a chassis that gets a mechanical limited slip diff in the F-Type S, and an electronic diff in the V8 S. The long-awaited F-type will reach UK showrooms at a price of around £55,000 by next May.

AUDI RS5 OPENS UP

‘ultimate supercar’. The P1 is a design study with one simple goal in mind – to be the best driver’s car in the world, on road and track.

Sources close to the company have revealed that the new model is likely to produce around 960bhp with the help of a Formula 1-style Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS). The P1 is not designed to outrun a Bugatti Veyron, but it is more about exceptional lap times.

Rumours suggest that the P1 will have a top speed of 384kph and a 0-100kph time of less than three seconds. The P1 will have a limited production run of 500 models, and it may be sold out to existing McLaren clients and high-profile collectors without going on general public sale. The final production version of the P1 will be shown next year, and it is expected to look almost identical to the car pictured here. Its arrival will coincide with the 50th anniversary of McLaren.

>> Audi has unveiled its new RS5 Cabriolet. Apart from a convertible top which opens and closes in 15 and 17 seconds respectively, the RS5 Cabriolet gets a grey front spoiler, RS badging and 19-inch forged wheels made of aluminium, to differentiate it from its hard-top cousin. Audi is also offering customers an option to choose 21-inch wheels. The RS5 Cabriolet has a 450PS 4.2-litre V8 FSI engine mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic gearbox. Quattro all-wheel drive is also standard with a 40:60 front/rear power ratio. Audi claims that the Cabriolet will hit 0-100kmph in just 4.9 seconds and top out at an electronically limited top speed of 250kmph. Customers can also choose to increase the speed limit to 280kmph. Sales for the RS5 Cabriolet open in Germany next year.

REVISED LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO

>> A subtly revised Lamborghini Gallardo has been revealed at the Paris motor show. Changes to the Gallardo LP 560-4 – the best-selling model in Lamborghini’s history- include tweaked front and rear styling, new matte black 19-inch alloy wheels and larger air intakes in front of the front wheels. Overall, the new look’s broader and more fighty with larger air intakes in front. Further customisation is available through Lamborghini’s ‘Ad Personam’ programme. That said, Lambo’s not shouting about engine mods, which probably means the 543bhp, 5.2-litre, 540Nm V10’s not been subject to much surgery. Also new to the Gallardo range is a new Edizione Tecnica specification for the high-performance LP 570-4 Superleggera and Spyder Performante models. These models get a new fixed rear wing, carbon ceramic brakes and a new look with three different colour combinations. The revised LP 560-4 and new Edizione Tecnica models will be in showrooms from November. The Gallardo LP 550-2 coupe and Spyder models continue unchanged.

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news updates

autolife

international

BETA ANNOUNCES 2-STROKE OFF ROADERS

>> For the first time, Italian manufacturer Beta will be offering two-strokes in its off-road line-up for 2013.

The RR 250 and 300cc Betas feature electric-start two-stroke motors that are manufactured and assembled by Beta and are fitted in specifically designed frames. Available in 250cc and 300cc displacements, their bore and stroke are 66.4 x 72mm and 72 x 72mm that represent the best

cylinder head has been designed to obtain the best compromise between low-end power delivery and top speed. The power valve is adjustable to allow riders to customize the behaviour of the engine according to riding style and track conditions. 6-speed gearbox derived from their 4T compromise to get the perfect power Engine claims to be extremely reliable as well as offer delivery and a solid feel of the torque needed. Crankcases are made unsurpassed performance under all conditions. The graphics on by die-casting, to obtain lightness the bike further emphasize the and stiffness simultaneously. They slim design and at the same time are entirely machined in-house to ensure quality and accuracy and the enhance the racing feel.

NEW MULTISTRADA BREAKS COVER

four different models, as before, all with significant revisions, but the current 1200S Sport model will be discontinued and replaced by a new flagship machine – the Multistrada 1200S ‘GranTurismo’. The Multistrada 1200 gets the associated Riding Mode technologies of Ride-by-Wire and >> Ducati has unveiled its 2013 Ducati Traction Control in addition to ABS, while the Multistrada 1200 S Multistrada range models featuring Touring gets additional side luggage, the second generation Testastretta heated grips and centre stand.The 11° engine, the semi-active Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS) for S versions 2013 Multistrada 1200 range will be available for sale from January 2013. and latest ABS system. There will be

THE 2013 KTM 1190ADVENTURE >> Following the leak of

the first brochure shots of KTM’s eagerly awaited new 1190 Adventure, the Austrian factory has now unveiled the bike in advance of the forthcoming Cologne Show. The pictures show the new bike in both standard and ‘R’ forms. The orange and silver bikes are the standard version, defined by its 19in/17in wheel combination, adjustable seat, screen and foot pegs and electronic suspension while the white/black bike is the more off-road orientated ‘R’ version, with 21in/18in wheels and fully-adjustable long-travel suspension.

Both feature a 150bhp version of the LC8 V-twin used in the RC8, a full electronics package of ride-by-wire, traction control and switchable mapping and the latest generation Bosch ABS.

NEW KAWASAKI ZX-6R UNVEILED >> Kawasaki has officially unveiled the 2013 Kawasaki ZX-6R which returns to a displacement

of 636cc, with strong low to mid range power for a more tractable engine. Based off the existing 2012 ZX-6R Inline Four engine, the 2013 configuration makes use of the same bore (67mm) but a 2.6mm longer stroke. Other enhancements including updated cylinder head porting, camshafts, intake and exhaust systems have also been made, to work with the new engine spec. The new bike will use Kawasaki’s latest traction control system, which offers three different modes and two selectable power modes. It comes standard with ABS, although Kawasaki has not indicated whether this could be turned off. It also gets new and larger disc brakes. The front brake has new radial-mount Monobloc Brakes with Nissin callipers. The design of the wet-style slipper clutch is new too. The shape of the body panels has also been revised for more efficient aerodynamics. The improvements come at a substantial cost with the 2013 ZX-6R priced at $11,699 for the non-ABS and $12,699 for the ABS model in the United States.

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autolife

news updates

motor sports

BENTLEY RETURNS TO RACING

MERCEDES SIGNS HAMILTON

>> Bentley confirms return to motor racing with new sports car based on the thundering Continental GT Speed. That’s right, Bentley’s going racing again. This concept GT3 Continental is being developed at Bentley’s HQ in Crewe, and sits on the Continental GT Speed’s chassis - the fastest road-going Bentley in history. It gets a rear-wheel-drive chassis in accordance with racing regulations, motorsport hardware and a comprehensive aerodynamic package. Bentley hasn’t revealed details of the engine’s specification, but a race-tuned version of the GT Speed’s turbocharged W12 seems likely to power the new car.

It will begin its racing career at the end of 2013 in a range of race series and events, up to and including 24-hour marathons. Bentley will take on the likes of McLaren, Porsche, Mercedes and Aston Martin in sports car racing with the new Bentley Continental GT3.

The Continental GT3 is set to show the world what the Continental GT is capable of in its most extreme form, and establishes a solid foundation for Bentley’s long-term motorsport plans.

F1 GETS NEW SAFETY CAR

>> Mercedes has confirmed that Lewis Hamilton has signed a three-year deal to drive for the German squad from 2013. The Briton, whose move was expected after McLaren announced Sergio Perez for 2013 earlier on Friday morning, will drive alongside Nico Rosberg, replacing seven-time champion Michael Schumacher at the team. Mercedes did not specify what Schumacher’s plans were. Hamilton, who has been driving for McLaren since he made his debut in Formula 1 in 2007, said he needed a “fresh challenge”. Hamilton’s career has been supported

by Mercedes and McLaren for many years, having driven with Mercedes-Benz engines in the Formula 3 Euro Series and during his whole F1 career at the Woking team. Rosberg and Hamilton were team-mates in 2000 at TeamMBM.com in Formula A karting.

>> The Mercedes-Benz SLS GT has been announced as the new Formula 1 Safety Car. The GT is the latest in a long line of AMG safety cars, and takes over from the regular SLS which had been used to marshal F1 race events since 2010. Essentially a revised version of the current SLS supercar, the GT puts out 583bhp from its 6.2-litre V8 and features a retuned dual-clutch gearbox which gives improved shift times. The changes knock a tenth of a second off the SLS’s 0-100kph sprint time, which now takes just 3.7 seconds. Its top speed has been limited to 317kph. New to the SLS GT is AMG Ride Control. It replaces the three-mode system on the current car and is claimed to offer aggressive suspension tuning for improved dynamics. A production version of the SLS GT is mechanically identical to the Safety Car and finish to the fins and grille-mounted Mercedes badge, to visually has darkened head and tail lamp lenses, as well as a glossy black distance it from the standard SLS.

Soaring free with a fresh breath of expressive styling

The Sporty sedan

test drive

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WORDS: AYUSH DHAUBANJAR | PHOTOS: NIREN TULADHAR

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axmi Inter Continental Pvt. Ltd, the authorized dealers of Hyundai for Nepal, couldn’t have better timed the launch of the new fluidic Verna than now. Firstly, it was unveiled to the public at the recently concluded NADA Auto Show which guaranteed great product mileage and visibility. Secondly, Dashain is around the corner and it is an important event in the Nepalese calendar when most people consider pampering themselves with the purchase of new products. Thirdly, we Nepalese have now come to love everything that is Korean. From Korean movies, Korean fashion influence, eating out Korean, braying like donkeys at the local Korean karaoke bars to dancing crazily to the tunes of Gangnam Style, Korean has almost become a second culture for us. Of course, how could I miss the lust for those pretty Korean girls! Amongst all these, another Korean that is now becoming a household name is the Hyundai brand. Gone really are the days when a Nepali would look no further than Japan and Germany for automobiles. Hyundai has already had remarkable success in everything from hatchbacks, crossover SUV’s to entry-level and executive sedans. The only product missing here was in the mid-level sedan segment. So does the recently launched Hyundai Verna have all that it takes to invade the mid-level sedan segment too? Read on. www.autolife.com.np

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EXTERIORS Wrapped in Hyundai’s new fluidic design philosophy, the Verna looks very modern and sharp. Its hexagonal front grille and elaborately detailed sweeping eagle eye headlamps gives the Verna a bold face.

But the front fascia could have been more different, as up front it looks almost similar to the new generation of i10 and i20. A ‘V’ on the bonnet that originates just above the grille though adds much muscle to the front. Even the L-shaped fog lights that sit neatly in the front bumper look distinctive and attractive. It is when viewed side-on that the Verna looks fantastic. The sharply rising shoulder-line with the tastefully selected alloy wheels on low-profile tyres makes it easily look more sporty and stylish than most of its competitors. The coupe-like roofline that flows into the chunky and spread out integrated tail light adds to the effect. Hyundai’s extreme attention to detail can be easily made out from the sporty twin tailpipes which complete the overall look. Even the build quality and paint finishes resonates a very premium feel. With Hyundai’s fluidic sculpture design philosophy, the Verna is a sleek looking sedan with uninterrupted curves and a coupe-like sporty profile.

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INTERIORS Taking into account the pleasing exterior styling of the Verna, you’d expect an equally attractive interior as well. The Verna definitely does not disappoint with its well laid out textured dashboard, light colours, blue backlight theme and impressive quality. The doors open up to an inviting spacious cabin and the plastic parts and buttons seem to be well put together.

The beige colour on the seats and lower portion of the dashboard further enhances the light ambience in the car. But the fake wood on the dash and door trims looks less than convincing. The Verna comes loaded with goodies like climate control, reverse parking assist camera, gear shift indicator, mileage indicator, electrically folding mirrors, steering mounted controls and integrated music system with Bluetooth, USB and iPod connectivity. Holding on to the chunky steering wheel, the tilt adjustable driver’s seat seats a bit low, but offers well enough visibility at the front. The modern instrument console provides a lot of vehicle information and is well illuminated for easy reading. In the rear, there’s plenty of legroom and the rear passengers will not complain even with a six-footer in the front.

The well contoured low seats have a nicely

angled backrest that makes seating very comfortable. But the door pockets aren’t deep enough to even hold one litre water bottles. There is though a bottle and cup holder beside the handbrake. While at the rear, the Verna’s 465 litre boot space offers more than adequate area for travelling or the regular household shopping. Amongst these, the safety features include dual airbags, ABS with EBD and an impact and speed sensing door lock.

PERFORMANCE And yes there is power to match all that show too. The company currently offers two petrol engines which include a 1.4-litre and a 1.6-litre with 107 bhp and 123 bhp of power respectively. We drove the available SX variant of the 1.6L VTVT manual transmission. The 1591cc petrol motor belts out a healthy 123 bhp and 155 Nm of torque. The Verna takes off more quickly than most similar sedans and the refined engine offers a fairly linear power delivery.

But it’s beyond the mid-range rpm where the car pulls more strongly. Since the Verna pulls harder as the revs rise, you need to keep the motor spinning to get the most out of it. The five-speed gearbox is smooth in operation and the gears are just a short

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The sharply rising shoulder-line with the tastefully selected alloy wheels on low-profile tyres makes it easily look more sporty and stylish than most of its competitors.

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The ride definitely feels great at lower speeds within the city, where the Verna will obviously spend most of its time.

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SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE:

Type: VTVT In-Line 4 Cylinder 16V DOHC Displacement: 1396cc | 1591cc Fuel Type: Petrol Maximum Power: 107 Bhp @ 6300 rpm | 123 Bhp @ 6300 rpm Maximum Torque: 135 Nm @ 5000 rpm | 155 Nm @ 4200 rpm Transmission: 5 Manual

DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT: Length: 4370 mm Width: 1700 mm Height: 1475 mm Wheelbase: 2570 mm Ground Clearance: 170mm Tyre Size: 185/65R15 or 195/55 R16 Suspension Front: MacPherson Struts w/ Coil Spring Suspension Rear: Coupled Torsion Beam Axle Brakes Front: Discs Brakes Rear: Discs Dry Weight: 1030kg Fuel Tank: 43L

PRICING AS PER VARIANTS: Verna 1.4: 32,96,000/Verna 1.6 SX: 36,96,000/-

COLOR OPTIONS: Sleek Silver, Carbon Grey, Stone Beige, Phantom Black, Crystal White, Purple Fantasia

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES: Chevrolet Optra, Honda City, KIA Cerato, VW Vento, Skoda Rapid, Maruti Suzuki SX4, Nissan Sunny, Fiat Linea, Ford Fiesta www.autolife.com.np

throw. To bring the car to a halt, the Verna comes with capable disc brakes all around.

The suspension layout is traditional, a combination of MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam axle at the rear.

The suspension has been set up soft and at low speeds the Verna easily soaks up the potholes and bumps scattered around Kathmandu. But as the speeds rise, the bumps on the road tend to unsettle the car and calls for a steady hand at the wheel.

As a result of the soft setup, you can’t also enthusiastically throw the Verna into the corners without feeling nervous. Cornering manners are good but the body rolls quite a bit on some occasions and does not cope well for an enthusiastic driver. However, there is good grip from the oversized 195/55 - R16 Bridgestone tyres. A little more feedback from the light steering too would have been nice as it hardly communicates much with the driver. The electrically assisted light steering though makes it easy to pilot around narrow roads, microbuses and motorcycles in our chaotic traffic conditions in the city. The ride definitely feels great at lower speeds within the city, where the Verna will obviously

spend most of its time. Ride quality can make or break a car and the Verna delivers satisfactory performance on this front in most driving scenarios.

We couldn’t carry out fuel economy tests, but other test figures peg it at around 17 kmpl for highway driving and 11 kmpl for city driving, which is good enough.

FINAL VERDICT While enthusiasts may not take well to the Verna’s uninvolving driving experience, these are but secondary considerations to most buyers in this segment and the Verna is not really a sports car. With the attractive styling and elegant comfortable interiors, the Verna surely gives the segment leaders something to think about. And given the long list of equipments on offer, you do get a whole lot of car for your money. The Verna may not be an exceptional driver’s car but it has the makings of a winner and will do most things without a bother. Offering sleek good looks and advanced technology this Sedan is a cut above the rest. Hyundai has been all about ‘new thinking and new possibilities’ and the all-new fluidic Hyundai Verna is another fine example.

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GPO. Box 12187, Chisapani – 5, Baad bhanjyang, Kathmandu Tel: 016208353, 977- 01 - 4316377 Mobile: - 977 - 9841679364 E-mail: pataleban@mail.com.np Web Address: www.patalebanresort.com

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events

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NADA autoshow 2012

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The NADA Auto Expo 2012 was definitely much better than last year and did live up to our expectations.

words: ayush dhaubanjar | photos: autolife/nada

Being the only and longest running motor show in Nepal, the NADA Auto Show is always eagerly anticipated by auto lovers across the nation. Our early readers will remember that the detailed coverage of last year’s expo had served as the major highlight for the launch issue of our magazine. And we weren’t really expecting to again feature a coverage of the show until the next year, as the NADA Auto Show had been a biennial event ever since its launch in 1998. So this year’s auto expo did actually come as a surprise! And the good news here is that auto enthusiasts can now have an event to look forward to in the yearly calendar as NADA now plans to make it an annual motor show.

NADA, in collaboration with Global Exposition & Management Services Pvt. Ltd (GEMS Pvt. Ltd), had organized the seventh edition of the show at Bhrikuti Mandap from 19-23 September, 2012 with the slogan ´Road Safety’ and ‘Clean & Green City’. Speaking at the opening ceremony, NADA President Saurabh Jyoti highlighted various problems facing the country´s automobile industry like high tax rates, slow pace of road expansion, high fuel prices, implementation of Euro-2 standard for vehicles, unscientific process of fixing price of spare parts at customs offices and lack of an auto village,

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among others. The show was inaugurated

by Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun and appreciating the initiative of the association to uplift the overall automobile sector by organising such events, he ensured that the government would create better environment for the automobile industry to grow further.

NADA had tied up with the Valley Traffic Police to educate the general public on road safety and a Road Safety Awareness Photo Exhibition had been put up at the Auto Show premises. We at AutoLife also did our part by placing banners around the expo area with some important road safety slogans. The expo featured a separate ´Made in Nepal´ pavilion to promote automotive products and services made in the country. Apart from that, this year’s show unveiled many brand new vehicles and showcased other vehicle models and automotive services available in the market. Besides the exhibition of new cars and bikes of various brands there was also a display of a couple of vintage vehicles.

The show had a participation of nearly 55 different companies including dealers of different automobile brands, financial institutions, and companies dealing on parts and accessories, among others. Keeping in mind the festive Dashain season ahead, most of the companies also announced festive offers through which customers buying cars or bikes could get attractive cash discounts and gifts through lucky draw or scratch coupon. The organizers had fixed an entrance fee of Rs 50 for students and Rs 100 for general visitors, and one lucky visitor was entitled to win a TVS Apache RTR 160 sponsored by CG Automobiles. The five day event saw a visitor footfall of nearly 50,000 people and transactions worth in excess of Rs.700 million was stated to be recorded. Organizers billed this year’s

expo as the most successful in terms of volume of transaction and number of visitors compared to that of previous years.

The NADA Auto Expo 2012 was definitely much better than last year and did live up to our expectations. The expo venue had been more properly designed to accommodate every exhibitor with comfortable display spacing and give an international feel.

The enthusiasm of the companies could be seen from the lavish efforts they had made to brand their stalls and highlight their products. Though this year too, we missed the participation of exciting brands like Mitsubishi, Mazda, Toyota and Ducati.

Nevertheless, NADA and GEMS pulled off a well organized event and their continuous efforts to revive the auto industry from the market slump deserves a proper round of applause.

Until the next auto expo, following are the highlights on what our automobile dealers had on display.

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FORD

If we were to give away a title for ‘The Best Exhibitor’ at the auto show, Ford would have easily won our votes here. They definitely showed every other exhibitor how one’s presence should be marked at an automobile expo, with not just one but three surprise brand new product unveilings. GO Ford expanded its product portfolio with the unveiling of the all-new Ranger from Thailand, and Focus and Kuga from Germany, apart from the display of their current range of the Figo and Fiesta. The new Ford Ranger was a massive treat for off road enthusiasts with its totally new aspects and segment defining attitude. It would have actually been an icing on the cake if the Ford Everest too could have been displayed alongside. The Ford Kuga also dubbed by Ford as the ‘Smarter Utility Vehicle’ for its fuel economy, versatility and

new technology had everyone impressed with its sleek and modern design. But the show stopper here was the racy and elegant Ford Focus sedan which literally had most of the visitors gaping in awe. Distinguished by its sleek and sporty design, Focus is packed with affordable technologies and claims to offer high standards of quality and craftsmanship along with class-leading fuel economy. If the public reaction is anything to go by, they’re going to do well. As per the company, new Ranger starts from Rs 4.7 million, the Focus from Rs 5.4 million and the Kuga is priced at Rs 8 million onwards.

Accompanied by the sales and support representatives who were very eager and well informed to help with every query, Ford was without doubt a force to be reckoned with at the exhibition.

FIAT

Fiat had on display both the products on its portfolio - The Linea and the Punto. The Punto hatchback interestingly had been placed as if it had just broken out from the wall. Both the Linea and Punto was loved and appreciated by many. www.autolife.com.np

HYOSUNG

Hyosung displayed their range of bikes from dirt bikes, street bikes, and cruisers to sport bikes. The GT250N, GT250R, RT 125D and GV650P filled up the open Hyosung arena. The crowd puller though was the Hyosung GV650 cruiser and the RT125D also had many curious with its unique beefy tires.

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KIA KIA Motors showcased its might at the expo with its entire range from the Picanto, Rio, Soul to the Sportage elegantly parked up parallel to each other. KIA was still able to garner a lot of attention with visitors inspecting the Korean grandeurs around the spacious platform.

ROYAL ENFIELD Royal Enfield motorcycles proudly stood out besides the Nissan booth and reminded everyone of their timeless historical market presence with the display of the Classic 500 and Electra.

SYM

SYM, the latest entrant in the motorcycling market, had on display the aggressive Wolf SB250 Ni, the spunky scooters Jet 4 and Orbit II and the city rider cub Magic, which all looked ever ready to tear up the Nepali streets. The Taiwanese brand being a new contender in the motorcycling market did invite a lot of interested queries.

SUBARU

Just besides the Chevy Stall, the Subaru Forester marked its sole presence at the Subaru stall. We were though expecting to catch the Impreza too, which we have spotted doing the rounds in the capital on various occasions.

HYUNDAI Hyundai had occupied the most majestic display pavilion this year too and made sure that their every line-up graced the show. Their extravagant display arena and remarkable presentation demanded everyone’s attention, and not only did they get every bit of it, but they also won the award for the ‘Best Stall Design’. They even had a separate service stall set up where Hyundai staffs were always available to assist visitors on bookings, service briefings and product query. Ranging from the evergreen Santro, i10, i20, Eon, Accent, Sonata, Elantra to the robust Tucson and Santa Fe, Hyundai sure did not miss out on anything. The main attractions were however the new elegant Sonata, stylish Elantra and the newly unveiled fluidic Verna. Laxmi Intercontinental had launched the new Fluidic Verna at the expo. The 1.4 litre Verna will be available at around Rs 3.3 million while the 1.6 litre Verna is priced at around Rs 3.7 million. Hyundai certainly made its statement as it left no stones unturned to cater their visitors in every way possible.

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TVS CG Automobiles, the authorized distributor of TVS motorbikes had their products displayed inside an elevated stage like platform. The latest Apache series RTR with the all new beast themed styling was re-introduced at the expo. Also on display was the TVS Wego scooter. The TVS stall also had interactive contests with the visitors going on at regular intervals.

SUZUKI CARS Just like the last year, Suzuki’s arena was placed at the same vantage location right at the entrance. This sure ensured massive attraction to their classy outdoor stall and they did have a busy time with people flocking over to have a look at freshly unveiled Ertiga and the new Dzire. CG Automobiles has priced the Suzuki Ertiga from Rs 2.8 million onwards and the new Dzire from NRs 2.6 million onwards. Apart from that it was their usual line up from the new Swift, A-Star, and Wagon-R to the Alto that still attracted enthusiasts. The Grand Vitara and SX4 were sorely missed here though.

CG MOTO CORP INC Amongst its usual Suzuki line up, CG Automobiles had also introduced the CG Moto Corp Inc, which is a new wing to their company that will deal with customizations of Suzuki vehicles only. The separate exhibit area featured two cosmetically customized versions of the new Swift and A-Star each. The modified cars in matte paint texture, cool additional graphics, enhanced body parts and funky interiors definitely enhanced its stock appearance and the support staffs were always kept busy by the steady flow of visitor queries at the stall. www.autolife.com.np

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TATA This year it was TATA Motors that had the most interactive and creatively laid out display arena. They had the new Indica V2 which claims to be Nepal’s most fuel efficient and affordable diesel car, the class apart Manza sedan and the luxurious crossover Aria displayed in a clean and well designed all-white booth. The extremely popular Nano was though displayed on a separate ‘Nano Studio’ in a physically customized form. Being designed to celebrate life, creativity, freedom and the spread of culture, the attractive Nano Studio graffiti backdrop had been designed in a powerful colour scheme of Red and Black. During the five day event, the Nano Studio played host to musical performances, exciting games, foot-tapping dance routines, distribution of Tata Nano goodies and visitors could participate in an exciting ‘Click photo and win with the Nano’ Facebook contest. With so much going on at the Tata booth, they were definitely the most active and talked about exhibitor at the show.

VOLKSWAGEN Another major exhibitor at the expo was Volkswagen. VW may have disappointed us by not showcasing its premium executive Passat CC sedan at the show, but the German car maker gave us plenty of other reasons to cheer. The latest variant of the Tiguan and its larger brother Touareg were showcased. The Vento and Polo added further appeal to their already extravagant range. Another show stealer at the VW stall was the Ducati Monster 796 which was displayed as a part of VW’s consumer scheme to reward one lucky VW buyer with the exotic Italian motorcycle.

NISSAN Dugar Brothers and Sons unveiled their all-new Sunny sedan in the expo at an introductory price of Rs 3.75 million. The boxy sedan, which is manufactured in India, is powered by 1498 cc engine. Also on display were the formidable Nissan X-Trail and the executive sedan Nissan Teana.

CHEVROLET Equally exciting to browse was the Chevrolet booth with Aveo, Beat, U-VA, and Optra Magnum, along with the robust new Captiva filling up the floor.

Though the Cruze was missed, the newly launched Captiva with the more muscular build and imposing grill attracted everyone’s gaze. Chevrolet used the auto show to launch the new Captiva, which gets an upgrade of a new 2.2 motor that generates 170 bhp and a whole lot of performance under the SUV’s hood. We expect this to further accelerate the sales of the Captiva.

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SKODA Skoda Auto justified its position as a premium Czech brand by having an elegant outdoor stall, complimented with appropriately dressed chauffeur like personnel placed besides each of their vehicle. The all rounder Yeti, elegant Laura, luxurious Superb, spacious Fabia and the simply clever Rapid graced the Skoda booth. The newly launched Rapid had lots of interested visitors attracted to their stall and they also had multiple colour variants of the Fabia and Rapid on display. Skoda MAW launched the Skoda Rapid in three variants Active, Ambition and Elegance at an introductory price ranging from Rs 3 million to 3.7 million.

HONDA MOTORCYLCES Honda Motorcycles, on contrary to the display of Honda Cars, had their entire range present at the expo.

Apart from their commercial range, it was the likes of the Hornet CB600F, CB1000R, CBR1000RR, XR250 and CBR250R that had bikers attracted to its pavilion. The state of the art Honda CBR 1000RR ‘Fireblade’ made its first public appearance at the expo with a killer price tag of Rs.26 lakh. Honda also offered a free test ride of the CBR250R to interested visitors and entitled every test rider to a Rs.10,000 discount on purchase of the bike. The Honda Safety Riding Simulator too occupied a corner of the stall keeping in mind Honda’s continued emphasis on road safety.

KTM KTM Motorcycles had occupied a small corner at the expo but made sure they grabbed maximum attention with a stock Duke 200 and another customized version of the same.

The stylish and sharp naked motorcycle with cutting-edge tech did generate quite a lot of interest to visitors who were unaware of the Austrian brand’s presence in the country.

HONDA CARS YAMAHA Yamaha was a crowd pleaser as always with their stylish range of motorcycles and show girls in skimpy clothes as well. The stall was well designed and the new FZ and the R15 graced the stall along with the YZF R6 and the XJ6. And this time too, the crowd was attracted to the stalls with their offer of interactive activities, face painting, photo shoot with the models and bikes, etc.

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Syakar Trading Company, the sole authorized distributor of Honda cars unveiled the hybrid Insight at a price of Rs.7.5 million. The intelligent hybrid car combines a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) with an electric propulsion system to generate better fuel efficiency. Surprisingly amongst their entire extensive portfolio, only the City and the Brio were exhibited. The luxurious Accord, Civic and the Honda CR-V would have done more justice to the brand’s powerful identity. www.autolife.com.np

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SUZUKI MOTORCYCLES This year Suzuki’s stall was much better and spacious enough to easily accommodate their premium as well as commercial offerings. The mean B-King 1300 and the stylish GSX-R600 dominated the entrance with the GSR600, GZ250, DR200SE and the massive Burgman 400 Scooter turning visitors into the stall. Amongst its more commercial names, the Slingshot, AN125 and GS150R were present.

BAJAJ Bajaj this time decided to give their entire range a break and had only different colour variants of the newly unveiled Pulsar 200NS and Discover 125 Sports Tourer (ST) on display. Two of the Pulsar 200NS had one of their wheels suspended to the ceiling and had dummies aggressively seated to give out the action of performing stunts. The new Discover 125 ST was launched at a price of Rs.174,900 and the next generation Pulsar 200NS at an introductory offer of Rs.2,64,900 only.

CLASSIC COLLECTIONS Some classic cars were also displayed by Kgarira.com. A 1981 BMW 323i, 1976 Alfa Romeo Alfetta and a 1964 Land Rover were exhibited in the plain simple outdoor booth. We were though expecting more exotic vintage vehicles to be present at the show. Maybe next time they will put up a better show.

Our Suggestions The 2012 NADA Auto Show has come to a close. While the newly launched cars and bikes are definitely the main stars of any auto show, there’s a full range of other activities and considerations too to make it a fun outing at the venue. An auto show shouldn’t just be a place where auto enthusiasts and potential buyers visit, but a fun event as well where one can enjoy with family or friends. So while we count the days until the next show, we take a look at what more could be done next time to make it a more worthy event apart from being limited to just a huge showroom for all the latest models of vehicle in the market.

-Implement a separate spacious test drive area where enthusiastic exhibitors can have interested visitors try out their vehicles comfortably. See something great on the show floor and want to test drive it?

Why not?

-Put into action organized parking and 54

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one way entry/exit points for visitors with vehicles. Organizers should definitely try reversing a huge SUV in the sea of moving people and randomly parked bikes to realize the magnitude of the hassle.

-A separate indoor/outdoor gaming arena relevant to automobiles would be something interesting. Anything from activities to contests could be hosted.

Numerous possibilities possible here.

-A separate styling, performance & auto accessories showcase pavilion which provides numerous possibilities to customize ones vehicle, featuring vendors dealing in performance aspects, racy additions, electronics, accessories, etc.

-A couple of major manufacturers decided to skip the Expo this year too. Don’t tell us that there wasn’t any product available to show off! We hope in the coming years that the organizers can coax every single automobile distributor present in the country to participate.

-Incorporate some sort of Automotive Career Fair which offers exciting new opportunities in the automotive industry. Interested people can then also explore vacant positions with dealerships, repair centres, rental companies, accessory stores, etc.

Passion turns into employment!

-Just one door prize for a Rs.100 ticket!

What happened to those good old days when there used to be exciting 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes along with other consolation prizes, for a much less charge?

-Isn’t it possible for NADA to export a few vehicles from nearby countries like India even if it’s just for viewing purposes?

Just even a couple of exotic vehicles could really do the trick in attracting more crowds and making the expo worthwhile for enthusiasts.

-Lastly, we really encourage more use of glamour models alongside the vehicles. But with a healthy dose of product information’s infused in them pretty brains too. Please! www.autolife.com.np

The

Other

Attractions Yes we know that it’s supposed to be all about cars and bikes only at an Auto Show. But these days, auto shows are as much about new vehicles as about the models posing next to them and most of us actually enjoy checking out these beautiful glamour models too.

This year at our NADA Auto Expo 2012, even most of our exhibitors had lined up some models to represent and highlight their products.

Well, they sure did their job of attracting visitors to their respective booths and looked stunning. But a reminder to be made here is that nowadays elsewhere in the world auto show models aren’t just limited to standing like mannequins alongside their products.

In fact they are very well informed with the product they represent and are now also popularly referred to as ‘Product Specialists’. So we hope that at next year’s show even our models turn up with a bit of automobile intelligence and are capable of returning much more than just a plain Jane smile to questioning visitors. Anyways here are those who grabbed attention at the NADA Auto Show besides them vehicles!

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a new kind of loan interview by: yunus raj joshi

NIC Bank has recently announced a new innovative auto loan that should facilitate the customer and the dealer in many ways. Sunil Pokhrel, Head - Retail Banking of NIC Bank gives Autolife an overview of the scheme.

Q. “Pre approved Auto loan”, your first product, what are its core benefits for a new customer?

Before a customer decides to buy any car, he firstly wants to know the amount of loan he is eligible to get from Sunil Pokhrel the bank. In this case, he will be required to present the basic documents, but doesn’t need any quotation or Head - Retail Banking, NIC Bank type of car he wants to buy. He will be given a pre-approved loan in which he is granted an amount of loan. It works like the money in the wallet. So, when he goes to a dealer, his bargaining power increases, and hence becomes easy for the dealer to pass ownership and avail discounts on the car. He can also know his limitations, and the price range of the car he can buy.

Q. Is there a limited time period for the product purchase once the loan has been approved? When will the EMI start? Can the loan be used for other purpose?

After the loan is approved, the loan should be used within 3 months, as it is a good time period to decide on which car to buy. After 3 months, the loan will expire.

So the customer will have to reapply for the loan. Even the EMI starts when the bank disburses the loan amount to the car dealer but not right after the loan has been approved. However, the loan cannot be used for other purposes. The loan will be disbursed after the ownership transfer of the car, and will be paid to the dealer.

Q. The second product, Auto Balloon Financing, what are its main benefiting attributes?

The main benefit of Auto Balloon Financing is that the customer has the option to bring down their EMI burden, as well as their interest expenses. The customer can always make the payment when they have money coming their way. It is split in a 70:30 ratio; 70% EMI payment and 30% balloon payment, which can be paid at the end of the loan term. Also, it can be paid in multiple balloons.

Q. Do you think new innovative services like these will succeed to bring automotive sales back to a better level?

Auto sales are definitely down, but still the customers are buying cars. So we could give product variety to those people. The product benefits customers as well as the dealers. This will reduce the cost of dealers, if pre-approved loans are given. The market is not so slack. Sales wise, the market is pretty good, and shows like NADA has also uplifted the auto industry. These type of product encourages people to purchase vehicles, and also helps them take right decision.

FEATUREs

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dashain getaways words: ayush dhaubanjar | photos: INTERNET SOURCES / AUTOLIFE Be it as the pilot behind the wheels or just eating, chatting and dozing off comfortably seated in the passenger seats, a road trip is always fun. But most of us usually end up getting caught in the humdrum of life and literally forget to head out for those long drives or rides. So with the festive holiday period around the corner, here’s hoping that most of you will find time to hit the roads for these quick getaway destinations, rather than sitting home killing flies. With the roads deserted due to most people being holed up in their homes, there really couldn’t be a better time to head out for a relaxed or thrilling drive/ride.

PS: Please make sure that you leave home with enough packet foods and snacks as most of the highway joints are usually closed during this festive season. And for overnight trips do not forget to get your hotel bookings done beforehand. Due to the bright and warm weather that offers spectacularly clear views of the mountains, the months from September to November is also coincidentally the peak tourist season for Nepal.

daman Daman lies on the Tribhuwan Highway at an altitude of 2322m and is 75kms far from the capital. For a breathtaking panoramic view of the world’s highest peaks extending from the far-west of Dhaulagiri to the far east of Mt. Everest, there is no better place than Daman. The mountain road from Naubise to Daman is also one of the best in Nepal to test your cornering skills. If you can spare time, you might as well visit Hetauda which is just about 60kms from Daman.

bandipur Bandipur is an ancient hilltop settlement situated on the KathmanduPokhara highway. It is located at an 8km diversion from the highway at Dumre and lies a total of 143km west from Kathmandu. Bandipur is a vibrant community paused in time with cobblestone streets and full of ancient culture and traditions. Bandipur is famous for excellent view of the Himalayas notably the Dhaulagiri range and the Siddha Cave.

sukute beach Sukute Beach is a famous destination for its river rafting trips in the wild Bhote Koshi River and camping style accommodations along the banks of the river. It is only 70km east from Kathmandu and lies between Kathmandu and Kodari along the Arniko highway. The Sukute Beach Resort is a comfortable and an affordable place to stay. This road trip can also be extended 20km towards The Last Resort for adventure activities or the Nepal-China border of Tatopani which is just 50km away. You could even cross over to the Chinese side of the border for some shopping or just relax in the natural hot water springs.

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PATALEBAN The Resort site lies 16km west of Kathmandu city at an altitude of 1600m facing north-west at Chisapani Village. A community forest known as Patale Ban surrounds the resort, and from here you can see great views of sunset, the Himalayan range of Langtang, Ganesh, Manaslu, Annapurna and the valley of Dhading. The grape farming project at the Pataleban Vineyard Resort is the first of its kind in Nepal and is a must visit here.

MALEKHU Malekhu is probably the most over-rated destination here with bikers and drivers usually flocking here over the weekends for the lip smacking fish delicacies. There really isn’t much to see around here but the fine stretch of roads along the route makes the trip worthwhile.

You might as well go for a swim on the sidelines of the Trishuli River to escape the heat or head out to The Riverside Resort for an overnight stay.

MANaKAMANA (OFF ROAD) Everybody knows about the cable car service that easily takes you till the footsteps of the divine Manakamana Temple. But for those who loves a bit of struggle might take this lesser known alternative – an off road stretch from near Abu Khaireni. Make sure you get your directions right from the local people as the route is a bit tricky. Only motorcycles and 4x4 off roaders are recommended.

GORKHA A 120kms trip till Khaireni on the Ktm-Pokhara highway, and another further 25kms diversion from the point, brings you to the ancient untouched and captivating town of Gorkha. Among the sites to visit, Gorkha Durbar, a palace strategically located over a fortified hillock tops the list. There are also two attractive temples of Gorakhnath and Kali inside the palace precinct. Gorkha Durbar is certainly one of the most outstanding examples of Nepalese architecture.

nagarkot Nagarkot is another very popular place which lies just 32kms east from Kathmandu and is situated at an altitude of 2175m. From here one can see a fantastic view of the Himalayas with excellent views especially during sunrise and sunset. The scenic route along the way too makes it one of the best places to go for a quick ride or drive.

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pokhara Pokhara is situated at an altitude of 827m and is 200 kilometres west of Kathmandu valley. Pokhara offers magnificent views of several world famous snow clad peaks, emerald lakes, and turbulent rivers with deep Georges and picturesque villages. The serenity of Phewa Lake and the magnificence of Machhapuchhre rising behind it, never fails to create an ambiance of peace and magic. You might as well visit the Begnas & Rupa Lake, Seti River Gorges, Sarangkot, Davi’s waterfall, Mahendra Cave, Tibetan Refugee Centres, Barahi Temple, World Peace Pagoda, etc or indulge in cycling, paragliding, boating or zip-line activities. This is one of those places in Nepal where once is literally not enough.

jiri Jiri is a small bustling village located at a road distance of roughly 190km from Kathmandu and situated at an altitude of about 1900m.

The drive/ride to Jiri takes you through some fine sections of narrow and winding roads. It is the place to visit if you want to unwind yourself in the countryside. En route there are also other attractions like the 11km off-road detour to Kalinchowk, Dolakha Bhimsen Temple, foggy town of Mudhey and the dramatic Kharidhunga area, one of the highest road pass in Nepal at 2700m.

chitwan The Royal Chitwan National Park is located at a distance of roughly 160km from Kathmandu. The Park is famous for its variety of jungle activities and wildlife, especially the one-horned Rhinoceros and the Royal Bengal Tiger. But you better turn up with lower expectations as I have neither encountered one in my multiple visits to Chitwan nor heard of anybody actually spotting a tiger in the wild. Still there are a lot of fun activities like the Jeep Safari, Elephant Bath, Tharu Culture Show, etc that will definitely make your stay worthwhile.

kakani This place, 1982m above the sea level and located 29 kilometres northwest of Kathmandu, is famous for the magnificent view of the Valley. Kakani features attractions ranging from beautiful alpine scenery to the magnificent Himalayan panorama particularly of the Ganesh Himal. The trip to Kakani takes you along a beautiful mountain highway which is scenically rewarding with green forest, mountain grandeur and terraced cultivation. A quick 45km drive/ride to Trishuli Bazaar too can be made from here.

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test ride

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LOOK WHO’S BACK! words: ankit shakya | photos: ayush dhaubanjar

PULSAR 200ns www.autolife.com.np

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Legend has it that the Pulsar Mania brought in a whole new wave of change into the Indian biking scene, which largely dominates the motorcycling culture in Nepal too. Eleven years ago, the Bajaj Pulsar was the first ever motorcycle to successfully introduce the concept of performance as well as styling in the Indian motorcycling scene. It was its unparalleled success which encouraged other Indian manufacturers to follow suit and offer much more than the generally boring commuter bikes.

Over the years of its existence, the Pulsar brand has gone through a series of upgrades and unlike most Bollywood movie sequels, they have come out bigger and much better every time. Like it or not, Pulsar is the only brand that enjoys significant success over a variety of segments from 135cc to 220cc. So just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, the best ever Pulsar in decades makes a grand entry marking its return to the 200cc category. Ladies and gentlemen, the all new Bajaj Pulsar 200NS! STYLING AND CONSOLE Not that the Pulsar needed to reaffirm its reputation as an aggressive beast, but the new NS decides to do it anyways. It’s a whole new 200cc Pulsar now, but the ‘Naked Sports’ still cleverly hides its legendary identity. The 200NS is now more like a Pulsar 135LS that’s just returned all beefed up after some hardcore workouts at the gym. A motorcycling enthusiast will immediately find that the Pulsar 200NS bears a stark resemblance to quite a few popular international bikes. For instance, the sharp headlights reminds of the Honda CB 1000RR, the aggressive side profile of the Benelli TNT Café Racer, and the impressive perimeter frame of the Buell Lightning. But all this shouldn’t really be a bad thing at all, because at the end of the day the NS is a pretty good looking naked motorcycle.

And don’t most of us really desire our motorcycles to resemble popular sports motorcycles? Many Pulsar family traits still remain though, like the LED split tail lamps and the muscular tank. The sharply cut swooping tank offers a comfortable knee recess area but might just put the ‘definitely male’ tagline under threat during emergency braking situations. The LED tail strip is almost similar to the Pulsar 135 and could have been changed to differentiate the bike more from the older Pulsars.

The under belly exhaust is a nice touch and guarantees you some stifle laughter moments, when traffic officers stop you unnecessarily to inquire about the missing exhaust. The clip on handle bars are less aggressively positioned but this does bump up the comfort aspect quite a few notches.

After the engine switch is turned on, the well laid out digital console lights up with a bright orange colour. Apart from the usual stuffs, the console displays the coolant indicator, side stand indicator, service reminder and an orange light that comes up when your tank hits reserve or if the rpm 64

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Through the years, the brand has gone through various facelifts that has only brought it back bigger and better than it was before.

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exceeds the 10000rpm rev limiter. And yeah, a gimmicky bright blue Bajaj logo is constantly on. The indicator is an easy pushto-cancel type but the mode and set button are a little difficult to press.

PERFORMANCE As expected, the Pulsar gets off the line pretty quickly. The 200 NS mill revs quick and dishes out a peak power of 23.2 bhp @ 9500rpm and a maximum torque of 18.3 nm @ 8000rpm. Another reminder to be made here is that the Pulsar NS also incorporates the first of its kind triple spark technology.

Bajaj says this increases efficiency, as combustion in a triple spark engine is 27%

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faster than a twin spark and 50% faster than a single spark engine. However, getting off from standstill is slightly not up to par, considering that the motor on the NS is actually based from the KTM 200 Duke. But once it gets going, it is a delight. Twist the throttle, get past the 4000rpm mark and you’ll see the number of headlights on your rear view mirror gradually disappear. It is after the mid range revs that the Pulsar NS feels at home. Overtaking is a breeze and reaching top end speeds is exhilaratingly fun. Unlike the previous Pulsars, the NS has improved a lot on the gear shifting front.

Braking is satisfactory as well. The 280mm petal disc in the front and a 230mm petal disc at the rear assure you that it will halt

wherever you want. Nevertheless, the rear disk could have slightly more bite. The Nepali roads, as most of us know, aren’t really butter smooth on most occasions.

But the soft suspension set up on the Pulsar ensures that the bike is not too punishing when you leave the tarmac. The gas-charged rear monoshock and the front telescopic fork have been tuned well to smartly handle our kind of roads. A relatively softer seat also helps matters immensely. There is a significant leap forward in the chassis over the older Pulsars, with the new perimeter frame and the steel swingarm. All this works out really well and make the Pulsar effortless to corner through our mountain roads.

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The new Pulsar 200NS definitely lives up to the legacy that its predecessors has set in the past decade.

SPECIFICATIONS: ENGINE: Engine Type: SOHC 4V Cylinder Layout: Single Cooling System: Liquid Cooled Displacement: 199.5cc Maximum Power: 23.2 Bhp @ 9500 RPM Maximum Torque: 18.3 Nm @ 8000 RPM Starting Method: Electric Fuel System: Carburettor Transmission: 5 Speed FEATURES: Frame Type: Pressed Steel Perimeter Wheelbase: 1363mm Seat Height: 805mm Ground Clearance: 167mm Front Suspension: Telescopic w/ Antifriction Bush Rear Suspension: Nitrox Mono Shock Absorber Front Tire: 100/80 - 17 Rear Tire: 130/70 - 17 Front Brake: 280mm Petal Disc w/ Floating Calliper Rear Brake: 230mm Petal Disc w/ Floating Calliper Dry Weight: 145 kg Fuel Tank: 12 Litres PRICE: Rs. 2,64,900/COLOR OPTIONS: Safire Blue, Tosca Red, Cherry Blue, Mustard Yellow www.autolife.com.np

THE VERDICT So the new Pulsar 200NS not only lives up to the legacy that its predecessors has set, but by far exceeds it. No compromise has been made on the performance front and with the aggressive muscular styling, the naked sports ascertains its place as the best Pulsar yet. Comparing the Pulsar 200NS to the KTM 200 Duke would be unfair, as both cater to a different crowd of motorcyclists in spite of belonging to the same segment. While the Duke is more of a premium offering and a hardcore enthusiasts’ motorcycle, the NS is a more sensible purchase for a comfortable everyday use, with almost similar performance and styling to boot.

The Bajaj Pulsar 200NS is really one of the best bargains in the market and its sensible pricing should definitely seal the deal for most potential buyers.

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renault Drive the change

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words: saurav nepal

hen we generally think about Renault, the first thing that springs to mind is the Renault Sport F1 team, which supplies the engines to popular F1 teams like Red Bull Racing, Lotus, Caterham and Williams.

But apart from that, most of us are still least bothered about the vast automotive empire that this giant marquee has already built.

Renault S.A. was established back in 1899 A.D. by Louis Renault and his brothers Marcel and Fernand, in France. Today, this French automobile marquee is the leading automobile brand in Europe in the light commercial vehicle market segment and has an immense global presence in 118 countries. It also owns the Romanian automotive brand Dacia, Renault Samsung Motors and has a global alliance with Nissan. The alliance with the Japanese automaker Nissan has made Renault the World’s fourth-largest automotive group. Renault is now known worldwide for its innovation, robustness and an unbeatable value for money. In fact they were the ones who first introduced the MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle) segment. They are also credited with the first mass produced electric vehicles, the Renault Kangoo Express Z.E. and Renault Fluence Z.E.

This French automobile marquee is the leading automobile brand in Europe in the light commercial vehicle market segment and has an immense global presence in 118 countries.

Renault had commenced its Indian operation in India with a shaky start in their joint venture with Mahindra. But now Renault has acquired manufacturing facilities with the Renault-Nissan plant in Chennai, its own sales network, a logistics centre, an engineering centre shared with the Alliance and a design centre based in Mumbai. With this new approach, sales have started to elevate and plans are being made to manufacture more vehicles in India itself. When this happens, this will not only create new waves in the Indian Automobile Industry but we at Nepal too could benefit as well, with cheaper accessibility to Renault’s product line-up.

In Nepal, though we already have many global players in our automobile sector, quite a few are still yet to set shop here.

One of them still missing in the puzzle is this 4th largest automobile marquee of the world - Renault. With the French automobile manufacturer already aiming for the top spot in India, there have actually been quite a few rumours of the brand coming soon to Nepal. Till 70

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There have actually been quite a few rumours of the brand coming soon to Nepal too.

then, here’s our introduction to the brand, wishing that the manufacturer sooner or later embarks its operation in Nepal too.

Have a look at the line up of the Renault models that we’d love to see here: DUSTER: The Duster is a big SUV based on the Renault Logan platform. It comes with a monocoque chassis, roof bar, large chrome grills and rides on beefy tires. The spacious interiors claim to match the class of a sedan as well. It is offered in two variants - Petrol and Diesel.

The 1.6-litre petrol engine offers 104 bhp of power and 145 Nm of torque, and is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. While, the two options of the 1.5 DCI K9K engine produces 85bhp and 110 bhp of power respectively.

With an almost mid-level sedan like starting pricing of IC Rs 7.19 lakh, the Duster is already a hit in the Indian automobiles scenario.

The main competitors for Duster in Nepal will be Mahindra Scorpio, Tata Safari, KIA Sportage and Hyundai Tucson.

SCALA: The Scala is based on the Nissan Sunny platform. It is a mid-size sedan sharing many elements from Nissan Sunny. The chrome plated hexagonal front grille is better as compared with the Sunny and the smoke-styled headlamps look similar to the Renault Fluence. Scala is offered with a 1.5 litre Petrol and Diesel engine respectively.

The petrol engine produces 98 bhp of power and 136 Nm of torque. Similarly, the diesel engine produces 86 bhp of power and 200 Nm of torque. The pricing starts from IC Rs 6.99 lakh in India.

platform and looks very similar to it. The Pulse gets a dual aggressive grille, nice alloys and completely restyled elongated headlamps. The rear gets a makeover and looks more distinct than the Micra. It comes with a 1.2-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines respectively. The top-end RxZ comes with engine start/stop button, smart key, automatic climate control, alloy wheels and ABS with EBD among others. The pricing in India starts from IC Rs 4.25 lakh.

The main competitors for the Pulse will be Hyundai i20, Volkswagen Polo, Honda Brio, Skoda Fabia, Fiat Punto, Ford Fiesta and Maruti Suzuki Swift.

The Scala will provide serious competition to Nissan Sunny, Skoda Rapid, Hyundai Verna, Ford Fiesta, Fiat Linea, Honda City and Volkswagen Vento.

KOLEOS: The Nissan inspired 4x4 Koleos is a distinct looking fully-loaded SUV. It is based on the Nissan X-Trail’s C platform. Koleos comes with six airbags, cruise control, parking sensors, automatic 4-wheel drive, rain and light sensors and an 8 speaker BOSE music system. The rear boot is spacious and the suspension claims to be very impressive.

The 2.0 DCI diesel motor produces 150 bhp of power and is mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Pricing is relatively expensive as compared with others, as it starts from IC Rs 22.9 lakh.

PULSE: The Pulse too is based on the Nissan Micra

The Koleos will rival Nissan X-trail, Hyundai Santa Fe,

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Chevrolet Captiva, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan.

FLUENCE: The Fluence has the most impressive design and with the rectangular grille upfront it looks like a shark. The interiors are comfortable and spacious as well.

Fluence is available both in petrol and diesel variant. Both the variants possess all wheel disc brakes and ABS with EBD. The 1.5 litre common rail diesel engine produces 105 bhp of power and 240 Nm torque while the 2.0 litre petrol engine churns out 135 bhp of power and 190 Nm of torque. Pricing in India starts from IC Rs 15.2 lakh.

Fluence will go head-to-head with Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla in the Nepalese market.

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legends

autolife

words: ayush dhaubanjar

Its Dashain high for most of us and during this auspicious festive season, goats relate to us Nepalese most than in any corner of the world. So keeping in mind the perfect timing, let me introduce you to one of the most talented, expensive and craziest ‘GOAT’ to have ever raced a motorcycle. No, I haven’t really begun to hallucinate every other thing to goats with Dashain around the corner.

Make no mistake here! Yes, the eccentric racer whom we popularly know as ‘The Doctor’, is also called ‘The Goat’. Confused right? Valentino Rossi is actually one of the ‘Greatest Of All Time’ motorcycle racer the world has ever seen and this is what in short makes him ‘The Goat’. So as you might have begun to expect, I wasn’t really referring to the one on which most of us happily feast on during the entire Dashain festival.

Valentino Rossi is actually one of the ‘Greatest Of All Time’ motorcycle racer the world has ever seen and this is what in short makes him ‘The Goat’.

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Born in Urbino, Italy on 16th February 1979, Rossi was riding bikes from an early age thanks to the influence of his father Graziano, who himself was a former Grand Prix motorcycle racer. Following an early start in go-karts, Rossi progressed to Mini Moto and quickly showed a talent for two-wheels, becoming regional champion in 1992. The next few years saw him quickly rise up through ranks of junior road racing, claiming the Italian Sport Production Championship in 1994 and the

Italian 125cc Championship in 1995.

Rossi`s World Championship debut then came at the Malaysian Grand Prix in 1996 and the following year he then became the youngest ever rider to win the 125cc World Championship, with Aprilia. The pattern continued when he moved into the 250cc class, taking second place in his first year before becoming World Champion in 1999, once again with Aprilia.

In 2000 he entered a new phase of his career when he joined forces with Honda in the 500cc class. He proved his worth once again by finishing second in the season, before becoming the last ever 500cc World Champion in 2001. Rossi subsequently took the Moto GP World title in 2002 and 2003 too, before moving to Yamaha. Rossi then made history by moving to Yamaha in 2004 and winning the season-opening Grand Prix in South Africa, becoming the first rider in the history of the sport to win back-to-back premier class races for different manufacturers. He went on to clinch the World Championship title in 2004 and dominated the 2005 season too. Again in doing so, he became one of only five riders in the history of the sport to win the premierclass title on five occasions. But 2006 saw him finish World Champion runner-up, having lost the title to Honda’s Nicky Hayden by just five points. 2007 was then undoubtedly one of the hardest seasons of his career.

Rossi took four race wins in 2007 but his prodigious talents were limited by technical and tyre problems as well as plain bad luck.

The Italian missed out on the runner-up spot in the championship by just one point and third place was his lowest championship

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finish since his rookie year in 1996.

After a torrid two seasons, Valentino Rossi returned to winning form again in 2008 and recaptured the Moto GP title. Notable highlights in the year included a seventh straight win at Mugello crowning him the ‘Mugello King’ and a titanic duel with Casey Stoner in Laguna Seca. The 2009 season saw Valentino Rossi cross more milestones in his incredible career and take a ninth world championship title. Then in 2010, victory in the opening round at Qatar proved a perfect start. But Rossi put more than a serious dent in his chances of retaining the Moto GP world title when the Italian crashed out of Mugello Free Practice 2, breaking his leg in the process. The champion looked pale and in agony as medics attend to him, but in true Evel Knievel style Rossi still managed to wave to fans as he was airlifted to the hospital. The incident left The Doctor on the injured list for multiple rounds, and when he returned Lorenzo had a sizeable lead in the championship. It was a bitter blow for the Italian and Rossi eventually finished third in the season behind Lorenzo and Stoner.

After speculations of a link up with Ducati and the two Italian giants joining forces had

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been rife for some years, the rumours finally gained traction. Rossi eventually joined Ducati in 2011 and left Yamaha after seven successful seasons together. Indeed, all eyes were on Rossi to see whether he could revive Ducati’s fortunes and his reputation was most certainly on the line. But the 2011 season proved something of a career all-time low for Rossi as he struggled to get to grips on the GP11, which was popularly labelled as a difficult bike to ride. Rossi raced hard on the bike, but he was never capable of breaching the Yamahas and Hondas ahead and managed just one fairly fortuitous podium. Rossi finished the season winless for the first time ever in his Grand Prix career.

Nonetheless, there was renewed optimism that a fresh start with the 1000cc era of Moto GP racing would benefit him in 2012. But the Italian has failed to shine so far in the 2012 season too, with only two podium wins at Le Mans and San Marino. On August 2012, it was then confirmed that Rossi would re-join the Yamaha factory team for 2013 until the end of the 2014 season. Now whether Rossi will get back to his winning ways on the familiar Yamaha M1 or pass the baton to his younger generations, only time will tell.

All in all, never has the world seen a greater

With enthusiastic supporters around the globe, Rossi is the largest persona to have ever graced motorsports. racer and passionate rider than Valentino Rossi and though lately he has been off the podium, the world is waiting for this champion to hit back and race through more records. All his progress so far has already cemented his legacy in Grand Prix motorcycle racing and he has proved that even after fourteen years of racing in the World Championship, he is still the best rider of his generation. Today, Valentino Rossi is the only rider to have won World Championship titles in each of the125cc, 250cc, 500cc, 800cc and 990cc category.

With enthusiastic supporters around the globe, Rossi isn’t just one of the greatest of all time motorcycle racers, but also the largest persona to have ever graced motorsport as well. Fans around the globe still cheer for the charismatic Italian and we hope to see him respond again with his flamboyant post-race celebrations and riding style that has always attracted attention.

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Rossi has so far amassed a total of 105 GP wins and 9 World Championship titles. He is currently second only to Giacomo Agostini who has the standing record of 122 race wins and 15 World Championship titles. Rossi is however the King of the premier Moto GP/500cc classes, having taken 79 wins and 7 titles.

Two theories prevail as to why Rossi uses ‘The Doctor’ nickname. One is that Rossi adopted the nickname upon having earned an honorary Doctorate in Communications degree. Another is simply because of how he operates his bike and calmly slices up the competition. Rossi however often jokes that the name was chosen because Rossi was a common surname for Doctors in Italy.

The fastest man on two wheels is also an avid lover of cars. His most prized possession is a specially customized and personified Ferrari 458 Italia, in addition to a BMW M3 Sedan that was gifted to him.

Rossi also owns a private Pershing 56 luxury yacht that he had purchased for $2.2 million.

BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW! Beyond his interest in F1, Rossi’s strong passion is for rallying and he has hinted at moving into it once he retires from motorcycle racing.

He was taught the basics of driving a rally car by his childhood hero and rally legend Colin McRae. Apart from taking wins at the annual Monza Rally he has also taken part in two WRC events.

What has rocketed his fame are also the crazy spur of the moment victory celebrations, orchestrated by the champion himself. From dressing up as Robin Hood, thanking his Guardian Angel by giving it a lift to posing for photos with Snow White & the Seven Dwarves, the post-race antics have been a catalyst for the Italian’s popularity.

Valentino is the highest earning motorcycle racer in the world. In addition to his race winnings, he earns millions as salary and endorsement money from co-sponsors such as AGV, Dianese, and Monster Energy Drink.

He was among the top 10 highest earning sportspersons of 2011.

The text on his helmet visor ‘Tribu Dei Chihuahua’ refers to the name of his group of friends and the letters ‘WLF’ on his leather’s centre strap stands for ‘Viva La Figa’, which in Italian means ‘Long Live Pussy’. He traditionally also incorporates fluorescent yellow colours into his outfit and helmet designs because it is his favourite colour.

On 8 June 2009, Valentino Rossi rode a Yamaha R1 around the famous Isle of Man TT Course in an exhibition lap alongside fellow Italian motorcycle legend Giacomo Agostini in a MV Agusta F4, in what was called ‘The Lap of the Gods’.

In 2005 Rossi had published his autobiography ‘What If I’d Never Tried It?’ In it he tells his remarkable career story for the first time. And as might be expected, the story he tells is fast-paced, full of surprises, actionpacked, and entertaining.

Valentino Rossi always shows gracious humility for the riders whose records he surpasses and frequently dedicates race wins to several other motorsport stars.

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Valentino has gone through numerous helmet designs throughout his career and most features the Sun & Moon motif that signifies the two sides of his on-track and off-track personality. Rossi is very peculiar about his helmet designs and contributes himself in the creativity process, which are all designed by Aldo Drudi.

Rossi is extremely fond of his country and everything about it. From his fondness for Italian football club Inter Milan to his passion for Ferrari, even the girls he has dated have mostly been Italian. In March 2010, the Italian minister Franco Frattini government awarded Rossi the first Winning Italy Award for the image he portrays of his country on an international level.

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Rossi is very superstitious and is renowned for his pre-ride rituals. Prior to riding, he always stops about 2 metres from his bike, bends over and reaches for his boots. Then, when he arrives at his bike, he will crouch down and hold the right-side foot-peg, with his head bowed.

Michael Schumacher once hailed Rossi as having immense talent and said he would be perfectly capable of moving to F1, when he had tested a Ferrari Formula One car in 2006.

On the final day of the three-day test, Rossi was just a little more than a half second behind Schumacher’s best time.

Typically, a World Championship winner is awarded the #1 sticker for the next season.

However, in homage to Barry Sheene, who was the first rider of the modern era to keep the same number, Rossi too has stayed with his nowfamous #46 throughout his career. Though as the world champion, he did wear the #1 on the shoulder of his leathers.

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Features

autolife

Public Night Bus

A New Direction? words: saurav nepal

One and half years ago, officials of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) came up with an ambitious plan for the dwellers of the capital city. Some of the highlights of this plan were solar-powered street lights in every nook and corner of the city, a 10-lane Ring Road system and a 24-hrs public transportation system. Among these, only the latter one got a green signal and hence this ‘3 hrs Night Bus Service’ commenced.

This service currently runs from 8-11 pm in 6 different routes of Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts.

On-board CCTV

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) along with National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs (NFNTE) had started the much-awaited night bus service in Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts from August 17, 2012. The service was scheduled to start from May, but due to various political and bureaucracy humdrums it commenced late. Currently, this service is under a 3-months trial period, with an additional extension of 3 months if it becomes effective. The night-bus service recently completed a month and within this short span of time it has garnered lots of praise and appreciation from general commuters.

This service currently runs from 8-11 pm in 6 different routes of Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts. Four buses run in the ring-road area while the other 10 other buses run from Ratnapark to Satdobato, Koteshwor-

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Sinamangal, Jorpati, Kalanki and Bansbari routes respectively. It’s a boon for people who generally work at late-night shifts and other businesses. This late-night service provided by the government meets the travel needs of late-night commuters.

The main focus group of this service is low-wage earners and people who work in shifts. It is also aiding the night-life scenario as people feel more secured with availability of late-night transportation service. On a lighter note, drunk drivers and riders who wish to avoid the Ma Pa Se traffic checking, too can easily avail this service. With astronomical taxi-fares and lack of public vehicles after the 8 pm mark, this service couldn’t have come at a right time to aid the general public.

These 26-seater special buses are semi – white and blue in colour and have digital information boards at both the front and back side. The staffs wear illuminating half-jackets. For the safety of late-night commuters, they are equipped with a CCTV camera and 2 armed police personnel. Furthermore, they can also be escorted by police vehicles in dire straits.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City officials are also planning to setup a toll free number to gather feedback and complaints regarding the service. www.autolife.com.np

What they say: Security personnel (Name withheld on request) We have been getting good response from the passengers as well as the general public. Till now, we haven’t encountered any disturbances .The bus is also equipped with a CCTV camera that records everything. In case of any emergencies, a team of Metropolitan police will be contacted as a backup.

The passengers praise us for helping them feel secured.

Padam Raj Khanal, 32 years, Driver I appreciate the work done by the government; however, we aren’t getting as many passengers as expected. The initial days were boom, but now there is a steep decrease in number of commuters. Sometimes we don’t even have expenses for fuel and maintenance.

So, we have started operating in the morning also. The concerned authorities should assure regarding our job security. If the government could add more routes and extend the service time, then it will encourage the general public to use this service.

Prem Dhungana, 20 years, Passenger I am very thankful to the concerned parties. I have to travel from Narayanthan to Lainchaur daily .Previously; I had to leave early from my work because there were no any other means of transportation after the 8 pm mark. But the commencement of this service has elated working people like me and others who travel late-night to their homes. However, if the time is extended till midnight and beyond, then it will be amazing.

Our Say: However, the authorities should still work on a couple of things if this service is to be continued for a longer time frame. If the government can provide a cell phone to the driver programmed with emergency hotline numbers, then the unwanted disturbances can be more immediately addressed. The government should install solar-powered lights at the bus-stops for passenger’s safety. We also feel that the government is not doing much on the publicity front to inform the general public about this service. The government should use the local media extensively to promote this service. Timings for arrival and departure of the bus at every bus stop should be clearly mentioned and the buses should be very punctual to maintain the schedule. They should also encourage the private parties to support this service for a long-term. The service time should be extended and new routes should be added in the areas which has highest passenger frequencies. If all these elements are addressed in time, then it will easily uplift the essence of Kathmandu as a safe metropolitan city. www.autolife.com.np

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events

autolife

The Mahindra Tri-Nation Escape WORDS & PHOTOS: AYUSH DHAUBANJAr EXTRA INFO/IMAGE COURTESY: MAHINDRA

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The Mahindra Adventure is an initiative started by Mahindra India, to promote four wheel adventures amongst its customers. It was introduced to show that one could do so much more with their Mahindra vehicle than simply commuting along roads. From a day-long escape to multi-day expeditions and supporting incredible endeavours by privateers; Mahindra Adventure claims to have done it all. Every year, hundreds of Mahindra owners come together to participate in the various events brought forward by the Adventure Team and battle the odds.

Their mission is simple - To arm Mahindra vehicle owners with the best, and provide a platform for them to experience it!

the mystical land of Nepal. So we were basically part of the adventure for the Nepal leg of the journey.

We caught up with the Tri-Nation Escape team at the Nepal-India Mahindra Adventure recently took their endeavours to the next level by offering their first of its kind international event - The Tri- border of Sunauli on the 12th of September. At around two in the afternoon, the team crossed over Nation Escape. The 12 day expedition from Their mission is simple - To from India to Nepal proudly sporting the September 10 - 22, 2012 traversed through Indian tri-colour in their hands. It was a three countries starting from the capital arm Mahindra vehicle historic moment for Mahindra Adventure of India, through Nepal, towards Bhutan owners with the best, and as it was their first ever expedition that had and finished off in Bagdogra, India. Nearly provide a platform for them crossed an international border. Though the 28 teams from India on professionally participants were from different walks of maintained fleet of Mahindra vehicles from to experience it! life with different age groups, they were all the Thar, Bolero, Scorpio to the amazingly driven by a common passion and excitement for the adventure. attractive XUV 500 had geared up for this ultimate three nation Interestingly one of the vehicles was also being driven by a test of endurance for both man and machine. Well, we weren’t differently-abled person and the Mahindra Scorpio had been really part of the entire Tri-Nation Escape. But we were invited customized to function accordingly. After the custom clearance over by Agni Incorporated, the authorized dealers of Mahindra and paper works were done, the local Mahindra dealership at vehicles in Nepal, to welcome our friends from down south into 78

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Bhairawa welcomed the participants with garlands, local Nepali Dhaka cap and refreshments at their showroom. India was now left behind and the team drove through the foot hills of the Himalayan ranges towards Chitwan.

Straight terai roads with paddy fields gave way to mountainous roads with forests. For their first night in Nepal, refuge was then sought in the far flung Chitwan Wildlife Sanctuary.

Next morning, an elephant ride had been organized to take the participants around the forest of Chitwan, but the rain Gods had a different plan.

Unfortunately the skies opened up and the elephant rides had to be cancelled. The team then moved towards Pokhara accompanied by the Narayani River through the green hills towards Mugling. The convoy members then enjoyed the gradual slopes and corners on the Prithvi Highway towards Pokhara. Finally Pokhara came in sight at around 6pm and the participants were treated to an evening view of the mesmerizing Fewa Lake along the way towards the Barahi Hotel. After a good night’s rest, the participants were all over on the streets, all having a very good time indeed; some boating on the lake and some relaxing at the cafes. After lunch, the adventurers were then all charged up for the 200km drive towards Kathmandu.

The expedition headed towards Kathmandu and with the continuous drizzle along the way, the team moved at a peaceful pace through the lush green www.autolife.com.np

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mountains. After a magnificent drive the convoy reached the Godavari Resort at Kathmandu in the evening. The next day, the participants took the early mountain flight towards the great Mt. Everest on the Yeti Air Gulfstream turbo-prop aircraft. After a glimpse of Mount Everest, the rest of the day was spent visiting the holy Pashupatinath Temple, historic Durbar Square and then trying out the various food joints of Kathmandu. After the chill out day in Kathmandu, the team then moved towards Biratnagar for their final day in Nepal, before heading out to the land of thunder dragons, Bhutan.

During the teams Nepal journey, I also had the opportunity to join Harish, the logistic manager of the trip, in one of their participant vehicles itself and learn more about this expedition.

It was amazing to see that every vehicle on the trip was equipped with radio communication devices for interactions, information sharing and road warnings between the participants. Also to ensure safe and disciplined driving, every car had been numbered and they had to strictly drive along in the serial order for the entire trip. One of the organizers led the pack, a couple of support vehicles constantly flowed front and back and a service vehicle followed at the end. With these professionally maintained fleet of Mahindra vehicles, FMSCI approved event organizers, precise execution that matches motorsport standards and the personal touch, Mahindra Adventure makes for a very unique expedition drive. This was just no ordinary road trip!

Well, the only thing lacking for me was to personally and truly experience the drive, being the master behind my own set of wheels for the entire three nation journey. Maybe the next time around? If you are ever a part of an event organized by Mahindra Adventure, you can though be rest assured that you will be taken care of in all possible manners. Don’t believe me?

Join them next year in the second edition of the Mahindra Tri-Nation Escape‌ 80

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MOVIE

autolife

Le Mans is a 1971 action film directed by Lee H. Katzin.

Starring Steve McQueen, it features footage from the actual 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race. Almost in breadth and depth of a documentary, this movie depicts an auto race on the world’s hardest endurance course: Le Mans in France.

Throngs of race car media, fans and drivers are making their way to Le Mans, France for the annual 24-hour Grand Prix race.

One of those attending this year is American driver Michael Delaney (McQueen), despite being involved in a horrific crash the previous year which claimed the life of fellow driver, Piero Belgetti. Delaney would admit to himself that the crash is still on his mind. Belgetti’s widow, Lisa Belgetti, who is also at the race supporting another driver, Claude Aurac is troubled at this event every time she hears an announcement of an accident on course. The media is playing up a rivalry between Delaney, driving for Team Gulf-Porsche, and Erich Stahler, driving for Team Ferrari, although they are friends off the track, as are most of the drivers in the race. Unknown to Delaney, Ritter a fellow Porsche driver is thinking of quitting race car driving after this event. As the problems mount just over half way through the race due in part to treacherous road conditions, the drivers, their team, and their personal supporters think all the more about winning the race regardless of what happens in their lives afterward.

The film is still popular among race fans as it is a relatively accurate depiction of the era, with a lot of racing but very little dialogue. There is very little plot and the movie entertains primarily by the sight and sound of Porsche 917s and Ferrari 512s, iconic racing cars with lots of visual and audio appeal to racing enthusiasts.

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TT3D: Closer to the Edge is a documentary film by director Richard de Aragues. The film is narrated by Jared Leto and charts the world-famous Isle of Man TT motorcycle race that takes place on the Isle of Man every year, and follows the leading riders in the 2010 race. Using 3D technology, the movie captures the drama and speed of the 2010 races to show what motivates these adrenaline addicts who live and breathe road racing, to become “King of the Mountain”. By vividly recounting the TT’s legendary rivalries and the island’s unique road racing history, this 3D feature discovers why modern TT riders still risk their lives to win the world’s most dangerous race. The film introduces Guy Martin, a true maverick who has a unique take on life and how his off -road antics continually exasperate his sponsor and race officials. John McGuinness, fifteen times winner of the TT prepares to race with an obsessive passion to win combined with the fatalistic understanding that each trip to the TT might be his last. Bridget Dobbs, widow of Paul Dobbs (“Dobsy”) who died in the 2010 races, understands and accepts that her husband, like many others, died doing the thing he loved the most in life. Despite the near fatal injuries, the film shows how those that survive all want to go back and do it again.

The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races take place along public roads, packed with spectators who have come from all over the world to watch bikes racing just inches apart. With speeds hitting 200mph, the TT has a reputation for excitement, courage and danger. Rarely a year goes by when someone isn’t killed.

This is a story about freedom of choice, the strength of human spirit and the will to win in spite of every rider knowing that each race might be his or her last.

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playlist

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Do you have a better playlist in mind? Want to recommend us songs for the next playlist? Go for it, send it to us right away at: hello@autolife.com.np 1. Shakira Feat. Pitbull - Get it Started | Aatish Bhatta 2. Guns N’ Roses - Paradise City | Manoz Oli 3. Flo Rida - Whistle | Siddhant Pokhrel 4. Avicii - Levels (Original Mix) | Tejeshwor Raj Baidya 5. Jindabaad - Rewind | Ashish Sinha 6. The Doors - Riders on the Storm | Keyush Krishna Shrestha 7. Midnight City - M83 | Mimansha Joshi 8. Robert Miles - Children | Sanjay Pokhrel 9. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama | Bibhu Bikram Pant

10. Kendrick Lamar - Hiipower | Digvijay Singh Adhikari 11. Rascal Flatts - Life Is A Highway | Av Shrestha 12. Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA | San Inmersion Crestha 13. Bob Marley- Sun is Shining (Chillstep) | Dibyashwor Raj Baidya 14. Don Omar Feat Lucenzo Danza Kuduro | Dinesh Bhatta 15. 1974 AD Feat. Kutumba - Yo Mann Ta Mero Nepali Ho | Ashutosh Bikram Hamal 16. Queen - We Will Rock You | Kalash Tuladhar 17. PSY - Gangnam Style | Djr Lamborgini Ranjit 18. Chris Brown - I Can Trasform Ya | Av Shrestha 19. Sum 41 - Walking Disaster | Niren Tuladhar 20. DJ BL3ND - Energy Mix 2011 | Shreyas Shrestha

‘

readers playlist

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crossword

autolife

win QFX cinemas tickets

Powered by

www.qfxcinemas.com

HINT: ALL ANSWERS TO THIS CROSSWORD PUZZLE CAN BE EASILY FOUND SPREAD ACROSS THIS ISSUE ITSELF. EVEN GOOGLE WILL NOT FIND YOU SOME OF THE ANSWERS! SO UNLESS YOU HAVE RAJNIKANTH’S PERSONAL NUMBER, THERE’S NO ANY OTHER OPTION THAN TO MAKE SURE YOU READ THROUGH THE MAGAZINE BEFORE ATTEMPTING THIS CROSSWORD. BEST OF LUCK.

ACROSS 2. Which category of cycle racing was the National ‘Downhill’ Championship?

4. Lewis Hamilton’s new team for F1 in 2013.

6. The motorcycle racing legend popularly known as ‘The Doctor’.

7. The recently concluded NADA Auto Show was a furniture expo. Yes or No? 9. The ‘Isle Of Man’ TT motorcycle race takes place every year in this place.

11. Three Star Football Club was recently co-sponsored by the sole dealers of this Japanese auto maker.

12. The company featured in this month’s ‘WishList’.

13. The CBR1000RR is also popularly known as? (Hint: It’s related to Fire and Blade).

14. Go Ford introduced this sporty sedan at the NADA Auto Expo.

Terms & Conditions 1) All crossword responses should reach Autolife Magazine by 30th September 2012.

2) Three lucky winners shall be selected through a random drawing system. Winners will be notified by email.

3) Each winner will receive 2 Gold tickets to QFX Cinemas. Tickets are valid for use at QFX Jai Nepal and QFX Kumari for Weekday (Monday Thursday) shows only.

4) The tickets cannot be exchanged for cash, credit or any other items and cannot be transferred to other persons.

SEND YOUR ANSWERS TO hello@autolife.com.np 86

October 2012

DOWN 1. This country hosts the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race.

3. KMC recently introduced this service to the public. (Hint: N**** BUS) 4. The Tri-Nation Escape was organized by this Indian auto manufacturer.

5. What does ‘NS’ stand for in Bajaj Pulsar 200NS? (Hint: Something to do with naked) 8. To which valley did our reader Sherap Sherpa ride to? (Hint: Roadtrip featured in this issue) 10. Hyundai’s latest introduction in the mid-level sedan segment.

LAST ISSUE’S WINNER Abhit Raut Ashish Niroula Ayusha Shrestha

Send us your answers to hello@autolife.com.np by 5th November 2012 Winners shall be notified via email.

3 winners will receive 2 gold tickets each from QFX Cinemas

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test RIDE

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words: gaurav s. ghimire | photography: ankit shakya

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‘T

hey call it a downhill bike that can

climb.’

Commencal was proud to present its Meta AM in 2012 as a bike that could not be seen just as the classic all-mountain bikes.

It claimed to be a bike that was stiffer to provide a very good performance in downhill and as well had better pedalling efficiency for uphill and flat sections.

We all know that all-mountain bikes are supposed to do exactly that, but what makes this bike different? So we took a 2012 Meta AM from Epic Mountain Bike in Jhamsikhel to the country’s national downhill track at the Hattiban Resort in order to test the bike.

THE FEATURES The first reaction upon seeing the bike was if it could really go uphill, considering www.autolife.com.np

the fact that the bike’s design is based on a completely downhill bike. This full suspension bike has a shock contact system that’s similar to the Supreme V3, which means a very low centre of gravity.

The shocks system goes through the seat tubes through what’s known as shock tunnels and this provides low levels of stress on the down tube of the bike. These features would help in reducing the weight by a significant amount. The bike also had a very slack head angle and that combined with its low centre of gravity, meant that the bike would be great at high speeds. Our test bike had been mostly customised with the finest parts available in Nepal. The forks had been changed on the bike from Fox Float RP to Fox Talas. With a travel of 160mm Fox Float RP are typical forks for an all mountain bike.

Fox Talas however is known for its ability to change travel from 160mm - 120mm according to the terrain and rider’s desire.

This meant that with its ability to change to low travel, it would have amazing climbing ability. Higher suspension travel often results in wastage of pedalling force and in uphill sections may cause low contact of the front wheel with the ground providing low grip and therefore bad control.

The cranks on the bike had been changed from Sram S2210 to Sram XO. Both are carbon fibre cranks and have very low weights. The Sram XO front and rear derailleur system arguably stands as the best derailleur system in the market for an all-mountain bike. However due to an incident a couple months ago it was broken and replaced with Sram X7 derailleur system. Commencal uses the Sram X9 on their Meta AM which is better than the X7.

With a 10 speed this bike was meant to go fast.

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The bike had its original braking system though; Formula RX. Formula brakes are one of the best braking systems money can buy and has the ability to work in every condition one could throw at them. Formula RX comes in all Meta AM’s. One of the other amazing features on this bike is the seat post. It comes with Rockshox Reverb seat post. This seat post runs on hydraulics and unlike other seat posts does not need to be unsecured and secured to increase/ decrease its height. It runs automatically with a single button on the handlebars to control it. The rest of the bike did not have many changes except that it was installed with newer parts on the market. Most of it was much stronger and lighter than the older parts used; the Loaded handle bars, Loaded headset, Loaded seat clamp, Funn Grips and Funn saddle, which are all highend bike part that are extremely strong and incredibly light.

THE RIDE QUALITY As Hattiban is at a great distant from the Kathmandu, we took the bike along for the test in a car. With its low weight and its quick release system, the bike had no problem in disbanding and fitting inside our mini SUV. Once in Hattiban it was even easier assembling the bike than to disband it. We made our way right to the 2010m summit of the Hattiban Downhill Track to test it. The bike was surprisingly easy to pedal in the uphill sections. The high seat tube combined with its slack head angle provided a very comfortable riding space and a very comfortable height to pedal from. We tested it with 160mm travel in the front to see how the bike would feel with the Float RP fork and surprisingly, there was no difference in pedalling or controlling the bike than if it were at 120 mm. There was no problem in controlling the bike as the front wheel was in full contact with the ground and the bike’s stiffness really paid off in terms of preventing the pedalling force to go into the shocks. This was the result of the seat tube being closer to the handle bar unlike the old Meta, and this kept the rider in the centre of the bike rather than above the rear wheel.

Being a downhill rider uphill sections are a nightmare but the bike felt so light and comfortable that uphill sections weren’t a problem.

Once on top it was time to see if it truly was a capable and agile downhill bike. The

Hattiban Track offers a range of challengesseat tube is just too long to jump it up a from rock gardens, tree roots, extremely ramp. It results in a nosedive when landing, slipper trails, dry trails, open clean trails, which is very hard to control and often rough twisty jungle trails to jumps and leads to injury. drops along the track. The bike performed incredibly. The full suspension system handled all the rock sections and the rough sections on the track with full grip on the ground. The low centre of gravity not only got it going fast but also was great at turns on the track. The best part of it were the drops as it was very easy to get air control, and upon landing its full suspension system easily soaked in all the impact and kept the bike steady. However, the worst part of the day was when we tested the bike on ramps. This bike is not really meant for ramp jumping. We tested it out with three different riders (one being Raj Kumar, the defending national downhill champion) and all three had similar results. The bike’s

The high seat tube combined with its slack head angle provided a very comfortable riding space and a very comfortable height to pedal from.

FINAL VERDICT With a price ranging from NRs.280000 - Nrs.390000, this bike is available in three types - Meta 1, Meta 2 and Meta 3.

This bike comes in just one colour though which is Cyan Blue. Meta 1 is the best among the three. The difference between the three and the different cost is simply because of the parts that are used on the bike. This bike ticks all the boxes from the lightweight, stiffness, easy control and comfort required for an all-mountain bike. The Meta AM has also had a very successful past and has even won a Megavalanche challenge. The new 2013 model with better parts and lighter frame too is already out in the global market and will be available in Nepal very soon.

Meta 1 Specification Frame -New Meta V2 - 150mm Shock -Fox Float RP2 Boost Valve Fork -Fox Float RL FIT 150mm 15QR tapered Headset- Integrated w / sealed bearings Stem- Commencal VIP OS Bar- Commencal VIP 1.5’’ 740mm OS Grips- Commencal Lock-On Brakes- Formula RX internal 180/180 Shifters- Sram trigger X9 2x10 Front- Mech New Sram X9 2x10 Direct mount Rear- Mech New Sram X0 10 speed Bottom- Bracket Included w / crankset Cranks -SRAM S2210 Carbon 2x10 39/26 Chain -10 speed Yaban Cassette- Sram PG-1070 11-36 Rims -Fulcrum Red Power XL Hubs -Fulcrum 15mm Front and 142x12mm rear Spokes- Fulcrum Tires- Schwalbe Rocket Ron 2.25 rear, Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.25 front Seatpost- Rockshox Reverb 31.6mm Saddle- New SDG Circuit for Commencal Sizes- S, M, L, XL Color -Cyan Blue Weight- 13.28 kg The bike fulfils all the tick mark of an all-mountain bike. The lightness, the stiffness, easy control and most importantly comfort.

Meta has had a very successful past and has even won a Megavalanche challenge. The new 2013 model with better parts and lighter frame is already out in the market and will be available in Nepal.

EVENTS

autolife

Gravity Rush at Hattiban Resort

Held at the beautiful landscape of Hattiban Resort, the event was managed by Epic Mountain Bikes, hosted by the Lalitpur District Cycling Association and sponsored by Kali Protectives and Nepal Cycling Association.

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(NCA National Downhill Championship) words and photos: ankit shakya

ownhill cycling has an attraction of its own. Gravity aided bicycling at break neck speeds pulls in a lot of adrenaline junkies. Even Nepal has its own set of these thrill seekers and the second NCA National Downhill Championship had seventeen of them participating in it. Held at the beautiful landscape of Hattiban Resort, the event was managed by Epic Mountain Bikes, hosted by the Lalitpur District Cycling Association and sponsored by Kali Protectives and Nepal Cycling Association.

The 2km track that was created with the hard work of the Epic Mountain Bike Team two years ago, had the proper balance of the technical sections as well as the breath taking jumps.

the course to achieve their best times and qualify into the second round. The riders started off at the top of the hill and their time was recorded at the finish line. There was a time interval of 3 minutes between each rider to ensure that there weren’t any mishaps. Safety was clearly given a lot of importance as volunteers were stationed at every corner of the track, to whistle and warn unwary bystanders who may have wandered onto the track. With all precautions taken care of, the racers were soon ripping through the course.

As expected, most of the crowd gathered around the jumps expecting to see some aerial fanatics. Not to disappoint, some of the riders crazily did!

The race had two legs. The first leg had all the seventeen riders storming through

Sixteen riders qualified from the first round. After a brief lunch break, the race www.autolife.com.np

recommenced and the qualified riders seemed much more intense. The riders who were flying through the jumps in the first round decided on not being airborne this time so as to save on time. Despite the lack of high flying antics, the second leg of the race was exhilarating to watch too as the riders stormed through the track faster. It all came down to the finish line where the timings of the riders were being announced as each one of them crossed it. It wasn’t long before the final rider crossed the finish line and Raj Kumar Nepali was rejoicing his victory. The 21 year old biker from Pokhara bagged gold with a timing of 2 minutes 54.09 seconds, only marginally ahead of Parmeshwor Pokharel and Sakar Yakthumba who completed the race at 2:54:45 and 2:59:16 respectively. The top three finishers received Rs.15000, Rs.10000 and Rs.5000 respectively along with riding helmets that were sponsored by Kali Protectives.

As more and more cycling events take place in the country, the growing popularity of cycling cannot be overseen. And with the number of youngsters indulging in the sport increasing day by day, it is safe to say that cycling has a long and prosperous future in Nepal.

The riders who were flying through the jumps in the first round decided on not being airborne as often to save on time.

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diy

autolife

d.i.y.

HYDRAULIC DISC BRAKE ADJUSTMENT

I

TOOLS REQUIRED

words and photos: ankit shakya n order to have a good and safe cycling experience, proper braking is highly essential. If your brakes don’t work properly, be prepared to find yourself flying off track into paddy fields; or even worse, stuck inside the tailpipe of a pick up.

Here are a few steps that are quick and easy to perform to ensure that your hydraulic disc brakes are crisp and responsive.

• Allen Key (usually #5) • Opposable Thumbs

(NOTE: If it is time to change your brake shoes, these procedures may not be as useful.)

1 2

3

While the rear wheel is in motion, pull in the rear brake lever and hold it while you move onto the next step.

First off, make sure you have a mountain bike in front of you.

Now, jokes apart, locate allen bolts on the disc brake and loosen them.

Lift up the rear wheel and spin it to check for free movement (free movement will be hampered if the caliper alignment is slightly off)

4

With the lever pulled in slowly and gently, tighten the Allen bolts one to two twists per bolt alternatively till it is properly tightened.

Expert’s Advice:

Rupesh Shrestha, MD, Epic Mountain Bike It is inevitable to come across a few crashes when you are riding. Slightly unscrewing your break lever screw so it has slight mobility will decrease the chances of ending up with a broken lever.

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roadtrip

autolife

Riding the

DANGEROUS roads to spiti words and photos: sherap sherpa

P

Peter and I were best riding buddies for almost four years. Then we stopped talking. But till then, he had taught me how to repair Royal Enfield motorcycles and in return I had finely trained him to eat dal-bhat with his bare hands. All of a sudden, one fine July morning, he called from Delhi and proposed to ride out to Spiti Valley with another Aussie chap. I had heard a lot about Spiti, a magnificent hidden valley somewhere in Himachal Pradesh, India. Spiti is quite parallel to Ladakh and had only recently opened up for foreigners. Without a second thought, I gave him a big ‘YES’ and packed up for the ride. I flew to Delhi on a surprisingly empty Nepal Airlines with only about 12 passengers, who were mostly Sardar-Ji’s returning from their gambling stint at the Casino. The airlines thankfully flew on time and after a hearty meal we landed at Delhi. I then met Peter and Mark at a hotel in a grubby section of Pahargunj, over a few chilled Kingfisher beers.

I was on a holiday anyway. “So this is the biker Sherpa?” Mark had been over briefed.

Two days later, we packed our saddle bags on three powerful Royal Enfield 500 motorcycles, checked the map and thundered out of the chaotic Delhi traffic. We reached Panipat around mid afternoon sweating profusely. En route we happened to stop just next to a monstrous building, coincidentally belonging to my favourite Indian snack maker, the famous Haldiram Bhujiawala. We were still halfway to Ambala City, from where we would switch from H1 to H22 that goes all the way to Spiti and reconnects with the Manali-Leh highway. We checked into a roadside Dhaba and had some fantastic butter naan and

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spicy tandooris with chilled Thumbs Up for refreshment. We then reached Paanchkula and gained some altitude as we climbed the ascending road towards Shimla. Our first night was in Kalka at the Timber Trail Resort, a posh weekend getaway surrounded by green forest.

Indian honeymoon couples arrived in nice shiny cars while we showed up soaked in sweat and covered in dust, riding the noisiest motorcycles Indians have ever built. The evening was blissful, sitting in the cool veranda chairs overlooking the river below, with thousands of crickets chirping in the background and a shiny bottle of Old Monk rum in the foreground.

We checked out early next morning, trying our best not to wake up the honeymooners. As we climbed up the H22 towards Solan, empty trucks roared downhill and small cars frequently zipped past overtaking everyone. A little Maruti Alto carelessly zoomed ahead of us, freaking out everyone on the road. Peter got mad and started chasing. But before he got close enough, a bus driver pulled the car aside and slapped the driver hard. Soon the traffic resumed and we never saw the young guns anymore. Then in Shimla, we checked into a government owned bungalow hotel, freshened up and walked

up to the Mall Road as it was a no-vehicle zone. Just a day ago we were getting cooked in Delhi’s 38°C heat and a day later we were seeking for warmth from our jackets and enjoying the cool breeze. From the hotel room, the town looked as if it could collapse any moment. The entire hill seemed overburdened with buildings both old and new. Nevertheless, this crowded concrete jungle was a beautiful hill station and offered fresh air to breathe.

The evening was blissful, sitting in the cool veranda chairs overlooking the river below, with thousands of crickets chirping in the background and a shiny bottle of Old Monk rum in the foreground.

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A very strong wind blew from below and what I saw was a spine chilling view of how a narrow road was carved through a rocky cliff.

Next morning, we left Shimla and headed to Sarahan riding through many apple orchards and thick pine forests. The Apple season had just begun and trees were loaded with fruits.

Sarahan (2165m) had an iconic temple dedicated to Bhima Kali goddess. Amazingly, we were allowed in only after wearing a saffron hat, which was readily available at the gate. The temple structure looked pretty much like Burmese architecture. We then rode 17km downhill to get back to H22 at a place called Jeori. I met a few fellow Nepalese here who were either working at the numerous hydro projects or running momo restaurants. As I was enjoying the hot steaming momos at one of those joints, a Nepalese guy approached me and said, “Baato khatra chha daju.

Bistarai jaanus!” I felt a bigger lump than the momos go down my throat and Mark was clever enough to read my face and make out that the road was dangerous ahead.

We pushed ahead and after some 15kms arrived at a short tunnel. As I clicked some pictures of the dark tunnel, Peter and Mark went ahead and disappeared into the tunnel. When I arrived at the other end, both of them had their jaws dropped and eyes 100

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wide open. A very strong wind blew from below and what I saw was a spine chilling view of how a narrow road was carved through a rocky cliff. Looking down from the edge it was a 90° free fall into the roaring Sutlej River. We stood there admiring the marvellous example of Indian engineering and calculating the risks of a single irreversible error. As soon as we heard a truck approaching, we jumped on our bikes and rode away. A few kilometres later we arrived at the humongous Karchham Dam construction site. It was a very ambitious 300MW project in the making. We left H22 and headed towards the Sangla Valley for a day’s rest. But getting to Sangla was not easy as even the road here was carved along a narrow cliff overlooking the raging Baspa River and with no safety railings. We then stayed at the peaceful Camp Mustarang for two nights, drinking Old Monk and smoking Wills Navy Cut. On the move, the roads didn’t get any better even beyond Sangla. We pressed hard through the broken roads, mostly caused by the numerous overloaded trucks that were bringing heavy equipments for the dam construction. At a little but busy looking town of Reckongpeo, we collected our permits to enter the Spiti Valley. The Himachal Tourism Office took our pictures using cheap web cams and provided us the printed permits with our distorted faces making us look like criminals on the run. We then headed 8km uphill to a place called Kalpa overlooking the 5242m Kinnaur Kailash mountain range, for the night’s rest.

We took a walk down to the little village of Kalpa, photographing curious faces and stealing fresh apricots from the roadside trees. Later, as we sat at the dinner table later enjoying warm dal-bhat and mutton curry, a waiter approached us and warned me in Nepali that the worse of the roads were yet to come. Peter had lived in Kathmandu for a few years and with his mouth full tried to interpret the warning. But the guy disappeared into the kitchen and I decided it was best to not decipher the warning. www.autolife.com.np

After Reckongpeo, the roads were partly black topped, but the dangers of falling rocks loomed above us. We rode through beautiful villages of Moorang, Spello, Pooh before arriving at Khab, a confluence of Spiti and Sutlej rivers. Turned out that part of Aamir Khan’s blockbuster movie, ‘Three Idiots’ was shot here. The road then passed through a narrow dark tunnel with low rocky ceilings and we had to honk constantly to avoid any head-on collision. After we got out, the road gradually climbed uphill gaining heights substantially. Besides the raging river and brown rocky hills there were hardly any signs of life here. From a small village named Ka, we could clearly see the vertical cliff that lied ahead. It has to be the most spectacular road I had ever seen, as we could not see what laid below and could just hear the sound of the raging Spiti River. We stopped at one of the corners and Mark signalled me to move to the edge for a photo shot. I crawled as far as I could go and gave away a pose with a slightly frightened face. He then showed me the shot and gave away an insulting remark, ‘A Sherpa afraid of height!’

We left the place and gently rolled ahead for a night’s rest at a lovely campsite in Nako. Deluxe tent with attached bathroom was what they called it here. Furnished with two comfortable beds and thick mattresses, there was plenty of space inside to unpack your bags and serve Old Monk. Right behind within the tent was the comfort zone. All you had to do was unzip the curtain to take a dump. But the tents were pitched so close to each other, that whenever anybody was on the throne, you would hear all the music of the entire performance. Nevertheless, the beds provided sound sleep and a much required and well deserved rest for the body and mind.

the melting glaciers. The stream was full of rocks and knee deep with extremely cold water flowing through. I decided to hit the river first. All of us managed to cross the river without falling but reached the other side completely wet. We reached Sumdo and decided to pay a visit to the famous frozen mummy of a revered lama at a place called Gue, which was 8km off the main highway.

A small concrete house with glass windows housed the mummy of the Tibetan monk Sangha Tenzing, perfectly preserved in sitting position and his right hand still in a rosary holding gesture. A local caretaker told us that he had died meditating and was found many years later buried under ice. Gue today is also popularly known as India’s mummy land.

We then left for Tabo village located at an altitude of 3060m.

Tabo had a Monastery which was built around the 9th century, the oldest in the entire North India. It was here that the Dalai Lama had held Kalachakra initiations in 1983 and 1996. His holiness had even expressed his desire to retire here because of its peaceful Tibet like location. We moved on and reached our overnight stop at Kaza. Located at 3650m, it was the biggest

The next day, the weather was on our side. After a hearty Breakfast, we set out for Spiti Valley. Just about two kilometres from the camp, we arrived at the Malling Nala which was fed by

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town in the valley and served as the divisional headquarter of Spiti. A newly built Sakya monastery majestically stood as the crown of the town and we checked into Sakya Abode for a two nights’ rest.

The next day’s trip to Dhankar and Key Monastery was a delightful experience.

Dhankar sits east of Kaza while the Key Monastery which resembles the Potala Palace, sits to the west. The advantage of being at Kaza was that some bike spare parts were available here. So we were able to service our bikes and get some required spare parts. Manali was still a two day ride from here.

two plastic sheds were built next to a little stream. This was where we would spend the night with the shepherds. We settled inside the shed and Peter revealed a bottle of Royal Stag from under his jacket to keep us warm through the night. Our Old Monk stock had saturated even before we entered Spiti. Later in the dark some college students from Bangalore arrived and we shared our Royal Stag with them and they offered us their McDowell. With the mix of these two energy boosters, we spent the night away singing Kishore Kumar numbers from the 1970s. Even the horsemen couldn’t help but join us.

In between there was a famous lake named Chandra Taal, where we were told that a luxury camping accommodation was available only on first-come firstserve basis. So Peter rushed ahead to book the camp while me and Mark took a slow paced ride enjoying the natural beauty of the wind-swept corners of Spiti valley. Kunzum La (4551m) was the highest point of the day and from here the road to Chandra Taal split. A magnificent view of Shingri glacier greeted us. The final 21km road to Chandra Taal was rocky and slippery with narrow bends and a few swollen rivers. Then we had to walk a mile to get to our camping location at the lake.

The lake offered a fantastic view and the water was gleaming golden yellow. But we discovered that the luxury tents never existed here. A flock of sheep arrived and

Morning in Chandrataal was spectacular.

The serene environment provided the perfect morning dose to cheer up our tired souls. For the morning dump, we just had to search a rock big enough to hide under the perfect open sky. It was clear that the breakfast would not be included in our luxury package and we walked back to our bikes. After some 35km of downhill riding, we finally sat down for our breakfast at a place called Batal. A fat lady unable to lift herself up from the plastic chair fed us roti, curry and tea. The unpaved road till Khoksar before touching the Leh-Srinagar highway was full of rocks and many swollen rivers. At a place near Gramphu we were literally rafting on a big stream using our legs for balance and the throttle as propeller to float ahead. By now we were so used to riding in rivers that we

102

October 2012

were actually having fun. From Khoksar it was all the way up to Rohtang Pass on H21 and then downhill all the way to Manali. With a few Tea and Maggi stops on the way, we arrived at Manali around mid afternoon. From Manali we rode through Kullu to Mandi and stayed at a palatial Hotel Raj Mahal which once belonged to the Queen of Mandi. Walls were decorated with permanently nailed ancient rotten guns and Rhino skin shields. Dinner was served in a beautifully manicured garden and since beer was cheap, we enjoyed tons of it to celebrate the safe ride through the most dangerous roads of our life. Our rented bikes had served us well without even a single mechanical hiccup.

For such a rough and arduous journey of 2400+ km, we were more than lucky. Spiti Valley is now rapidly gaining popularity as

www.autolife.com.np

Spiti Valley is now rapidly gaining popularity as new motorcycle destination in India and though the roads are quite dangerous, the stuffs that area has to offer are nothing less than spectacular. a new motorcyclist’s haven in India and though the roads are quite dangerous, the stuff that the area has to offer is nothing less than spectacular.

From Mandi we headed towards Shimla and then back to Kalka at the Timber Trail Resort. Early next morning we sent Mark in an AC train from Kalka to Delhi while we loaded our bikes on a Mahindra pickup truck for our journey back to Delhi. This six hours journey from the cool hill station down to the hot plains of Delhi turned out to be more of a hellish experience.

We were caged in an uncomfortably hot cabin next to a smelly driver constantly chewing on his tobacco and dangerously driving down the highway. As we neared Delhi, Peter then finally uttered a few words, “Tell me Sherap, where did we go wrong?” The driver then flushed out a heavy volume of brown liquid off his mouth, paused for a while and asked, “Aap train se kyon nahin gaya? AC wala train hai!” (Why didn’t you guys return by the AC Train?)

www.autolife.com.np

October 2012

103

TECHNICAL

Sunroof

Bluetooth

Fog Lamps

Leather Seats

Steering Adjust

Climate Control

Remote Locking

ABS

Airbags

Top Speed (KMPH)

Torque (NM)

Power (BHP)

Gearbox

Cubic Capacity (CC)

All prices are subject to change with the market scenario. Please confirm with the showroom for accuracy.

Price (NRs)

NEW CAR BUYER’S GUIDE

Updated September 2012

EXTRA FEATURES AND SAFETY Bama Motors Pvt. Ltd, Thapathali, KTM Tel: 4226655 | 4223022

Chery Models A1 1.3L

17,99,000 1297 5M 82 114 155 N Y N N Y N Y N N

QQ3 Full Option

17,90,000

Tiggo 2.0 A/T

36,75,000 1971 A 123 168 160 Y Y Y N Y N Y N Y

812

5M

67

90

130

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

Y

N

N

Vijay Motors Pvt. Ltd, Naxal, KTM Tel: 4414158

chevrolet Models Optra Magnum

29,75,000 to 32,00,000

1991

5M

119

314

190

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Aveo

24,99,000 to 29,90,000

1399

5M

92

127

165

Y

N

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Beat 1.2

20,30,000 to 25,20,000

1199

5M

80

108

150

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

Y

N

N

Spark 1.0

18,60,000 to 19,50,000

995

5M

63

90

145

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

Y

N

N

Captiva 2.0 Automatic LTZ

70,00,000 1991 5A 148 320 175 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N

Aveo UVA1.2 LT

21,70,000 to 24,70,000

Cruze 2.0 LTZ VCDI Tavera

N/A 29,50,000 to 39,90,000

1150

5M

75

110

160

Y

Y

Y

N

-

N

Y

N

N

1991 5A 148 327 200 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y 2499

5M

78

186

125

N

N

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Hansraj Hulaschand & Co Pvt. Ltd, Maitighar Tel: 4239641 | 4231985

Daihatsu Models Terios

48,99,000 to 55,00,000

1495

5M

103

140

NA

Y

N

Y

N

Y

N

Y

N

N

BATAS Brothers Pvt. Ltd, Gairidhara Tel: 4004644 | 4004645

fIAT Models Linea 2012 Model (Diesel)

35,89,000 to 40,79,999

1368

5M

90

115

168

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Punto 2012 Model (Petrol)

23,71,999 25,89,999

1172

5M

67

96

175

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Go Automobiles Pvt. Ltd, Thapathali, KTM Tel: 4244254 | 4257001

FORD Models Everest

69,99,000 to 2953 5A 153 380 165 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 75,00,000

All New Fiesta (Petrol)

34,00,000 to 1499 5M 107 140 NA Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y N 38,99,000

Fiesta Classic (Petrol)

24,50,000 to 1596 5M 99 146 175 Y Y Y Y Y N Y N N 29,90,000

Figo Petrol

Ranger Diesel All New Fiesta (AT) Petrol

18,49,000 to 22,99,000

1399

5M

68

160

150

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

Y

N

N

39,99,000

2499

5M

81

266

NA

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

Y

N

N

38,99,000 to 41,50,000

1499 5M 107 140 NA Y Y Y Y Y N Y Y N Saakha and Universal Automobiles, Kupondole Tel: 5011500

Geely Models MK1.6

19,75,000 1587 5M 105 137 165 Y Y Y Y Y N Y N N

LC Panda

16,75,000 1342 5M 85 110 NA Y Y Y N Y N N N N

LC Cross 1.3

104

October 2012

NA

1342 5M 85 110 165 Y Y Y N Y N Y N N

www.autolife.com.np

Sunroof

Bluetooth

Fog Lamps

Leather Seats

Steering Adjust

Climate Control

Remote Locking

ABS

Airbags

Top Speed (KMPH)

Torque (NM)

Power (BHP)

Gearbox

Cubic Capacity (CC)

TECHNICAL

EXTRA FEATURES AND SAFETY Himchuli Auto International, Kupundole Tel: 5521730

GREAT WALL Models Florid 1.5L VVT

20,75,000 1497 5M 103 138 160 Y Y Y N Y N Y N N

Wingle 5 2.5TCI SLX

29,95,000 2499 5M 107 300 140 Y N Y N Y Y Y N N

Hover SLX

N/A

2400 5M 135 200 N/A Y Y Y N Y N Y N Y

NEW CAR BUYER’S GUIDE

All prices are subject to change with the market scenario. Please confirm with the showroom for accuracy.

Price (NRs)

Updated September 2012

Syakar Trading Company Pvt. Ltd, Kantipath Tel: 5549741 | 4225490 |4253522

HONDA Models Accord 2.4 MT

78,50,000 2354 5M 180 222 225 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N

City SMT

38,50,000 1497 5M 118 146 175 Y Y Y N Y N Y N N

Civic 1.8 SMT

58,00,000

CR-V RVI

76,00,000 1997 6M 167 218 180 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N

Jazz Select

32,50,000 1198 5M 89 110 175 Y Y Y Y Y N Y N Y

Brio VMT

26,69,000 1198 5M 88 109 N/A Y Y Y N Y N Y N N

1799

5M

130

172

205

Y

Y

HUMMER

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Saakha and Universal Automobiles, Tinkune

Models H3

NA

3699 5M 242 328 NA Y Y Y N Y Y Y N Y Laxmi Intercontinental, Thapathali Tel: 4101556 | 4101557

HYUNDAI Models Accent GL

29,96,000 1399 5M 94 124 170 N N N N Y N Y N N

i10 Magna 1.1

19,96,000 1086 5M 66 99 140 N N Y N N N Y N N

i20 Sportz

25,96,000 1197 6A 90 220 160 Y Y Y Y Y N Y N Y

Santa Fe GL Diesel

70,96,000

Santro GL+

17,96,000 1086 5M 62 96 NA N N N N Y N Y N N

Sonata GL

51,96,000 1998 6M 165 198 NA Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N

Tucson GL

53,96,000 1998 6M 177 382 NA Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N

Elantra GLS

46,96,000 1591 6M 130 157 NA Y Y Y Y Y N Y N N

Eon Era+

16,46,000 814 5M 56 NA NA Y N Y N N N Y N N

www.autolife.com.np

2199

6M

194

420

210

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

October 2012

N

Y

105

TECHNICAL

Sunroof

Bluetooth

Fog Lamps

Leather Seats

Steering Adjust

Climate Control

Remote Locking

ABS

Airbags

Top Speed (KMPH)

Torque (NM)

Power (BHP)

Gearbox

Cubic Capacity (CC)

All prices are subject to change with the market scenario. Please confirm with the showroom for accuracy.

Price (NRs)

NEW CAR BUYER’S GUIDE

Updated September 2012

EXTRA FEATURES AND SAFETY Choice Motors, Lazimpat Tel: 4441080 | 4441081

JONWAY Models UFO

28,25,000 1584 5M 100 135 150 Y Y Y N Y N Y N Y Continental Associates Pvt. Ltd, Tinkune Tel: 2054003 | 2054004

KIA Models Cerato 1.6L

42,49,000 1591 5M 123 156 NA Y Y Y N Y Y Y N N

Picanto 1.2 EX I

24,49,000

1086

5M

64

97

NA

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Rio N/B 1.4L

28,49,000

1399

5M

94

125

NA

Y

N

Y

N

Y

Y

N

N

N

Sorento 2.2L Diesel

76,49,000 2199 6M 197 421 NA Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y

Soul 1.6L

43,49,000 1591 5M 124 156 NA Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N

Sportage 2.0 L Diesel

58,49,000 - 63,49,000

1998

6M

177

392

NA

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

Agni Incorporated Pvt. Ltd, Uttar Dhoka Tel: 4414626 | 4414628

MAHINDRA Models Bolero LX MDi 4WD

27,95,000

2523

5M

63

180

NA

N

N

N

N

Y

N

N

N

N

Scorpio VLX 4WD

51,50,000

2179

5M

120

290

150

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

N

XYLO

32,65,000 to 40,15,000

2498

5M

112

240

135

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

Thar

21,20,000 to 29,60,000

2498

5M

112

235

140

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

Arun Intercontinental Traders, Jhamsikhel Tel: 5547165 | 5547166

SUZUKI Models Alto LX A/C

14,39,000

800

5M

46

62

140

N

N

N

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

Alto K10 Vxi

16,95,000

1000

5M

67

90

145

N

N

N

N

N

Y

Y

N

N

A-Star Zxi

21,33,000 1000 5M 67 90 160 Y Y Y N Y N Y N N

Eeco STD 7Seater

17,39,000

Grand Vitara MT

70,00,000 1995 5M 164 225 175 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y

Ritz VXI

22,35,000 1200 5M 75 190 NA N Y Y N Y Y Y N N

Swift VDi

25,97,870 1248 5M 75 190 160 N Y Y N Y Y Y N N

Swift Dzire Zxi

28,99,000 1248 5M 75 190 160 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N

SX4 Zxi

33,19,000 1586 5M 102 145 175 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N

Kuleshwor, Global Bank Building Kathmandu, Nepal Phone October 2012 106 : 00977-1-4289051

1200

5M

73

101

NA

N

N

N

N

N

Y

N

N

www.autolife.com.np

N

Airbags

ABS

Remote Locking Y

Climate Control

Top Speed (KMPH)

Y

18,95,010

998 5M 64 84 150 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N

800 Std

10,97,000

796 4M 37 59 NA N N N N Y N N N N

64

Sunroof

Zen Estilo Vxi

TECHNICAL

Bluetooth

5M

Fog Lamps

1061

Leather Seats

19,41,000

Steering Adjust

New Wagon R Vxi

All prices are subject to change with the market scenario. Please confirm with the showroom for accuracy.

Power (BHP)

Gearbox

Y

Cubic Capacity (CC)

NA

Price (NRs)

84

NEW CAR BUYER’S GUIDE

Torque (NM)

Updated September 2012

Y

Y

N

EXTRA FEATURES AND SAFETY Y

Y

Y

Padma Shree Pvt. Ltd, Gyaneshwor Tel: 4435688 | 4435631

Mazda Models BT-50

47,50,000 2499 5M 140 330 NA Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N

Mazda 3 Full Opt

66,50,000

1598

5M

103

145

NA

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Mazda 2 Full Opt

46,00,000

1498

5M

102

135

NA

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Mazda 6 Full Opt

76,50,000

2489

6M

170

226

NA

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

N

CX-7

82,00,000 to 2488 5M 161 218 NA Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 85,00,000 Leon Motors Pvt. Ltd, Shantinagar Tel: 4622074 | 4622485

MITSUBISHI Models ASX 4WD GLX

79,00,000 1998 6CVT 150 197 190 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

Lancer EX GLX

66,00,000 1998 6CVT 150 197 200 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N

L200 Sportero 4WD 48,00,000 2477 NA 135 NA 175 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Double Cab L300 Minibus L

38,00,000

2477 5M 75 150 120 N Y NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

Outlander

84,00,000

2360 6CVT 170 226 190 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

Pajero GLS 3.0 V6

Pajero Sport GLX

1,30,00,000

2972 5M 185 267 175 Y NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

85,00,000 2477 5M 175 400 N/A Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Dugar Automobiles Pvt. Ltd, Balaju Tel: 4362992 | 4350912

NISSAN Models Navara LE

44,00,000 2488 6M 175 403 170 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N

New Sunny 1.5

37,50,000

NA

5M

110

148

NA

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Tiida Sedan M

NA

1598

5M

110

153

170

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

X-Trail

88,00,000 1995 6A 150 320 185 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Nemlink Int’l Traders Pvt. Ltd, Panipokhari Tel: 4006528 | 4410323

PERODUA Models MYVI SX

27,00,000 1298 5M 86 116 NA N N Y N Y N Y N N

Viva 850

19,45,000

847 5M 53 76 NA Y N N N Y N Y N N Constant Business Group Pvt. Ltd, Naxal Tel: 2297455

PROTON Models Savvy

20,75,000 1149 5M 74 NA NA N N Y N N N Y N N

Persona 1.6

30,75,000 1597 5M 110 148 NA Y Y Y N Y Y Y N N

Gen 2 - 1.6

30,50,000

www.autolife.com.np

1597

5M

125

150

NA

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

October 2012

N

N

107

TECHNICAL

Sunroof

Bluetooth

Fog Lamps

Leather Seats

Steering Adjust

Climate Control

Remote Locking

ABS

Airbags

Top Speed (KMPH)

Torque (NM)

Power (BHP)

Gearbox

Cubic Capacity (CC)

All prices are subject to change with the market scenario. Please confirm with the showroom for accuracy.

Price (NRs)

NEW CAR BUYER’S GUIDE

Updated September 2012

EXTRA FEATURES AND SAFETY Skoda M.A.W, Thapathali Tel: 4216835 | 4268788

SKODA

Models

Superb

71,90,000 to 73,90,000

1968

6A

140

320

206

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Fabia

22,95,000 to 28,45,000

1200

5M

75

110

NA

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

N

N

N

Laura 1.8

53,49,000 to 56,49,000

1798

7A

118

250

225

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

Yeti 2.0

61,90,000 to 63,90,000

1968

6M

140

320

210

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Constant Business Group Pvt. Ltd, Naxal Tel: 2297455

SSANGYONG Models Korando Active AWD

50,75,000 1998 5M 175 360 180 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y

Rexton

59,75,000 2696 5M 160 340 180 Y Y Y N Y Y Y N Y

Actyon Sports

34,75,000 1998 5M 140 310 NA Y Y Y N Y Y Y N Y Vijay Motors Pvt. Ltd, Naxal, KTM Tel: 4414158

Subaru Models Forester

90,00,000 2498 5M 230 320 NA Y Y Y Y Y N Y N N 95,00,000 (A/T) Sipradi Trading Pvt Ltd, Teku Tel: 4250610 | 4250612

TATA Models Aria Prestige

53,85,000 2179 5M 138 320 NA Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y

Indica V2 Xeta GLS

15,95,000 1193 5M 64 100 145 N N N N N N N N N

Indica Vista Q-JET

22,25,000 to 26,95,000

1248

5M

75

190

160

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

Y

Y

N

Indigo CS

19,45,000 to 23,95,000

1405

5M

69

135

165

N

N

N

N

N

N

Y

N

N

Indigo Manza Q-JET

28,45,000 to 31,45,000

1248

5M

90

200

NA

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

Y

Y

N

Nano

8,58,000 to 11,88,000

624

4M

35

48

105

N

N

N

N

N

N

Y

N

N

Safari Dicor

33,45,000 to 46,95,000

2179

5M

138

320

NA

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Sumo Grande

29,85,000 to 34,85,000

2179

5M

120

250

140

N

N

N

N

Y

N

Y

N

N

Sumo Gold

24,90,000 to 28,90,000

2956

5M

70

223

175

N

N

N

N

Y

N

Y

N

N

Xenon XT 4WD

30,30,000

2183 5M 138 320 160 N N N N Y N Y N N

United Traders Syndicate, Sinamangal Tel: 4478301-5, 4478003

TOYOTA Models Avanza

39,95,000

1298 5M 90 120 150 Y Y Y N Y Y Y N N

Corolla

72,50,000

1598 5M 104 145 170 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N N

Fortuner

96,60,000

2928 5M 160 343 170 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y

Land Cruiser Prado 16,500,000 2982 5M 129 343 170 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y Dual AC Land Cruiser GX

Rav 4 Auto

108 108

October 2012

N/A

4461 5M 214 430 190 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y

97,80,000

2362 5M/4A 167 224 NA Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y

www.autolife.com.np

Yaris Hatchback

Yaris Sedan

Sunroof

Bluetooth

Fog Lamps

Leather Seats

Steering Adjust

Climate Control

Remote Locking

ABS

Airbags

Top Speed (KMPH)

Torque (NM)

Power (BHP)

Gearbox

Price (NRs)

TECHNICAL

Updated September 2012

EXTRA FEATURES AND SAFETY

NA

1298 5M 86 120 NA Y Y Y N Y Y Y N N

54,50,000

1298 5M 86 120 NA Y Y Y N Y Y Y N N Pooja International Pvt. Ltd, Panipokhari Tel: 4006605 | 4006606

VOLKSWAGEN Models Passat CC

75,50,000 to 87,00,000

1798

6A

158

250

223

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Golf

48,00,000

1595 5M 103 148 120 Y Y Y Y Y N Y N N

NEW CAR BUYER’S GUIDE

All prices are subject to change with the market scenario. Please confirm with the showroom for accuracy.

Cubic Capacity (CC)

Updated April 2012

Passat A/T Loaded 87,00,000 1798 6A 158 250 220 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

Polo 1.6

22,95,000 to 29,45,000

1598

5M

103

153

185

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

Y

N

N

Tiguan TDI

69,75,000 to 86,00,000

1964

6A

138

320

NA

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Touareg 3.0D A/T (Full Option) Vento 1.6

1,35,00,000 2967 8A 241 550 220 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

31,95,000 to 37,95,000

1598

5M

103

153

185

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

N

N

Constant Business Group Pvt. Ltd, Naxal Tel: 2297455

ZOTYE Models Zotye Nomad II 1.5L 24,75,000

1500 5M 105 135 145 N Y N N N N Y N N

Fuel Tank (Litre) 3.5

N/A

N/A

109

5.2

N/A

1330

N/A

113

5.2

N/A

1320

150

173

14

N/A

Mileage (kmpl)

Dry Weight (KG)

Ground Clearance (MM)

Wheelbase (MM)

Height (MM)

Length (MM)

Top Speed (KMPH)

Gears

Torque (NM)

Power (BHP)

Cubic Capacity (CC)

102

Models

SYM

Shrestha Company Pvt. Ltd, Teku, Tel: 4251202 Magic 110 rr

1,59,900

110

N/A

7.2/6000 4

orbit II

1,79,900

125

N/A

8.33/6500 CVT 91 1905 1238

1325

jet4

1,99,900

125

N/A

8.6/7000

CVT

85

1900

1040

5,99,900

250

N/A

23.1/6000

6

140

2005

1050

wolf sb250ni

ktm duke

Hansraj Hulaschand & Co. Ltd Naxal, Tel: 4415462 200 DUKE

3,70,000 199.5 25/1000 19.2/800 6 135 N/A 810 1350 165 126

Anna Lifan

80 1890 1090 1205 n/A

NEW BIKE BUYER’S GUIDE

All prices are subject to change with the market scenario. Please confirm with the showroom for accuracy.

Price (NRS)

Updated September 2012

COOL BOY

DUE

apollo

11

35

Annapurna Lifan Company Pvt. Ltd Teku, Tel: 4241521 1,55,900 149.4 13.5/8500 8.5/7500 5 95 N/A 830 1680 250 120 10.5 50 99,900

97 5.5/7500 6.6/5000 4 N/A N/A 750 1208 140 95

4 70

Universal Super Impex Jyatha Tole, Tel: 4227337 Models Orion RX 250T

3,16,000 249.4 17.5/7500 18/5500 5 105 N/A 930 1420 280 118 8 35

Orion RX 250M

3,16,000 249.4 17.5/7500 18/5500 5 105 N/A 880 1420 280 118 8 35

www.autolife.com.np

October 2012

109

Fuel Tank (Litre)

Mileage (kmpl)

Ground Clearance (MM)

Wheelbase (MM)

Dry Weight (KG)

Bajaj

Height (MM)

Length (MM)

Top Speed (KMPH)

Gears

Torque (NM)

Power (BHP)

Cubic Capacity (CC)

All prices are subject to change with the market scenario. Please confirm with the showroom for accuracy.

Price (NRS)

NEW BIKE BUYER’S GUIDE

Updated September 2012

140

14

35

Hansraj Hulaschand & Co. Ltd Teku, Tel: 4220094 | 4261200 Models Avenger 220

2,46,900

Discover 100 DTS-Si

1,42,900 94.38 7.5/7500 7.85/5000 5 90 N/A 800 1305 165 108 8

Discover 125 DTS-Si

1,63,900 (Disk) 124.6 11/8000 10.8/5500 5 N/A N/A 800 1305 165

110

8

Discover 150

1,72,900

144.8

13/7500

12.75/5500

5

110

N/A

800

1305

115

8

65

Platina 100

1,22,900

99.27

8/7500

8/5500

4

90

N/A

805

1275

160

100

13

75

Platina 1,38,900 125 DTS-Si

124.58

9.5/7000

11/5000

4

100

N/A

785

1275

160

100

13

65

BOXER 150

1,39,900

144.8

12/7500

12/5000

4

100

N/A

803

1285

N/A

122

11

60

Pulsar 150 DTSi

2,09,900

149.01

15.06/9000

12.5/6500

5

115

N/A

785

1320

160

120

15

55

Pulsar 180 DTSi

2,26,900

178.60

17/8500

14/6000

5

120

N/A

785

1345

165

130

15

50

Pulsar 220F

2,49,900

220

21/8500

19/7000

5

135

N/A

795

1350

165

140

15

45

Pulsar 220 nS

2,64,900

220

21/8500

19/7000

5

135

N/A

795

1350

165

140

15

45

219.89 19/8400 17.5/7000 5

120 N/A 710 1475

DAELIM

169

165

80 N/A

AKU Nepal Enterprises Kalimati, Tel: 4288339 | 4286018 Models Roadwin 150R

2,88,500

150 15/10600 12.5/8400 5

5,00,000

249 23/9000 19/8000 5 140 N/A 780 1380 150 160

Roadwin R250 FI

120 N/A 780 1380

Demak

150

135

15

N/A

15 N/A

Agni Incorporated Pvt. Ltd Uttar Dhoka, Tel: 4420964 Models Cougar 250

3,95,000

249 19/7500 N/A 5 N/A N/A 760 1480 140 140 14 40

2,38,000

150 13/8500 10/7500 5 N/A N/A 840 1380 270 120 8.5 50

DMX-R

DUCATI

Turbo Motors Trading Naxal,Tel: 4435720 Models Hypermotard 796

18,50,000

803 81/8000 74/6250 6 200 N/A 825 1455 N/A 155 12.5 N/A

Monster 696

16,80,000

696 80/9000 69/7750 6 N/A N/A 770 1450 N/A 160

15

N/A

Monster 796

18,50,000

803 87/8250 79/6250 6 220 N/A 800 1450 N/A 167

15

N/A

848 EVO

N/A

849.4 140/10500 98/9750 6 N/A N/A 830 1430 N/A

168

15.5 N/A

1198

N/A

1198.4 170/9750 131/8000 6 N/A N/A 820 1430 N/A

171

15.5 N/A

Multistrada 1200 S

N/A

1198.4

150 / 9250

118 / 7500

6

N/A

N/A

850

1530

N/A

192

20

N/A

SportsClassic GT1000

N/A

992

92 / 8000

90 / 6000

6

N/A

N/A

810

1425

N/A

185

15

N/A

GLOBAL

GLOBAL

Jai Shambu Automotives Pvt. Ltd Ravi Bhawan, Tel: 4289933 | 4277049

Models

110

G-100

1,21,000

97

7.2/8000

6.5/6000

4

N/A

N/A

N/A

1280

150

100

10

N/A

UFO 150

1,56,500

149.6

8.5/7500

9.2/6000

Auto

80

N/A

N/A

1275

135

100

5

N/A

Xpression+

1,48,994

124

10.5/8500

8.4/7500

5

N/A

N/A

N/A

1280

140

100

15

N/A

October 2012

www.autolife.com.np

Dry Weight (KG)

Fuel Tank (Litre)

Ground Clearance (MM)

Wheelbase (MM)

103

N/A

860

1375

280

115

12

45

VR 200H

3,49,000

197

19/7500

15/6000

5

105

N/A

860

1375

290

130

12

30

Hartford

Height (MM)

5

Length (MM)

12.5/7500

Gears

13.5/8500

Torque (NM)

149

Power (BHP)

2,99,000

Cubic Capacity (CC)

VR 150H

Price (NRS)

All prices are subject to change with the market scenario. Please confirm with the showroom for accuracy.

International Motor Pvt. Ltd Teku, Tel: 4265336 | 4265337

Models

Hero

Syakar Company Ltd Kantipath, Tel: 4225377 Models

CBZ X-TREME 2,03,900 (DD) 149.2 14.2/8500 12.8/6500 5 110 N/A 800 1325 145 135 15 60.25

CD Deluxe

97.2

7.2/8000

7.5/5000

4

95

N/A

790

1230

165

100

10.5

72

Glamour 1,70,900(DSS FI)

124.8

9/7000

10.35/4000

4

95

N/A

775

1265

150

115

15

72

Hunk 2,01,900(DD)

149.2

14.2/8500

12.8/6500

5

110

N/A

795

1325

145

135

12.5

50

2,36,900

223

16.5/7000

18.3/6000

5

125

N/A

1355

150

135

15

45

2,91,900

223

17.5/7000

18.3/6000

5

130

N/A

1350

160

145

15

48

1.24,900 (Self)

Karizma R

Karizma ZMR

795 795

NEW BIKE BUYER’S GUIDE

Top Speed (KMPH)

Updated September 2012

Pleasure 1,38,900 102 7/7000 7.8/5000 Auto 80 N/A 750 1240 125 95 5.5 50

Splendor NXG

1,42,900

97.2

Splendor +

1,38,900

97.2 7.4/8000 7.2/5000 4

85 N/A 775 1230 160

110 10.5

60

Splendor Pro

1,42,900

97.2

90

Super Splendor

1,54,900

124.7 9.13/7000 10.35/4000 4

7.7/7500

7.6/7500

7.6/6000

8.04/4500

4

4

100

N/A

N/A

100 N/A

Honda

785

1230

160

100

10

77

775

1230

160

100

11

60

775

1235

150

110

12

75

Syakar Trading Company Pvt. Ltd, Kantipath, Tel: 4253522 | 4163501 | 4256199 Models

Activa

1,54,900

110

8/7500

8.8/5500

Auto

90

N/A

765

1238

145

100

5.3

55

Aviator 1,59,900 110 8/8000 8.82/5500 Auto 85 N/A 790 1256 145 95 6 52

CB Shine 1,74,900(DCA)

125

10.3/7500

10.9/5500

4

100

N/A

790

1265

175

110

11

80

CB Twister

1,66,900(DSS)

110

9/8000

9/6500

4

95

N/A

800

1262

180

100

8

70

CB Unicorn

2,05,900 (DSS)

110

13.2/8000

12.8/5500

5

115

N/A

790

1340

180

135

13

60

CB Unicorn

Dazzler

2,12,900

150

14/8500

12.8/6500

5

120

N/A

780

1328

162

125

12

55

CBF Stunner

1,82,900

125

11/8000

11/6500

5

100

N/A

790

1271

173

120

10

60

NEW Dio

1,55,900

110

7/7000

80

N/A

762

1235

145

100

6

50

CBR 250RA

5,14,900

250

25.3/8500

23 7000

6

155

N/A

780

1370

145

150

13

35

CBR 600

20,50,000

600

118/13500

66/11250

6

240

N/A

820

1369

135

156

18

20

CB 600F Hornet

16,99,900

600

102/12000

63.510500

6

210

N/A

800

1435

135

19

20

CB 1000R

CBR1000RR

7.8/5500 Auto

183

22,00,000 1000 125/10000 100/8000 6 240 N/A 825 1445 130 213 17 15

26,00,000

1000 175/12000 112/8500 6

N/A N/A 820

1410 N/A

200

17.7

15

NXR150 BROS

5,25,000

150 14/8000 13.6/6000 5 N/A N/A 830 1353 245

120

12

N/A

XR250

6,25,000

250 23.3/7500 23.7/6000 6

135 11.5

N/A

www.autolife.com.np

140 N/A 880 1427 281

October 2012

111

Fuel Tank (Litre)

Mileage (kmpl)

160

17

N/A

647 72/9000 61/7250 6 190 N/A 790 1435 185 200

17

N/A

11,10,900

647

72/9000

61/7250

6

200

N/A

830

1435

165

200

17

N/A

RT 125D

4,68,900

124.5

13.5/10000

11/8000

5

N/A

N/A

790

1350

230

135

7

N/A

GV250

6,49,900

249 27/10500 22/7500 5 N/A N/A 710 1508 150 167

14

N/A

GV650P

13,50,000

249 80/9000 67/7250 5 N/A N/A 705 1700 160 220

14

N/A

160

17

35

100

6

45

Power (BHP)

Hyosung

Height (MM)

155

Length (MM)

Dry Weight (KG)

Ground Clearance (MM)

Wheelbase (MM)

Top Speed (KMPH)

N/A

Gears

17

Torque (NM)

160

Cubic Capacity (CC)

175

All prices are subject to change with the market scenario. Please confirm with the showroom for accuracy.

Price (NRS)

NEW BIKE BUYER’S GUIDE

Updated September 2012

Batas Motors Pvt. Ltd Naxal, Tel: 4004626 | 4004627

Models

GT250N

6,20,900

249

GT250R

7,05,900

249 26.35/9000 21/6750 5

GT650N

10,65,900

GT650R

26.5/9000

21/6750

5

150

N/A

830

1435

150 N/A 830 1435

Kawasaki

Hansraj Hulaschand & Co. Ltd Teku, Tel: 4220094 | 4261200

Models

Ninja 250R

7,49,900

249 32/11000 22/8200 6 160 N/A 790 1400 135

Mahindra 2 Wheelers

SG Global Pvt. Ltd Teku, Tel: 4251202

Models

Duro Rodeo

N/A

124.6

N/A

124.6 8/7000 9/5500 Auto 85 N/A 760 1245 155 106 4.5 45

PIAGGIO

8/7500

9/5500

Auto

85

N/A

PIAGGIO

770

1290

155

Anna Automobile Pvt. Ltd Teku, Tel: 4229855

Models

BYQ125

1,48,000

126.3

9.7/8500

8.6/7000

4

N/A

N/A

N/A

1295

180

115

14

45

Citypard 150

1,55,000

149

11.7/8000

11/6000

5

N/A

N/A

870

1400

150

115

14

45

1,49,000

90

6.5

50

iShine 100

96.21

N/A 6.81/6000 Auto N/A N/A N/A 1340 130

Rieju

Tunche Trans Himalayan Trading Concern Bhrikuti Mandap, Tel: 4268169 Models Marathon 185

3,88,000

125

15

20

6

115

Marathon 185 Pro

4,67,000

125

15

20

6

120 N/A 870 1395 n/a 115

6.5 N/a

Marathon 450

11,00,000

449

N/A

N/A

5

N/A N/A 900 1485 N/A

8.5

4,70,000 230 N/A

Tango 250

N/A

870

1395

N/A

115

115

6.5

N/a

N/A

N/A 5 N/A N/A 840 N/A N/A 100 5.5 N/A

Royal Enfield

Dugar Brothers & Sons Pvt. Ltd Balaju, Tel: 4362992

Models Classic 350

4,11,000

346

20/5250

28/4000

5

N/A

N/A

800

1370

140

170

13.5

N/a

CLASSIC CHROME Classic 500 desert storm

5,35,000 4,95,000 5,15,000

499

27/5250

41.3/4000

5

130

N/A

800

1370

140

170

13.5

N/a

Electra Twin Spark

3,95,000

346

20/5250

28/4000

5

115

N/A

800

1370

140

170

13.5

N/a

3,35,000

346

18/5000

32/3000

4

100

N/A

760

1370

140

150

14.5

35

4,11,000

346

20/5250

28/4000

5

115

N/A

770

1370

140

170

15.5

35

STD350 UCE

Thunderbird Twin Spark

Suzuki

Ganesh Enterprises Kamalpokhari, Tel: 4422818 | 4423444 Models Access 125

112

October 2012

1,59,888

124

8.5/7000

9.8/5000

Auto n/a

N/A

780

1250

160

110

6

www.autolife.com.np

N/a

Power (BHP)

Torque (NM)

Gears

Top Speed (KMPH)

Length (MM)

Height (MM)

Wheelbase (MM)

Ground Clearance (MM)

Dry Weight (KG)

Fuel Tank (Litre)

Mileage (kmpl)

Cubic Capacity (CC)

10/8000

10/7500

Auto

90

N/A

745

1255

120

110

7.8

N/a

Models

AN 125HK

n/a

124

GN125H

1,67,888 124 12/8000 10/7500 5 110 N/A 735 1280 175 107 10.3 35

GS150R

2,07,888 149.5 13.8/8500 13.4/6000 6 110 N/A 790 1340 160 135 15.5 60

slingshot

1,65,888 (disk)

124

8.5/8500

10/6000

5

100

N/A

790

1265

160

115

12

60

B-King

25,00,000

1340

181/9500

146/7200

6

240

N/A

805

1525

120

235

16.5

N/A

Burgman 400

16,50,000 400 34/7300 36.3/5800 Auto 150 N/A 710 1585 125 210 13.5 N/A

GZ250

6,25,000

249

20/8000

18.7/7000

5

N/A

N/A

680

1450

125

140

13

N/A

DR200SE

6,00,000

199

15/8500

17.7/7000

5

N/A

N/A

810

1405

260

115

13

40

Hayabusa

N/A

1340

197/9800

154/10200

6

296

N/A

805

1480

120

220

21

15

GSR600 16,00,000 (ABS)

599

93/12000

65/9600

6

215

N/A

785

1440

130

185

16.5

20

GSX650F

16,50,000

656

85/10500

62/8900

6

240

N/A

770

1470

125

220

19

20

GSX-R600

22,00,000

599

125/13500

68/11500

6

265

N/A

810

1400

130

180

17

15

TVS

NEW BIKE BUYER’S GUIDE

All prices are subject to change with the market scenario. Please confirm with the showroom for accuracy.

Price (NRS)

Updated September 2012

AIT Pvt. Ltd Teku, Tel: 4253661 | 4261330 Models Apache RTR 160

2,11,900

159.7

15.2/8500

13.1/6000

5

120

N/A

790

1300

180

120

16

50

Apache RTR 180

2,26,900

177.4

17/8500

15.5/6500

5

125

N/A

790

1326

180

120

16

45

Scooty Pep+

1,29,900

87.8

5/6500

5.8/4000 Auto

75

N/A

740

1230

135

90

5

55

Scooty Streak

1,34,922

87.8

5/6500

5.8/4000

Auto

80

N/A

740

1230

135

90

4.7

55

Star City 110

1,43,900

109.7

8.2/7500

8.1/5000

4

90

N/A

790

1240

165

95

16

67

Jive

1,52,889

109.7

8.4/7500

8.3/5500 Auto

95

N/A

780

1260

165

95

15

65

Wego

1,56,900

109.7

8/7500

85

N/A

770

1275

150

100

5

40

8/5500

Auto

Yamaha

Morang Auto Works Teku, Tel: 4261160 | 4268252 Models

Enticer DLX

1,81,900

123.7

11/8000

10.4/6500

4 n/a

N/A

710

1375

140

105

13.5

N/a

Fazer

2,21,900

153

14/7500

14/6000

5

115

N/A

790

1335

160

130

13.5

45

FZ-16

1,99,900

153

14/7500

14/6000

5

115

N/A

790

1335

160

125

12

45

FZ-S

2,16,900

153 14/7500 14/6000 5 115 N/A 790 1335 160 125

12

45

SS 125

1,73,900

123

11/7500

10.4/6500

5

110

N/A

795

1295

155

110

13

70

SZ-R 1,88,900 (disk)

153

12/7500

12.8/4500

5

105

N/A

802

1320

165

120

14

50

SZ-X

1,74,900

153

12/7500

12.8/4500

5

105

N/A

802

1320

165

120

14

50

YBR 110

1,42,900

106

7.5/7500

7.8/6000

4

100

N/A

795

1290

173

115

13

65

YBR 125 DX

1,60,900

123

10.8/7500

10.4/6500

4

105

N/A

795

1300

180

115

13.5

60

YZF R15 V2

3,22,900

149.8

17/8500

15/7500

6

135

N/A

790

1290

160

120

12

42

YZF-R6

20,47,900

599

122/14500 65.7/10500

6 n/a

N/A

850

1375

130

175

17

17

XJ6

15,17,900

600

78/10000

6

N/A

785

1440

140

190

17.3

20

www.autolife.com.np

60/6100

N/A

October 2012

113

As a pioneer and leader in Nepal's ICT industry, Worldlink has proudly served the nation for 17 years. Thanks to your trust and support, the services that we started from two computers in a small room have now been expanded to

1897 villages and 56 municipalities in 58 districts.

Our success has inspired countless and instilled hope during turbulent times. We started with a dream to connect every Nepali with high quality and affordable telecommunication services, and today, we reaffirm this commitment to our nation.

114

October 2012

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October 2012

115

116

October 2012

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