AutoX April 2012

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w w w. a u t o x . i n

DRIVEN

HYUNDAI SONATA

C70 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2012

JAGUAR XKR CONVERTIBLE & XKR-S

T U R NS

2012 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR J ASTON MARTIN ZAGATO BENTLEY EXP 9F AND MANY MORE...

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Ferrari F12 Berlinetta Confederate X132 Hellcat +21'$路6 68=8.,路6

ONE ROAD TRIP

Finest Selection of Small, Luxury, Classic, Sports Cars and SUVs

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nown by many as ‘the Bentley of Motorcycles,’ Confederate Motors are the makers of handcrafted heirloom motorcycles, and in the recent past they came out with the third generation of their flagship motorbike known as the Hellcat. The Hellcat X132 is not the kind of bike you would expect to see on a daily basis, these specially designed and handcrafted motorbikes are a workmanship of classic brutal bike design. Named after the legendary

F6F Hellcat fighter plane of WWII, the X132 Hellcat is the result of an uncompromised design and manufacturing approach. The centerpiece of this approach is the Hellcat’s billet aluminum case. Instead of the usual casting method, the Hellcat’s case is machined from two blocks of billet 6061 aircraft grade aluminum, which makes it lighter and tougher. These bikes are of superior high quality and the company designs and crafts each Confederate motorcycle to be a multi-generational heirloom product, which requires each component,

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3A8E4= design manual. Characterized by its large and bold face, the Sonata – with its large chrome grille and headlights, assertive side character lines, and bright LED taillights joined together by a chrome strip – has a presence that the older generations of the car lacked. This generation, however, has presence in oodles with its modern design language being particularly eye catching. It doesn’t look like any previous Hyundai design, save for the very well accepted Fluidic Verna. In fact, it would be apt to say that while its competitors like the Superb and Accord have more of a mute, understated presence, the Sonata overshadows them with pure presence and eye-catching looks. On the other hand, from some angles, the car appears to be trying too hard – and it’s possible that the design

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may not age particularly gracefully. Out on the road, the Sonata displays its true nature of being a car designed to be driven-in, rather than for enthusiastic driving. The modern direct injection 2.4 litre GDI petrol engine has a wide power band, and, given its dual variable valve timing & variable intake system, pulls cleanly from low revs and has remarkably good mid-range grunt. The engine, despite being from the latest generation of Hyundai engines, still feels a little coarse in the upper reaches of its rev band, but otherwise provides good power and more than adequate acceleration for everyday driving. The disappointment comes in the form of the conventional 6-speed automatic gearbox which, unlike the double clutch gearboxes fast becoming the norm, shifts slowly, is lethargic in its

responses, and seems to sap some power from the engines 198bhp – which means that the car never really feels as quick as it should. The manual box should help matters from a performance perspective, but, unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to sample one on this occasion. From a driving perspective, the Sonata leans towards absolute comfort as far as the suspension and the steering setup is concerned. The electric power steering feels lifeless and disconnected from the wheels, and there isn’t much feedback on offer to encourage spirited driving. Similarly, the suspension is soft and there’s masses of body roll, which will not enthuse a keen driver. But, for the sahib riding in the back, it’s a blessing in disguise – as the car smoothes out most bad surfaces and provides excellent comfort.

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From an equipment and luxury point of view, the Sonata comes very well equipped as one would expect from Hyundai. Standard equipment includes 6 airbags, ABS, TCS, ESP, Brake Assist, Dual zone air-conditioning with rear vents, electrically adjustable front seats with memory, 17-inch alloys, and LED taillights, amongst a myriad of other features. One of highlights, though, were the seats – all of which are cooled and ventilated, which is an absolute boon for our weather conditions, as you have cold air blowing into vital areas even on the hottest of summer days! The centre console design has also moved on a generation from Sonata’s of old, and offers much better quality – with the layout design too being completely modern. What the Sonata excels at is being

an excellent chauffeur-driven car, which is comfortable, efďŹ cient, and is a nice place to spend time in. With Hyundai’s acclaimed service support and general product quality (not to mention reliability), this is car that will be painless to own and

use everyday – especially with Hyundai offering a class-leading warranty of 4 years or 100,000 kilometers. The challenges for the Sonata, though, lie with three essential issues – one, the competition, which is already

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540CDA4 in anything that got our hearts beating excitedly – and that’s when Avinash popped in with the big one via a text message – “why don’t we go to Balawali?” I hadn’t even heard of Balawali, leave alone having visited it. Google was equally clueless about it as well, and threw some random, irrelevant data as I worked my fingers on the laptop’s keys. Anyway, the beauty of places that are unknown is that they offer a pure and natural state of existence, and are alive with many gifts of nature. Balawali isn’t much different. There’s a sheer abundance of green wherever you look, and the locals are completely at ease with their lives. I see a lean, tiny silhouette in the distance, just as the sound of horsepower wakes up this sleepy town. As we ride closer to our abode for the next two days, the silhouette begins to display a slight gleam on dark skin. A simple white dhoti and kurta is all that seemed bright about this humble old man whose weak frame was supported by the laathi he used. We – the four bikers – ride right up to him, and I stop. I take my helmet off and

there’s a bright, welcoming grin on the old man’s face. We don’t exchange words, only smiles. A proper traditional salutation – Namaste – makes this man touch my head with his trembling hands to bless me and there’s a rush of warmth that I feel easing every paining muscle and joint in my body. It was as if time stood still for those few moments. I raised my head, smiled again and rode away gently – feeling the cool air meandering though my hair. Just a few yards ahead was the house that we’d be staying in, and my mates were waiting for me, wearing an expression of surprise, as if asking me – who was that man? I had never seen him before this day, yet his smile made me feel as though I was one of their own. The 200 kilometer ride from Delhi to Balawali hadn’t made us dreadfully tired, so we decided to go and check out the place – but not until we finished filling up our stomachs with some sumptuous food that awaited us inside. Pritha, Avinash’s wife, and Reva, Pritha’s cousin, had also come along in their Pajero. They’re working on a (much needed) project of

embedding traffic sense into people. Their first challenge is ensuring people use the horn as infrequently as they can. On the way, they took video captures of regular motorists – some of them confessed to honking incessantly, while some simply said they’re traffic law worshipers who had never honked. Bloody liars! Before lunch, Pritha and Reva told us that the whole of Balawali was, in essence, established by their greatgrandfather – Late Pandit Vishnudatt Ji. He was a genius who refused a government job to work towards, and realize, his dreams. The glass factory that he established now lies in ruins, but its remains tell a massive tale of the once bustling industrial unit that it’d been, and also of Pandit Ji’s forward thinking. Reva recalled her early days with great enthusiasm, and pointed to the courtyard where there used to be many family gatherings and celebrations. She insisted that we visit the age-old railway barrage and also the sandbanks of the river Ganga. But, before all that, Avinash forced us into the main hall that contained the sitting and

dining areas. As we entered, I didn’t quite get the excitement, but then he simply asked us to turn around. What we saw made us use a certain f-word with different modulations – there was a massive Gharial adorning the wall of the hall. Now, I admire the whole Crocodilia family for their sheer abilities, but seeing one so close is a completely surreal experience. Its eyes were a mix of evil green and grey, and it seemed to be staring straight down at me – waiting for the right moment to rip me apart. This particular Gharial was shot long before the species were declared critically endangered – so it’s actually surprising to see how well preserved it was, even after all these years. I couldn’t quite eat well after seeing it, so we headed out – to the Ganga, and then the industrial ruins. The Ganga that millions, very religiously, dip themselves into at Hairdwar is not the Ganga that I experienced at Balawali. It wore a natural pale green colour, which is a far cry from the dirty brown that the Ganga is reduced to in more commercial (read holy) places. The gentle sound

of the current, married to the warm saffron-and-yellow tone of the setting sun was the perfect setting – four bikes, their four riders, mesmerizing white sand and the flowing holy waters of the Ganga. It was just perfect. The next day we went to the factory ruins, which harked back to its magnificent days of glory. As multiple feet moved from one shed to the other, there was a faint visual being formed in my head – as if I was there, in the middle of it, with the machines running and the smell of oil and chemicals enveloping the whole compound. I had gone back into time, and didn’t want to come back. But then, it was time to leave. With a sense of satisfaction, we started back – five companions, five friends and their respective steeds. As for the steeds themselves – all our motorcycles were equal in their own right. They’d each done everything that these bikes weren’t designed to do, and they did it pretty damn well. This wasn’t supposed to be a product review, but it was planned as an experience and the bikes were central to

it. It wouldn’t have been possible without the bikes, and it would surely not have been as much fun. The Suzuki Intruder and Bandit were silken smooth, the laid back character of the Intruder 800 was loved by one-and-all, and it was surely the most comfy bike of the group – obviously, owing to its cruiser genes – while the Bandit was an effortless sports naked that was just as much at home on the open, flowing road, as it was on the odd beaten track. The two Hondas – we’ve had a massive romance with them ever since they were launched. The VFR is a massive bundle of power, and yet is perfectly comfortable for those long journeys, while the surprise of the pack was the CB1000R, which was as agile as a rabbit and the most nimble to handle. With the VFR and the Intruder at the opposite end of the motorcycle touring spectrum, with the two nakeds (CB1000R and the Bandit) slotting themselves neatly in between – we couldn’t have asked for anything more. Or could we? On that thought, I sign off – with a smile still on my face.

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’m filled with a strange sense of dÊjà -vu as I pilot this Jaguar XKR convertible on some stunning mountain roads along the West Coast of the US. You see, in 2008, shortly after Jaguar was taken over by Tata Motors, I drove the very same car on the very same roads, and came away reasonably confident that Tata had made the right choice in acquiring the legendary British marque. Of course, then another global recession hit, and Tata saw Jaguar Land Rover sales plummet. But, they didn’t flinch and continued to invest very heavily in product development and R&D. And boy does it show – because this car is more refined, more powerful, and more enjoyable than it was just a few years ago. In 2008, it had a 4.2 litre supercharged V8 that made 420 horsepower, which has now grown to 5.0 litres and 503 horsepower. But that’s the least of it, there’s also a noticeable jump in cabin quality, and what’s truly impressive is the newfound all-round ability of this all-aluminium chassis. Don’t get me wrong, a few years ago the XKR was an impressive car, but now it’ll simply blow you away on a twisting mountain road – and this stretch of tarmac not only fits that description, but also happens to be my favourite. The route that we’ve selected to put these cars through their paces (many times over) is a 35 kilometer mountain section that starts in Woodside, California – just west of Palo Alto in the heart of the Silicon Valley. In fact, it was in a garage in Palo Alto that Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard built HP’s first product in 1939 – so this is really the birth place of the Valley. Now, of course, not too far away, you have the brand new headquarters of Facebook, which are built to resemble a University campus (Harvard I presume)! But back to the road, which starts in Woodside, as California Highway 84, and snakes its way up the mountain

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a chassis to match, a ride that’s usable every day, and a luxury car interior – what more could you possibly ask for? The most incredible thing, though, is the fact that what you have here is a supercar that you can effectively use every day. You simply will not tire of either the pace or the comfort, and that’s saying a lot! The only issue I had with the XKR-S was the steering. Yes, it points the car exactly where you want. And, like any good sports car, the XKR-S just seems to sense where you want it to go – so you never have to muscle it. And yes, the stiffer springs, retuned dampers, extra aluminium components in the steering and suspension, 20-inch lightweight forged alloys, and aluminium brake callipers all do their job of sticking the car to the tarmac. And yes again, the chassis communicates exactly how much grip you do have, but you just get the sense that the steering could be a little more

talkative as well. You don’t expect the kind of discourse that you would get from a Porsche Boxster Cayman R (which I also happened to sample briefly at the same time) for instance, but a little more feel through the steering would be nice all the same. However, I’m pulling at strings here – I mean here’s a car that allows its (ham fisted) driver to attempt a powerslide coming out of a 15mph hairpin with a drop on one side and a cliff face on the other. And thanks to the Jag, it was attempted successfully on more than one occasion at that. This really is one of the best cars that I’ve ever driven – it’s a supercar, muscle car, GT car, sports car, and luxury car all rolled into one. What an effort, and what execution – it really says something for the abilities of Jaguar engineers. The R-S nomenclature means absolutely everything in this case. Personally, I think it stands for ‘Really Special.’

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