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June 2012 Volume 14 Issue 10 ` 125
COLLECTOR’S SPECIAL EDITION
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motoringnews L o g o n t o w w w. ov e r d r i v e . i n / n e ws/
BEIJING
MOTOR SHOW
Trick or treat? The EcoSport with the all new EcoBoost 1-litre petrol engine could either be a masterstroke for Ford or could end up being lost in the diesel frenzy
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n the mad scramble for manufacturers to install diesel engines in all their cars Ford is taking a different route. The American giant is now focussing their energies for India on the EcoBoost engine. The EcoSport compact SUV was first shown at the Delhi Auto Expo in January this year. We’ve heard the buzz about the EcoBoost engine powering it as well, but what exactly is all the hype about? Simply put the 1.0-litre EcoBoost is one of the most advanced small capacity petrol engines in production today. This tiny three cylinder turbo petrol makes the power of a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine and the torque of an even bigger unit. All of this in a compact package that also promises to be highly fuel efficient. It sure sounds like a
winner. Well there’s one glitch in the plan. First of all the EcoSport may be compact (we were the first to report that it would be under 4-metres long) but it’s still going to be seen as an SUV. And we in India expect our SUVs with diesel engines. We can’t have it any other way. Let’s look at the facts. The Chevrolet Forrester was perhaps India’s first true petrol engine SUV. It came with a gem of an engine in the boxer four sourced from Subaru. and with Subaru’s inherent handling genius. It should have been a big hit but just wasn’t. Then there was the Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara with an excellent V6 petrol engine and considerable off road capability. But it failed spectacularly. Maruti then stuck a (relatively) more efficient four pot unit in the all new Vitara
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Fo rd Focus Ecoboost 1 .0
Downsized delight We get an exclusive first drive in a Ford Focus with the all important India bound 1-litre Ecoboost petrol engine Words Ray Hutton
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his isn’t promising: Ford has installed a 1-litre three-cylinder petrol engine in the Focus and offers it as an alternative to the 1.6-litre four-cylinder. That sounds like a recipe for a slow and noisy fuel economy special that would appeal only to committed environmentalists and particularly parsimonious businesses. Reality, I am pleased to say, vastly exceeds expectation. This is no ordinary three-cylinder engine but one which includes all the latest technology, features more usually found on six- and eight-cylinder engines in premium cars. The new EcoBoost 1.0 is equal or superior to the older 1.6-litre Duratec engine in every way. The new baby engine provides the Focus with the same performance as the 1.6 but can achieve 15-20 per cent better fuel consumption. With lower fuel consumption comes less carbon dioxide (CO2) and Ford, like all volume car manufacturers, has to reduce its
fleet average CO2 to meet EU regulations. Those same regulations are making the next generation of diesel engines more complex and more costly. Fuel economy and low emissions won’t sell on their own; Ford knew it had to maintain its reputation for responsive, sharp-handling cars. Its answer was to develop a new compact, lightweight petrol engine, codenamed Fox, with the highest power density (bhp for cubic capacity) of any Ford production engine. The work was entrusted to the powertrain engineers at the Dunton technical centre near London, but under the ‘One Ford’ strategy the new engine will go global. In time, it will become the standard power unit for Ford’s small and medium-sized cars. The EcoBoost 1.0 has high pressure direct fuel injection, turbocharging and variable timing for inlet and exhaust camshafts. Variants for different models and markets produce 100, 120 and 125PS; later there JUN 2012 overdrive
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AUDI A4
A fine dessert We sample Audi’s recipe for success in the A4 executive saloon class Words Alan D’Cruz Photography Gaurav Thombre
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ome times all it takes is a sprinkling of fine chocolate on top to make one schwarzwalder kirschtorte (black forest cake) stand out from another. Audi seem to have taken this approach in their new A4 and have just tweaked the ingredients for what is their most successful car in India. The battle in this segment with the other two German manufacturers, BMW and Mercedes, is hotting up with the new C-class being launched last year and BMW’s all new 3 series launch just around the corner. And it seems that each manufacturer has a slight-
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ly different recipe to try and take the largest slice of the pie, or cake in this instance. The A4 has received small changes in the looks department. Some that stand out, like the new neon like LEDs and some that take a second glance to notice like the changes to the rear bumper. Overall it’s the sum of the changes that make the impact and it just manages to look refreshed and sporty, which Audi hopes will attract new younger buyers. The interiors also have minor tweaks to the materials used and to the accents on the dash and around the gear console. You now also have the option of the Audi MMI
system with voice dialogue. And you can have quite a dialogue with it too. The car forces you to perfect your diction and MTI (mother tongue influence) to its lofty standards, as I found out while trying to call my wife using voice command. If you have some interesting names in your phone book then I wish you all the best. It won’t do your black forest cake any harm to add the freshest cherries and the finest cherry brandy to give it that extra zing. Audi have done just that by refreshing their engines too. All the engines feature direct injection and are turbo charged for better ef-
Interiors have been refreshed with better materials, subtle chrome accents and a new design steering wheel. You won’t get bored chatting with the new voice dialogue MMI system. Engines have been refreshed and the petrol makes more power and torque lower down and the diesel while giving the same performance on paper, returns better efficiency
ficiency and more power. The 1.8TFSI petrol is more powerful making 170PS and 320Nm of torque while the 2.0TDI outputs the same 143PS and also 320Nm of torque but being more efficient at it. There is also a 3.0TDI V6 with its 245PS and 500Nm but we only tested the first two variants, the bread and butter cars for Audi in this segment. Audi claim a 10 per cent average increase in efficiency in the entire A4 range. Fine-tuning has been made to the rear suspension control mounts and the rear shocks and it gets new electronic power steering replacing the hydraulic unit on the outgoing models. This basically sums up the new recipe that Audi have made the A4 with. So does this add up to a wonderful dessert? We were able to drive the A4 1.8TFSI and the 2.0TDI on track as well as Mumbai’s potholed and traffic infested roads to find out. On the track I was able to put the sporty aspiration of the A4 to test and I have to say that while it is entertaining its not entirely at home on the track. With 320Nm of torque
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A tougher
nut to crack
The improved Grand Cherokee aims at besting Land Rover and Mercedes at what they do best, all this while costing less Words Ray Hutton
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hen Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne moved in at Chrysler he identified Jeep as the American company’s most suitable global brand. It was a no-brainer really: how many other car names are generic? All around the world, Jeep is shorthand for a four-wheel drive off-road vehicle. The name derives from the US Army’s general purpose vehicle from World War 2. Like many long-established brands, Jeep has changed owners several times, so its evolution has been inconsistent, but it has always maintained its reputation for rugged vehicles that can go on when others are defeated. Of course, these days there are lots of go-anywhere vehicles and quite a few that meet Jeep’s trailblazing standards. Copies of early Jeeps have been produced, officially and unofficially, all over the world. The nearest thing to the original in Chrysler’s current line-up is the basic Jeep Wrangler but the marque today is better know for more civilised sport-utility vehicles like the Grand Cherokee.
The Grand Cherokee dates back 20 years, when it was introduced by Bob Lutz, then Chrysler president, driving the first car off the line at the Jefferson North plant through the streets of Detroit and crashing through a plate-glass window to make a grand entrance at the North American Auto Show. In 1992, that first Jeep Grand Cherokee was a credible alternative to the Range Rover – then, as now, king of the 4X4s – at a price lower than the Land Rover Discovery. New generations have come and gone but improvements did not keep pace with the new SUVs from everyone, from Audi and BMW to Porsche and Volkswagen. Development of the new Grand Cherokee was started when Jeep was part of DaimlerChrysler and its mechanical design owes a lot to the Mercedes ML, then part of the same family. The new model was nearly ready when Fiat took charge of Chrysler but there was the opportunity to make some changes, notably to design details and quality, and to provide its new 3-litre V6 diesel engine (made in Bologna by VM Motori) with the latest Fiat Multijet fuel injection system. JUN 2012 overdrive
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min i co op e r s
In your face! We hit the town and turn heads in the Mini Cooper S Words & Photography Ashok George
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here are two things you learn after driving a Mini Cooper S. First - the world looks different from inside a Mini. You feel like you’re sitting so close to the ground that you’re practically in a go kart. Your field of view is unmatched. You can see the extremities of your car very clearly. And that little badge on the wheel makes you want to drive through buildings and rob banks. Second - the world looks at you different when you’re driving a Mini. Everybody who sees the car instantly has a smile on their face. Others can’t take their eyes off it. So much that a Verna, whose driver was too busy staring at us, drove into the back of a cab he was following and a biker nearly ended up under a bus because he couldn’t stop staring at the Cooper S. Let me explain why all this attention was being showered on the little car. First off, the Mini we were testing was a bright red one with two black stripes on the hood, a black roof and shiny, piano black, 17-inch wheels. If this wasn’t enough to grab attention the S badge on the sides, the Cooper S badge on the rear hatch and the sweet exhaust note from the twin pipes surely did the trick. Visually, the Cooper and Cooper S are not very different. Firstly there is the big air scoop on the bonnet, the two air intakes on either side of the air-dam and the hexagon radiator grille (Cooper has chrome slats). Then there is the S badge near the indicator lights on the side. Finally there is the Cooper S badge and the centrally mounted dual exhausts at the back. Internationally, Mini offers over ten million possible combinations
of optional extras to customize your car. In India though there is a limited list on offer. But that is not to say that the list is small by any means. The Mini Cooper S gets a choice of 14 exterior colours, four kinds of bonnet stripes, two kinds of alloy wheels and six kinds of leather interiors to name a few. Our test car had the dual sunroof, the Harman/ Kardon entertainment system, the carbon black leather interiors, the 17-inch alloys and keyless entry. The Cooper S uses the same 1.6-litre, four cylinder, petrol engine that the Cooper uses. The difference? A turbocharger has been plonked under the hood to kick power up from 122PS to 184PS and torque from 160Nm to 240Nm (delivered from 1500rpm all the way up to 5000rpm). This, in addition to the sensitive throttle makes the car very eager to shoot forward at the slightest twitch of your right foot. The gearbox however, is a bit of a downer. The six speed automatic tranny is a bit sluggish in fully automatic mode with the shifts taking too long. But put it into Sport mode, use that paddle shifter to drop a gear and the car literally picks itself up and flies to 100kmph in 7.61 seconds. It is violent enough to have you banging the back of your head against the head restraint at every gearshift all the way to 213kmph. All this without breaking a sweat. But if you’re in the mood to relax and give the turbo a break, the car will happily trundle along at 150kmph with the engine purring away at 3000rpm. Drive like a sane person and the car will return 8.25kmpl in the city and 13.56kmpl on the highway. That means an average economy of 9.58kmpl. JUN 2012 overdrive
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CooperEgo What do you get when you take the roof off a Mini? Words Ashok George Photography Garurav S Thombre
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o we’ve spent enough breath over how awesome the Mini Cooper S is. We think it can’t get any better than this. Our neighbours have stopped peeking into our garage to see ‘our’ prized possession, ahem. We’ve spent adequate amounts of time driving around town getting all the attention we can get. What now? How do we inflate our egos further?
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2012 m e rc e d es - be nz ml 350c d i
Aamsutra
Mercedes are looking to get a firm grip on the luxury SUV segment with the new ML. And so we took it to a mango farm to study it carefully... Words Joseph Koraith Photography Gaurav S Thombre
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‘Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavour of life, take big bites. Moderation is for monks’ – Robert Heinlein
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f you are a monk stop reading. This story won’t be of much interest to you. This is a tale of pure indulgence. For the rest of us sinners let’s begin. There are a few status symbols that explicitly spell luxury. A beefy SUV is definitely one of them. Especially when it has a three-pointed star on the grille staring at you. The Mercedes M-Class is an SUV that commands instant respect, especially in India where there exists an age-old obsession with the brand. The M-Class has sold over 1500 units so far in India and now Mercedes are upping the ante with the new M-Class in an attempt to increase their footprint in the luxury SUV segment. So when we got our hands on the ML 350 CDI we decided to take it to meet something equally premium – the Alphonso mango. And we wanted to get the best ones. So we headed to Ratnagiri to get the king of the king of the mangoes. It’s a journey which helped us examine the ML from up close and for a long period of time. Let’s get to the pulp of the matter (Mango story. Cue mango jokes)
Design & styling The W166 is the third generation of the ML and in its new avatar the first thing
that you notice is that it has become more aggressive. It has grown in size. It’s longer (23mm more), wider (15mm more) but shorter in height (19mm less). The wide expanse of a bonnet just got wider and now it even gets two scoops accentuating the mean look. The headlamp assembly design has been tweaked with the new layout curvier than before. The LED daytime running lamps too have been tweaked and are now longer. The lavish chrome on the front fender further adds to the aggression. At the rear the tail lamp assembly too has been changed and they now sport an LED strip across them. The model that we got was from the Edition 1 lot - the first 100 units which are the AMG version. But don’t get excited, it only gets the AMG 20inch wheels, body skirts and seats. Let’s get inside then. The white Designo seats are definitely what catch your attention first. The two-tone leather upholstery is as premium as it can get. So much so that you wouldn’t fault the buyers if they didn’t remove the plastic wrappers off the seats. The seats are very comfortable to sink into and the driver’s and front passenger’s can be adjusted using buttons on the door, and it comes with a memory package with three settings that remember everything JUN 2012 overdrive
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C om pa ro
Accor d 2.4 MT
vs
new So n ata mt
vs
Su p er b am b i t i o n 1 .8 mt
Taking a backseat The new Sonata, the Accord or the Superb. Which one will appeal to the owner lounging in the rear Words Joseph Koraith Photography Gaurav S Thombre
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et me introduce you to the two characters of this play. One of them is Jo, the one who likes to drive cars and likes cars that drive him. The second is Mo, who prefers to be driven around, to lounge in the back seat and raise a concerned eyebrow over the rupee falling against the dollar. Together they are going to settle a battle between three executive sedans, pick a winner which appeals to both their tastes. Let’s introduce the contenders. The first, getting the privilege for being the newest on the block, is the Hyundai Sonata. This is the sixth generation Sonata with the fluidic knife applied to it. The second competitor is the Skoda Superb Ambition. Skoda have taken away some of the features from their flagship model but have also reduced the prices by quite a bit. The third contestant is the Honda Accord. The vehicle that laid down the standards for this segment. How will it shape up against the new kids on the block? Let’s hand it over to Jo and Mo.
Design & styling Act One. This is a segment where what’s on the inside of the car is as important as what is on the outside. From the outside the car should provide the aspirational value to the onlooker and on the inside provide the comfort that befits a suit. It is through these lenses that we need to see the competitors. The new Sonata has gone under the fluidic knife and has come back looking meaner. The big beefy grille with the Hyundai logo nested in the middle, the big flowing headlamps (gone are the old Merc C-Class headlamp lookalikes) and the cuts and swoops which converge give the new Sonata a lot of volume up front and makes it look aggressive. This design language continues on the side with the sharply rising shoulder line which ends in tail lamps which look sleeker as compared to before. Overall a much more aggressive car as compared to its predecessor and one that has the presence demanded by this segment.
If the Sonata was all angular the Superb follows straight lines. The headlamps and the grille will fit between two parallel lines and similarly the fog lamps and the air dam. A simplistic look which continues to the side and onto the rear where the tail lamps cut into the boot to break the monotony. On the whole it has a very minimalistic approach and a design which is in need of a refresh. But they should keep the high nose, in my opinion. Gives it a bit of an attitude. Onto the Honda Accord then. This car has been the king of this segment with an universal design that appeals to everyone. It has enough cuts and swooshes to keep you interested but it doesn’t get loud at any point. From the elegant looking headlamps to the chrome strips on the grille the Accord has a very business class look to it which continues at the rear. So now to our jury. It’s a category in which both Jo and Mo agree that the new Sonata is clearly the winner. It offers the sense of flashiness which this segment demands. The Superb and the Accord look dated and in need of a refresh. The Superb was launched in 2004 in India and got a refresh in 2008 but it is the plainest car in this comparison. The Accord was launched way back in 2001 but got a refresh in 2011 and that puts it in second place.
Interiors Act Two. Step inside the Sonata and the flowing design language of the exteriors is replicated on the inside too. The beige-black finish of the cabin gives it a premium feel while also making it a practical approach. The seats are plush and you sink into them. The centre console is new and is a marked improvement over the old design. Move into the rear seat and the Sonata makes you feel like a king back there. Apart from the ventilated seats at the back, the other interesting bit is the centre arm rest which offers you cup holders and buttons to control the audio system and the air flow from the vents.
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Blue streak Taming a 5 Series transformed into the Hulk Words Halley Prabhakar Photography Gaurav S Thombre
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veryone has a favourite colour. I’ve associated myself to blue ever since I was a kid. It all started in school when I somehow ended up being part of the blue house. It’s the colour that defined me over the years. T-shirts, watches or even sunglasses, it had to be blue. It’s not just you or me; many auto manufacturers too tend to favour a particular hue. A Ferrari is respected in red and a Kawasaki in green. There are no two ways about it. That’s one part of the story. Now to the second part. I steer towards
the ideal entry point on turn 3 of the Buddh International Circuit. It’s a blind corner. The steering is precise and the sharp right hander is taken spot on. Half throttle till the wheels point straight and it’s the 1.06km back straight in my view. The second longest straight in the Formula one calendar begs me to unleash the car’s raw power. Pedal to the metal then and I’m instantly pushed hard against the seat. The acceleration is mental and literally gives me goose bumps. After all, the car claims to reach the hundred mark in just 4.4 seconds. The double-clutch
gearbox offers seamless shifts all the way up at 7200rpm. 200kmph is reached effortlessly with more than 400 metres left on the straight. I quickly look at the speedometer before stepping on the brakes and it reads 230kmph, some more road and the car could have eventually hit the 250kmph mark. Braking hard for the first corner and you’re held on tight by the seatbelt under massive g-forces. Huge 400mm high performance brakes that are larger than a Gujarati thali plate ensure the car stops in no time. The front end displays excellent front-end JUN 2012 overdrive
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re n ault t w iz y
Charged up Driving the Renault Twizy in Ibiza, an electric car in electronic land, is quite a rush Words Sandeep Srikanth
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ow that we are well into the 21st century, it’s not too often that one gets to drive something completely new and original. After all, the internal combustion engine has been around for 136 years now and even electric cars have been on the road for over two decades. So when the chance arrived to drive a vehicle Renault has been touting as the future of inter-city commuting, that too in Ibiza, I was ready to brave anything, a long convoluted flight plan and even the possibility of not being able to fit in the car. First shown to the world in concept form at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the
Twizy is a part of Renault’s electric vehicle line-up. Sparkling in the Ibiza sunshine, the production spec of the Twizy still looks like it has been teleported back in time from the Jetson’s garage though some of the space age design elements we saw on the concept like the square wheels have been sacrificed at the altar of practicality. Officially classified as an electric quadricycle as per European regulations, it comes in two versions, the standard Twizy 80 - a heavy quadricycle (max speed 80kmph) and the light quadricycle Twizy 45 (max speed 45kmph and doesn’t require a license in Europe). At just over a metre in width and under two metres in length, with a high stance and
four outboard wheels, the Twizy looks like nothing else you have ever seen on the road. It’s built around a tubular frame with body panels attached. The battery is stored low under the driver’s seat to lower the centre of gravity. Designed to be open to the elements with no windows (even the nifty scissor doors are optional extras) the Twizy was built to offer owners the convenience and ease of use of a scooter while also providing the comfort and safety of a four-wheeler. The cabin has two tandem seats (passenger behind driver) and a simple user interface. A steering wheel, borrowed from the Laguna, is positioned in the centre of the dashboard, regular brake and accelerator
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F e at u r e
In d o Myanm ar F r ie n ds h ip Ca r ra l ly
Yangon!
I'm coming Nine days and 4,000km through unexplored Myanmar, and I can't wait to get back Words Rishaad Mody Photography: Rishaad Mody, Ravi Agarwal
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hink Myanmar and images of a backward, run down country, functioning on antiquated pre-war infrastructure probably pop up. And you can’t be blamed for catching that train of thought. Myanmar is a very closed off country and not much is known about the place. Like you, I found myself thinking on similar lines when I heard about the Indo-Myanmar Friendship Car Rally. However the nine days I drove through this amazing country simply reinforced what the wise men say - never rely on preconceived notions.
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The IMFCR story began way back in January 2011 when Ravi Agarwal, head of the Assam Speed and Adventure Club (ASSAC) decided he wanted to run a rally through the whole of Myanmar. As you can expect his optimism was laughed at and everyone who was anyone said it couldn’t be done. Unperturbed he applied to the government of Myanmar only to be promptly shot down, not once but twice. Nine months later came the first breakthrough; the government of Myanmar accepted his third application. Then began the task of roping in the Home ministry and the governments of Assam, Nagaland and Ma-
News to share? Call us on +91 22 30245000 or Fax: +91 22 30034499 Email us at mailbox@overdrive.co.in
motorcyclenews L o g o n t o w w w. ov e r d r i v e . i n / n e ws
Honda sets out to beat Splendor The 110cc Dream Yuga sets its sights on the biggest prize of them all - the Hero Splendor’s crown
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fter months of anticipation Honda has finally launched what will be their most significant motorcycle for India, the Dream Yuga. Honda has launched many revolutionary motorcycles worldwide over the years all with the prefix, ‘Dream’ and the Dream Yuga is expected to be the latest in the line. At its heart is the same 110cc mill from the Twister that produces 8.6PS at 7500rpm. From experience we know it’s a smooth and frugal mill. Honda quotes a mileage
figure of 72kmpl, derived through a method that closely replicates Indian city riding conditions. The engine’s management system alters the ignition timing to optimise combustion for better power and efficiency. Tubeless tyres are optional a segment first. The bike uses a viscous air filter and a maintenance-free battery to keep reliability as high as possible. The Dream Yuga gets a long seat, long travel suspension, a heel and toe shifter and promises a riding position that makes it as comfortable as possible over
the commute. Honda have employed the tried and tested commuter look here. No surprises with the styling, then. It’s a simple inoffensive look, rather similar to the Shine. The bike will come in five colours and three variants with spoked or alloy wheels and kick or electric start. The Dream Yuga goes on sale by the end of May 2012. Pricing is the make or break factor here and Honda seem to have got it right. The bike has a starting price of Rs 44,642 ex-Delhi (spoked wheels and kick start)
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150 cent Our two cents on the new Honda CBR150R Words Shubhabrata Marmar Photography Gaurav S Thombre
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he road from Kuala Lumpur to Genting (amusement park and tourist hill station town) via Hula Yam Baru is a legend in the KL-based motorcycle enthusiasts’ minds. And I got to experience this mind-blowing twisting road on board a CBR150R ages ago, long before bikes like the R15 arrived here. I have very good memories of that day, but to talk of the motorcycle, I have two. One, the CBR150R was so skinny that I thought my knees would touch when tucked in. And two, the motor liked revs and had to be pinned to nearly 12,000rpm to get any sort of work done - though I do remember pulling a wheelie or two off the lights (I was told cops don’t mind as long as I don’t fall off, then it’s go straight to jail time). In 2002, Honda launched this motorcycle in a few South-East Asian markets, as a replacement to the NSR150. And it was this generation of the CBR I rode in Malaysia. The motorcycle as we know it was launched in October 2010 in Thailand as a 2011 model. It sported roughly the same frame with a change in the rear monoshock linkage and minor updates to the forks. The engine received a thorough going over - the 149.9cc oversquare liquid-cooled fuel-injected single received a new throttle body, shorter piston pins, the forged piston had shorter skirts and the camshaft profiles were made more aggressive. The big change of course, was the styling, which took on the layered fairing from the CBR250R shrunk to size. Fetching in the two- and three-colour paintjobs. And it is this motorcycle that Honda has now brought to India. The entire engine is imported from Thailand and the rest of the
parts have been localised. In fact, as you will see, that is one of the things that works against the motorcycle. Honda have been using this bike for their one-make racing championship and the clamour for it to be launched has been on for sometime. All that is history. Now let’s get back to the present.
Styling, build and finish Like I always seem to say, I’m not a VFR-fan in its current form and so the CBR250R isn’t my cup of tea in the design department. And so I was expecting not to like the CBR150R either. But surprise, I like it a lot. The shrinking of the CBR250R fairing has led to flatter, more lithe surfaces that give the motorcycle a sense of civilised aggression. There are little details like the dip in the painted plastic over the topmiddle of the headlamp and stuff that are the visual differentiators vis-a-vis the 250 but the easiest way to tell them apart are, of course, the tyres and the exhaust. The can, I like, is shorter, stubbier and looks very nice indeed. When examined more closely two things become clear. First, finish levels are, as usual excellent but there are problems. The stripping on the brushed metal finish surround on the (otherwise) CBR250R clocks makes the bike feel cheap and when you zoom out a bit and note the Stunner-style switches with a missing engine kill switch as well as a passflasher, the CBR150R feels cheaper still. I also didn’t like the shiny black paint on the twin-spar frame - the earlier CBR’s had matte black which I thought looked classier. But these are bits and parts and the overall impression is of a good-looking, mildly aggressive faired motorcycle of good quality. Job done, I’d say.
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Comet hither
Hyosung is hoping to gain crucial market share with the GT250R. We put it to the test Words Abhay Verma Photography Gaurav S Thombre
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lobally 250cc sportsbikes are regarded as learner motorcycles and are only a step-up for someone relatively new to two wheelers. However in a country like ours where fuel efficiency and small, single-cylinder engined motorcycles reign supreme, 250cc bikes are even today looked upon as performance motorcycles. Personally I have always believed that a 250cc, twin-cylinder is a perfect entry level sportsbike given the increasing number of enthusiasts in the country. 250cc motorcycles are the next big thing and countries like Thailand and Malaysia are proof of this. They pack enough punch to excite novice riders and can be enjoyed by fairly experienced riders as well. But unfortunately our manufacturers are yet to understand the potential the segment holds and even today we have only two of these on sale. So when a third one enters the market, do I need to tell you we are excited? Enter the Hyosung Comet,
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aka GT250R, a motorcycle with which Garware Motors is hoping to cater to the increasing demand for affordable performance and make itself a more popular name in the Indian motorcycle industry.
Styling & build quality Remember the 250cc naked Comet that was sold in limited numbers through the erstwhile Kinetic Motors? This is the fully-faired version of the same motorcycle. Though it is really difficult to find similarities between the two bikes in terms of styling, the only element carried over perhaps is the fuel tank, which is the same as the naked (and the GT650R). The GT250R is styled identical to the GT650R and hence impresses with its styling. And that’s what this bike is best at – posing. The GT250R gives the impression of being much larger than a 250 and looks as big as some litre-class superbikes. Styling is aggressive but not state of the art.
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H yosung GT 25 0R
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k awasa k i N i n ja 2 5 0 R
R-rated The Ninja 250R and the GT250R face off for the quarter litre championship Words Abhay Verma Photography Gaurav S Thombre
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he Kawasaki Ninja 250R set a new benchmark in performance motorcycling in the country when it was launched in late 2009. It was the first twin-cylinder motorcycle in the country after the iconic Yamaha RD350 and was quick to top the wish list of most enthusiasts in the country. Pricing was the chink in its armour but it was the ultimate performance machine you could buy. Last year, Honda launched the CBR250R but it was a far cry from the Ninja’s impressive spec list – its parallel twin cylinder engine and liquid-cooling are still the highlights
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of this highly capable motorcycle. Now with Garware Motors launching the Hyosung GT250R, the Ninja finally seems to have some competition. But does the mean green machine have reason to get worried? The Ninja 250R follows an old school design philosophy that harks back to its original GPz250 days. As a result it looks slightly dated when compared to the more modern looking, imposingly styled GT250R. The Hyosung’s edgy design and projector headlights give it an edge over the Ninja, but the Ninja is quick to score in terms of fit-finish and quality. Its overall build quality feels top notch and its
Specification Hyosung GT250R
Road Test No.
Kawasaki Ninja 250R
1153-1154 SHOOT-OUT SPECIFICATIONS
# Star ratings apply to this comparison only
Engine
WINNER
Type
Oil-cooled, twin cylinder, 4-stroke
Liquid-cooled, twin cylinder, 4-stroke
Engine capacity
249cc
249cc
Valvetrain
4valves/cyl, DOHC
4valves/cyl, DOHC
Max power
28.8PS@10000rpm
33PS@11000rpm
Max torque
22.07Nm@8000rpm
22Nm@0000rpm
Power/Weight
168.42PS/ton
194.11PS/ton
Suspension (F)
41mm upside down forks
37mm hydraulic telescopic fork
Suspension (R)
Monoshock
Monoshock
Brakes Front/Rear
Twin 300mm discs / 230mm disc
290mm petal disc / 220mm petal disc
Tyres front/rear
110/ 70 R17 / 150/70 R17
110/70 R17 / 130/70 R17
0-100kmph
10.21s
8.3s
0-400 metres
17.53s@119.67kmph
16.26s@128.83kmph
Top speed
146.25kmph
149.8kmph
Braking (60kmph-0)
16.72m
15.5m
Highway
34.52kmpl
NA
City
28.83kmpl
NA
Overall
30.25kmpl
NA
LxWxH (mm)
2060x655x1125
2085x713x1109
Wheelbase (mm)
1435
1400
Kerb Weight (kg)
188
170
Underpinings
Performance
well-finished panels give the Ninja a premium feel, which the Hyosung lacks. But without spending too much time on aesthetics, I would like to get to the core of the issue. The Kawasaki sports a liquid-cooled, 249cc, parallel-twin motor that churns out an impressive 33PS at 11,000rpm and 22Nm at 8200rpm. The Hyosung uses an air/ oil cooled 249cc, 75-degree V-twin engine that produces 27.88PS at 10,000rpm and 22.07Nm at 8000rpm. The Ninja has a typical sportsbike feel and is peaky in nature. The Hyosung makes its peak power a full 1000 revs lower than the Ninja,
Fuel Efficiency
General data
Price (ex-mumbai)
Rs 2.5-3 lakh (est)
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Cult machine A ‘real’ Harley-Davidson experienced in the real world Words Abhay Verma Photography Gaurav S Thombre
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Ha rley- Dav i dson FXD B Dy na St r eet Bo b
On every
Street We finally get to test the recently CKD’d Street Bob Words Shubhabrata Marmar Photography Gaurav S Thombre
I
find Harleys a bit baffling. I also adore their character, understand what they stand for and do. But what baffles me is how much the marketing and the aura are part of the experience and how much in proportion terms, is engineering and other more tangible aspects of motorcycle design and development. To give you a quick example, how can a modern company not tell you the peak power of their engines? But it’s because (they say) their story is one of torque and its abundance and not of horsepower. Because it is the Harley way and so forth. And yet, there it is, a centennial centurion calmly collecting customers who couldn’t care less about the peak power. And on to the Street Bob, then. I, obviously, do not know how much peak power it makes, 70PS would be my guess. But it does make 124.9Nm of torque at just 3,250rpm. And that torque is one of the nicest things about the Street Bob. Plus now it’s assembled in Harley’s Indian facility at Bawal, Haryana. So you get the TwinCam 96 named 1584cc V-Twin, mounted on a bobber-style Harley at a very reasonable price. The Street Bob is just Rs 11.5 lakh, ex-showroom.
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