Tata Zest

     

Tata make their second entry into the sub four meter category by introducing the all new zest. The sub four meter category was first introduced by Tata themselves in 2008 with indigo cs. However it faced  severe competition from the likes of swift desire, amaze and xcent when the Japanese and the Koreans such as Suzuki, Honda and Hyundai entered into this segment and beat them at their own game with modern looking cars be fitted with various Gizmodo.  Indigo cs felt outdated when compared to its rivals offerings. It was high time that Tata pulled their socks up and did something in order to regain its lost ground and thus the zest was born with great expectations and responsibility resting on its shoulders.

  Zest is very important for them as they have not been faring well in the passenger vehicle segment owing to the consistent niggling issues and frequent breakdown issues of their vehicles and also partly due to their below average after sales service. Tata is relying upon zest to come out of this slumber.

Looks

Tata zest is quite refreshing to look at. It takes a departure from the boring and dated looking vista- manza to a more modern looking facia which is right up there with the competition. The front end is very much inspired by the vista albeit everything here looks to be perfect from the power bulge on the hood, the front grill that nicely integrates with the projector headlamps to the bumper that houses the bright led strip.  The side profile is plain Jane except the two side creases that runs along the body. It rides on 15inch alloys .coming to the back, zests boot integration is not the best example out there but they have done a decent job when compared to the Suzuki’s desire. The tail lamps are large and look smart with third brake light sitting on the bumper. Like most of the sub four meter sedans there is a thick chrome strip that runs across the boot.

What’s inside.

Interior quality is top notch! I mean seriously. Tata have done a commendable job when it comes to interiors and can easily give desire and amaze run for their money and comes somewhat close to the Hyundai Xcent.

                                                                                 

                                     

  The two tone effect of black and beige looks nice and makes the cabin look spacious and airy. It’s a nice place to be in. However Volkswagen polo still remains the benchmark when it comes to interior quality. Still its leaps and bounds ahead of what they have managed with their previous iterations.

The usp of any tata cars is that they offer excellent space and zest is no different. Five adults can easily be accommodated.  Front seats offer decent support and you get a nice commanding  view of what’s ahead of you but I found the seat compound to be on the softer side. Rear legroom is amongst the best in class. Space is very important for me being six foot one and I could easily sit in the back seat with the driver seat adjusted to my driving position. A big thumbs up if space is your concern!! Tata has loaded the car with all the gizmos one could ask for such as a touch screen infotainment system jointly developed with Harmon kardon, you get cruise control , climatronic ac, voice command , steering mounted controls ,turn indicators on orvms and what not.

Touchscreen quality is ok however the issue is the visibility under sunlight. Sound quality is channeled through 8 speakers and would suffice you if you are not an audiophile! Coming to the boot space you get 390 liters and can easily do your airport runs with couple of luggage and soft bags that can fit without any complaints.

                            

On the road

The fully loaded diesel version is the one we tested. It is the same 1.3 liter fiat sourced diesel engine doing duty in many of the maruti and fiat cars and is one of the most used engines along with the Renault 1.5 dci engines. This engine is calibrated to produce two states of tune, 89BHP @4000 and peak torque of 200NM @ 1750-3000rpm mated to a five speed manual gearbox and a 75BHP @ 4000 and peak torque of 190NM. (Understand RPM at RPM TORQUE ). You also have the option of AMT transmission. You also get the new 1.2 liter turbocharged petrol engine good for 90bhp @ 5000rpm and @1750-3000 with a five speed manual gearbox. There is very little lag and the engine feels nice and peppy and awards you with good acceleration and performance if you keep the accelerator pinned to the floor. Steering feels nice to hold but is not as enthusiast tool. The best part is the clutch which is petrol like and very easy to use and is a boon in traffic where frequent gear changes are required. The gearbox is not exactly slick but is sure slotting and many won’t be complaining about it. Ride and handling is the department which left us impressed! Handling is very matured and it can be quite rewarding if you are in the mood to play with 185/60 R15 tires which provides plenty of grip.  Zest takes all the bumps in its stride and is very comfortable. The ground clearance for the petrol model is 175mm for the petrol and 165mm for the diesel version and can easily clear the speed bumps without scrapping its belly. I am a bit disappointed with the braking abilities as it was not encouraging and played a spoil sport because its not only about how fast you can go but also about how quickly you can stop! Mileage you  can expect around 15 in city and 18 in highway. All in all tata have managed to pull a rabbit out of their hat.

Tech specs

HEIGHT        -1570

WIDTH         -1706

WHEELBASE  -2470

ALTERNATIVES

HYUNDAI XCENT

MARUTI DEZIRE

HONDA AMAZE

RPM & TORQUE

Often we pass by this words especially when on a testing spree of automobiles. What are this words in simple terms? I myself was confused with it while doing comparisons. It is found on various spec sheets of car mentioned,example 1)  250 nm at 1600-4000 rpm             
 2)  160 BHP at 4000 rpmWill come to know the exact meaning of the above two statement in a while.Starting with torque in simple terms is the pick-up of car (how fast it can ACCELERATE) and is measured in newton metre (NM).BHP is british horse power in simple terms it means how FAST it can go.RPM is revolution per minute of your engine and is displayed on dashboard.     
                           
Now we can say that when your needle of rpm is between 1600-4000 rpm car will be accelerating at 250 nm of torque and at 4000 rpm it will use it maximum power of 160 bhp.

Mercedes E350 2014

Mercedes recently launched its e class with a bigger engine, well it seriously needed one. Initially it was offering only 2 litter petrol and 2.5 litre diesel engine. This engine were too sluggish for this segment of car, where you will get tire pressing gas but car will pick up as its own desire, so a small engine car passing by was an usual sight.
The new E350 is placed directly against the BMW 530D and Audi A6 3.0 which are the fully loaded offerings. E350 has V6 diesel engine. Performance has increased but will not push you back in the seat.   On the exterior front minor tweaks like bolder grill and new set of alloys. 360 degree camera and navigation, blind spot attention, panoramic sunroof and rear entertainment package. Missed the tweaking of suspension and sports mode. All the features of E250 like active park assist, safety features are maintained.
So paying approximately 25 lakhs more for all the gizmos and mere 1.1 seconds faster than E250, is it really worth it ? Considering after sales and overall ownership its a great option because good after sales record and smaller dimension to crawl in the city traffic, but if the purpose of owning is simply the driving pleasure BMW 530 D still  maintains the pole position.

Feedback: shah_mitul_28@yahoo.com

sanketudyawar@gmail.com

Mahindra Scorpio 2014

                               

Welcome our car expert Mr. Sanket Udyawar on Checktheride this is his first piece of work and many more to come. Sanket has been car enthusiast since his early age and taking his enthusiasm further to a professional level and helping with his views to understand the product through his knowledge what he has develop over years.

 Mahindra Scorpio was the first SUV from the Mahindra stable built for a global market. It was launched way back in 2002 with a mid life facelift being given at 2006. Indians love their SUVs and inspite of being a 12 year old model the Scorpio still managed to sell in healthy four figures(4k+). However it started to get too long in tooth. Come 2014 Mahindra finally decided to give its second best-selling model (code named W105) a new facia.

WHATS NEW

The new Scorpio looks more like a facelift than a completely new car and it cannot be mistaken for anything else other than a Scorpio. It sheds it butch looks for a more slender and modern look and tend to lose some of its old charm (looks being subjective). The front gets new dual projector headlamps with static bending technology with led eyebrows that act as a DRL.  

                             

                           

The side profile remains the same as before with doors being carried over from the previous car.  Scorpio now gets the all new 17 inch alloy wheels  but  the big gap between the wheel and the arch makes it look a size smaller.

Coming to the derriere of the car nothing much has changed here except for a two tone matte effect given to the rear door. Designer at Mahindra were lazy enough to design the rear of the car so thought of giving a plastic treatment, considering it to be out of the world design. The tail lamp goes the led way and looks cool at night with good illumination.

                            

INSIDE THE MAHINDRA SCORPIO

                           

As soon as you pull those grab handles you are greeted with two tone interiors and a neatly laid out dash which is a big improvement over the outgoing model. Plastic quality has improved considerably but still not up to the mark. The door unlock handle looks flimsy and feels like it can easily break if used with a heavy hand.

Space inside the cabin is more or less the same. The isolation from external environment still persists. What you get is a two tone grey with blue combination fabric seats. The front row seats are large and supportive.The long gear knob and tonnes of unused space between passenger and driver seat spoils the spacious feel. Individual arm rest does add to the driving pleasure. The only ergonomic error by Mahindra is that once the doors are closed, there is no way you can access the seat height adjustment lever due to the dearth of space. The only way you can make adjustment is by keeping the door open (obviously not while driving). The infotainment is located perpendicular to the floor and at the knee length, so while driving dive your head under dashboard to see the maps while the individual sitting next to you takes care of the road.

                         

The middle row seats are comfortable with ample headroom and leg room though they are a tad upright. They are neither too firm nor too soft. Wide seats and flat floor means 3 people can sit abreast comfortably. The last row seats are the side facing jump seats and are good for children or short adults albeit only for short trips. Safety of the occupants in the last row is a big question!! You can opt for the front facing seats and are a better option in my opinion.

ON THE ROAD

 We test drove the fully loaded s10 2wd version. The car is built on an all-new platform which is lighter and more rigid than the outgoing model. Mahindra has updated  the suspension and the ride quality has improved to great extent and results in less pitching while going over undulated surface and is a boon in a pot hole ridden city like Mumbai with only the larger ones being transferred to the cabin . However the front end still dives under hard breaking. 

Handling is safe and predictable. Its not a corner craver and it won’t bring out the racer boy in you as body roll still exists . You get a commanding view from the driving seat and the car is quite easy to manure in traffic despite its large size. The engine is carried over from the previous car which is not a bad thing having healthy performance figures with two states of tune. The 2.2 liter mhawk engine produces 120bhp along with 280nm of torque and is the engine we drove. You also get a 2.5 liter m2dicr engine good for 75bhp and 200nm of torque. You do get the diesel clatter and I would not call it a refined engine but the noise and vibrations are well within acceptable level. The engine pulls cleanly from standstill and you don’t have to work the gearbox much. The gearbox is from the Xylo and its not the best gearbox out there but the shifts are smooth and positive however you do feel the vibrations. The steering wheel is borrowed from the XUV500 which is light and easy in city and weighs up a bit as the speed increases. We cannot comment on the fuel efficiency figures as it was a short drive but will update It once we do a thorough test drive.

CONCLUSION
The scorpio has come a long way since its launch in India and helped Mahindra to gain foothold in passenger vehicle segment. The car has improved almost in every department. A advise to Mahindra to compete with the foreign brand, improve quality of the vehicle and not just load it with tonnes of gizmos. However the top end pricing gets close to the XUV500 W6 model which is far better equipped vehicle with better space and power and is positioned a segment above Scorpio. But still it remains more of a people mover than rugged SUV, M&M have left marginal difference between it's two offering spoiling the customer for choice and targeting a larger market share of SUV segment.

ALTERNATIVES

RENAULT DUSTER

MAHINDRA XUV500

SAFARI STORME

NISSAN TERRANO

TECH SPECS

Wheel base          -    2680

Overall width       -    1820

Overall length      -    4456

Overall height      -    1930

Reviewed by Sanket Udyawar

Feedback on sanketudyawar@gmail.com

upcoming reviews : TATA Zest and Maruti Ciaz

Audi Q7

Finally going to jot down about the KING AUDI Q7, having wanted to write about it since ages. Considering the road presence it has on the road anyone can go gaga over it. It feels huge, bossy, dominant an gives a don't mess with me looks. That's why it is quite famous among celebrities and influential individuals.

Q7 was the first entry of Audi in the SUV segment. Been in the market for decades, wait a year more and you'll see this monster which will be replaced with new design. The long life of the car ensures that the car which people love, to have it in their driveway. There have been no major tweaks or changes in the design and engines of Q7, except the upgradation to LED lights. At present it comes with 3.0 TDI and 4.2 litre TDI for the passionate owners who would love to cruise around, leaving behind a status statement. Most of the owners like to be driven around because of the larger size of the car and narrower Indian roads. The sitting position is well above average and you are seated on the top, looking around from above.

Moving on from the presence to the specification, only the base model is designed with 7 seats but most of them prefer the 6 seating arrangement, where you had two sofa-similar seating in the middle row, divided by huge armrest with two charging ports, cup holders, storage space and a rear entertainment(optional). Audi  should make the rear entertainment standard rather than optional. The top end model has 4 zone climate control. The great thing about this car is the panoramic roof which stretches from the drivers seat till the last row and is standard on all variants. Interiors are neat but now they are ageing with the competitors getting better interiors. Audi classifies it variants with the presence of sun blinds and the absence of the same, it feels like questioning are you serious. I had hands on my friends Q7 3.0 litre technology and it had GPS which worked quite well and Bose system well nothing to boast about it. 

The air suspension (changing the height of the car and ground clearance) of the car is the features truly needed for the Indian roads to tackle the potholes. It also has dynamic mode which stiffens the suspension and reduces the ride height to get better stability at high speeds.

If you are thinking of it as an off-roader then give it a second thought, taking this 3 tonne car off road and the price of the spare parts if you break down. It can't go to a serious off road, just minimal enough to make you feel that you don't own a sedan anymore. It will accelerate like a sedan and no lacks in gear shifts are present (smooth and fast shifting of gears)

After-sales is dependent on the dealer you approach and it is better in comparison with other Volkswagen group companies. There are many incidents or news about Audi after sales you might want to have look into.

Conclusion: Car to be proud owner of with great road presence.