AutoX January 2012

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DRIVEN:

C70 | VOLUME 6 | ISSUE 3 | JANUARY 2012

RR EVOQUE

JAGUAR XKR & ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE

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HERO IMPULSE

RENAULT PULSE

JAGUAR XJ vs BMW 7 SERIES

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

FEATURE

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TRIUMPH TIGER 1050

EYE OF THE TIGER TRIUMPH IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE BIKE MANUFACTURERS, THE TIGER IS OUR FAVORITE ANIMAL, AND EXPLORING NEW PLACES IS OUR MOST EXCITING PAST TIME. BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PUT ALL OF THEM TOGETHER? TEXT JARED SOLOMON

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DRIVEN

FRENCH

INVASION

RENAULT HAS MADE A RE-ENTRY INTO THE INDIAN MARKET. AFTER JUST SIX MONTHS, THE FRENCH MANUFACTURER HAS LAUNCHED ITS THIRD PRODUCT, BUT THIS TIME IT’S AIMED AT THE MASSES. IT’S THE PULSE, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE NISSAN MICRA. OR IS IT ?

TEXT JARED SOLOMON IMAGES ASHISH JHA

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RENAULT PULSE

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evident with the car even eager to turn in and never feeling overtly heavy or ponderous. The ride, however, remains a mixed affair with good comfort and confident high-speed ride, but at low speeds the suspension can transfer a few jolts – especially when equipped with the optional larger alloy wheels.

The other contender in the test is the BMW 730 Ld, which has long been one of our favourite cars in the segment and has, till date, offered one of the best driving experiences amongst the competition. So, does the XJ – with its new design language and new standards of ‘Jaguarness,’ which include enhanced driving appeal – have enough to topple the 7-Series from the top spot?

Traditionally, the 7-Series has always been known to be the car of choice for people who like to step into the drivers chair of their own luxury car on occasion, in addition to merely being chauffeured

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around most of the time. Needless to say, the BMW has always been brilliant from behind the wheel, but the current generation has also raised the bar a few notches when it comes to luxury and standard equipment. The interiors are terrifically finished and laid out – with the design being relatively simple and uncluttered. What it lacks, though, is the XJ’s flamboyance – where the Jaguar has theatrics such as the rising gear knob and jet engine-like chrome AC vents that shoot air at you, the 7 offers a much simpler layout with things that just fall easily to hand. Depending on your outlook, you could call it comfortable or you could term it as being boring.

On the outside as well, the 7 doesn’t appear as special or striking as the XJ. But, then again, this could well be because the BMW is a victim of its own success – having sold well for the past two years, this generation of the 7 has

become a far more common sight on our roads than the Jag. What it nevertheless offers, though, is a supremely well balanced chassis and a superb 3.0 liter diesel engine that never feels like it’s a diesel – pulling this nearly two-tonne machine to 100km/h in just 7.3 seconds.

And while it may not be as quick in the sprint to 100km/h as the XJ, the dynamics of the 7 are such that it seems to shrink around the driver and feels like a much smaller car, which makes stepping behind the wheel truly an enjoyable experience. It really does feel as though every part of the 7 series has been engineered to near perfection.

So, how do they square off against each other? Well, the Jaguar clearly has more presence. The large chrome mesh in the front and the claw-like tail lights in the rear ensure that the Jag shouts out its presence.

The interiors too are unique and well made, but in places it can seem a tad overdone

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and chintzy. And the looks, while striking, do tend to polarize opinion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially with the blacked out C-pillar, which can stand out quite awkwardly against lighter colours.

Imposing yes, pretty no!

The 7, on the other hand, looks almost like an ordinary car when compared to the XJ â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but, make no mistake, it too is a good looking car. Sure, it might be pretty popular already, but if one isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t looking to make an overt statement, it makes for a great car.

So, in the end, it boils down to whether you value presence and style versus driving appeal and relative anonymity.

For me, personally, I prefer cars that tend not to stand out â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but, then again, for a customer spending nearly a crore or so of their own money, presence and style may matter more for them, in which case the XJ is a no-brainer. For those looking at a beautifully engineered machine that could potentially stay beneath the radar, the 7 is the way to go.

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finish on the center console looks like it’s come from a grand piano, the glass key is a work of art, but, believe it or not, Aston calls it an ‘Emotion Control Unit,’ and the ‘Power, Beauty,’ and ‘Soul’ readout that appears as you start the car – it’s all there to let you know that you’re seated in a car that is James Bond’s choice of chariot.

But, the question is – does it go as well as its exhaust note seems to suggest?

Well, one look at the 275/35 R19 rubber mounted on some of the most exquisite multi-spoke wheels that I’ve ever seen, and you would think so. And, it must be

said, the long and the short of it is that it goes pretty darn well indeed!

The 4.7 litre V8 produces 420 horsepower and pulls like a freight train.

The best part, though, is that it’s naturally aspirated, and, therefore, is extremely linear in its power delivery – allowing you to exploit the relentless torque (470Nm from 1500rpm) of the engine even within a city like Mumbai.

For our anniversary issue in November this year, we had a pretty impressive selection of machines at the Yas Marina Grand Prix circuit in Abu Dhabi – this

included the Audi R8 V10, the Maserati Gran Turismo MC Stradale, a Maserati Trofeo Cup car (which we didn’t actually get to drive), a Radical SST, and an Aston Martin GT4, which is the race-spec Vantage. And, I have to admit that, while the Radical was the most exciting, my favourite car of the test was the Aston because it was pure unadulterated GT magic.

Now, the street going version isn’t quite as powerful – or light, seeing that it’s equipped with every leather clad amenity known to man. As a result, you do feel a little bit of its girth from behind the

wheel, but it still feels imminently direct and chuckable from the driver’s seat.

The chassis is incredibly neutral and the steering is brimming with feel – allowing you to play with the rear end at will, even within the restricted confines of the most populous metro in our land.

The only downside, of course, of all this driver involvement and feedback is that you also get to experience every single expansion joint on Marine Drive. Plus, I would have much preferred a traditional manual transmission rather that the paddle shift semi-automatic that most

people seem to opt for these days. Yes, you can sense the shifts taking place in the transaxle behind you, which is nice – the transaxle, by the way, has the transmission and axle housed together in the rear to ensure even weight distribution.

But the transmission can be just a little fussy and cantankerous at slow speeds.

Besides, Aston Martin is one of the few manufacturers who still offer a proper manual gearbox, and I salute them for that.

Speaking of which, the XK-R is offered only with Jaguar Drive Select – Jag’s rotary knob that greets you by rising up from

the center console – which means that the Jaguar doesn’t even offer a manual transmission. To its credit, though, this is a 6-speed automatic that offers manual shifting – again through paddles on the steering wheel. The up side is that the transmission is decidedly good natured and the shifts are incredibly smooth. And that’s quite useful actually because the Jag truly has explosive power.

To merely say that this really is a leaping cat would be an understatement. It’s more like a feral feline on the prowl – it’ll sneak up on you innocently, and then

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DRIVEN

THE SECOND COMING TEXT & IMAGES ISHAN RAGHAVA

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ravelling in India is usually an action-packed adventure with its own share of events, sights, sounds, and, of course, smells! As a result, when even seasoned and experienced road warriors start a trip, they know that (despite thinking they’ve seen it all) there’s a surprise on every journey. So, with our expectations firmly in place, we started off on another journey. The plan was to pick up the new BMW X3 – a car that I’ve been looking forward to driving, given how positive the reports have been about the car.

At first glance, it’s evident that this completely new generation of the X3 is a tremendous improvement over the lastgen product, which received a lukewarm response in our market. With the new design and interiors, the X3 offers a contemporary product for its class.

Understanding the penchant of Indian consumers for diesel SUVs, the X3 is available with two diesel engine options.

The smaller engine is the ubiquitous 2.0-liter diesel producing 181bhp and 380Nm of torque, while the larger option

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BMW X3

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