REVIEWS – Revv Reviews

Maruti Suzuki Swift Sport – India launch possible?

I am very well aware of the fact that almost 100 people have already written upon this topic, but I am here to be the best not first. This article would clear virtually all your concerns on the ins-and-outs of the new Swift Sport spotting in India. Happy Reading!

Introduction

“Bbuuzzzz…bbbbzzz..bzz…” – what’s that you ask? That’s how the news of the Swift Sports sighting in India has buzzed around. The Hyundai i30 too has been spotted (but as a test car) and has generated some hype, but the Swift Sport has just stirred up the community like a whisk whisking an egg after it has been cracked open into a bowl. (I really need to start using better similes for describing stuff lol)

We all have loved Maruti for something or the other. Maybe your first car was a Maruti, or you just loved their old N/A (naturally aspirated) engines, whatever may the reason be, we can all agree for a fact that now Maruti is not the cool car guy in the market. There was a time when we had real gems by MS (Maruti Suzuki) going around revving their nuts out on the streets. Gone are those days, but what if they are coming back with a punch.

(I had previously written an article on Maruti Suzuki’s untold story, you can check it out later by clicking here)

‘Punch’ – What comes to your mind when you hear the word? A boxer? or a teenager who has just fought with his mate? Definitely, a teenager comes to mind—an angry, youthful creature with all the power and agility. The Swift Sport is no different. Just don’t expect it to go “burppp..ppp.buur..ppp” like some JDMs.

A Hot Hatch from Japan being unloaded at Delhi Airport. #CarNews #SwiftSport @Maruti_Corp #FastSundays #covid_19 pic.twitter.com/1SfsEg4Yxy
— BW Autoworld (@BWAutoworld) March 22, 2020

Let’s talk numbers, shall we?

The current Swift Sport (Europe version) packs in a Fiat-sourced 1.4L turbo-petrol motor (K14D) producing a combined 140PS of power and 230Nm of torque, mated to a 6-Speed stick shift (MT). The 1.4L Booster Jet motor delivers 129PS of power, while the 48V electric motor delivers 13.6PS and 53Nm. Yes, it is a hybrid, and we are expecting good fuel efficiency under normal driving conditions.

All this translates to a 0-100 kmph time of just 8.1 seconds (claimed) and a top speed of 210 km/h (claimed)!

Speculations

In my opinion and a few others, the car that was spotted wasn’t a test car. Either it was a personal import or a car to be used for development or some internal work. It is highly unlikely that it is a personal import; hence, it is safe to rule out that speculation.

Even if Maruti decides to bring the hot hatch to Indian shores, it has to go through a few hurdles.

Firstly, the mentality of a general buyer isn’t towards performance but pleasure. This was seen as Maruti tried to experiment with the Pseudo-Hot Hatch, the Baleno RS, which has now been discontinued because of the BS6 norms and sales figures. The Baleno RS was neither a mass-market consumer car nor a proper hot-hatch. It produced a mere 100hp from its 1.0L 3-cylinder Booster Jet. That is not even Luke-warm for the segment it was competing in. This incident would surely play a role in determining the Swift Sport’s future announcement in India. This could turn out two ways, either they completely ignore the hot-hatch segment or learn from their mistakes by bringing the Swift Sport to India with all the beans we wanted in the first place.

Secondly, the price factor plays a huge role along with people’s mentality for selling a product. A good product with a bad price tag (like the VW GTI) isn’t generally considered as a consumer magnet. Even though, the VW GTI turns many heads but actually buying one from your own pocket is a no-no situation. On the other hand, a good product with a good price tag sells like hotcakes! The Swift Sport in that matter costs a whooping £18,000 (acc. to Carwow) i.e. ₹17,27,000! And that’s the price w/o including import duties and other miscellaneous costs. It is seriously a not-so-great deal if we consider that the Abarth Punto was available at around ₹10,00,000.

And now to my final point, the Swift Sport uses a Fiat-sourced engine which is the same as that in the Abarth Punto i.e. the 1.4L T-Jet (The T-Jet produces a bit more power in the Abarth though). This engine hasn’t been upgraded to comply with the BS6 norms and has been discontinued. Bringing the Swift Sport would result in reviving the engine but at a cost. Is MS ready to put in those extra bucks and efforts?

Is there any hope at all?

It’s not all cloudy as a few things are going for MS, which might encourage them to launch the Swift Sport in India.

With the exit of the Baleno RS the company no longer has a hot-hatch to purr in its portfolio. This empty position might pave the way for the Swift Sport. Also, almost all the manufacturers have dished their performance cars due to sales figures and BS6 norms. This means that there isn’t going to be a fierce rivalry in the segment if the spicy new Swift is launched at the moment!

Adding to this, the government has allowed OEMs to import 2,500 units a month without homologation.

In 2018, a similar form of hype was generated by rumours surrounding the launch of the Swift Sport and the Jimny in India. The idea was soon trashed as Maruti confirmed that they had no plans to launch either of the two vehicles because there wasn’t enough demand in the market for them.

Jump to the 2020 Auto Expo, and we are surprised to find the Jimny at the show. Maruti Suzuki wanted to analyze the market and see the publics’ reaction to the quirky little off-roader. The Jimny sure did bring many wandering eyes to automakers’ pavilion. Hence, we are going to receive a 5-door Suzuki Jimny by 2021 instead of the 3-door Jimny Sierra which was on display. Well, somethings better than nothing at least.

My guess is that just like the Jimny has been re-thought for the Indian market; similarly, the Swift Sport could also be considered shortly.

Conclusion/Solutions

If MS actually considers launching the car then, it must be launched either along or around the time of the Jimny’s launch in 2021 because 2022 would just be too late for the Swift Sport.

The Suzuki Swift Sport costs ₹17 lakhs already and bringing it in as a CBU would only increase the price. What MS could do is use the Swift we get here as standard instead of using the Euro-Spec car. The Euro-spec car costs a lot more than the standard one because it has some very up-market features like collision mitigation braking, lane departure warning, lane departure prevention, weaving alert, high beam assist, and adaptive cruise control. All this would be considered a gimmick for such a small car at this price and would most probably be removed to keep the cost around ₹10 lakhs.

If MS is able to pull this off, then, it would be safe to say that the legend has returned!

Do note; all this is pure speculations as we have absolutely no clue whether MS is actually planning something like this or not. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best. #make_maruti_great_again

These were my speculations on the Swift Sport. What do you think about the car and do you think MS would actually consider its launch? Why or Why not? Let me know in the comments.

Show some love by following my Instagram @revv_reviews. (click to get redirected)

Check out @thedrivershub for some bombastic motoring content. (click to get redirected)

MERCEDES-BENZ AVTR UNVEILED AT CES 2020

After all, Sony wasn’t the only company to surprise us with a car at CES 2020. Mercedes-Benz has broken limits to provide us with a concept car – ‘The AVTR’. It boasts a design inspired by the fictional universe where director James Cameron’s Avatar film is set (blue humanoid creatures), to show a new way how the car and nature interact. Coming to the design of the car. It is totally outlandish-to sum up all the design elements. It is everything a concept car needs to look like to get all those “Awws and WHOAS!”. AVTR is not only a name to refer to the movie Avatar but it also means ADVANCED VEHICLE TRANSFORMATION.

James Cameron was on stage talking about the Mercedes AVTR and how its carbon neutral and how he is towards a sustainable future, also with the sequel to his first film rolling out soon it was a great way to catch some eyes and do some clever marketing. The rear of the car has 33 individual hatches “bionic flaps” embedded into the back of the vehicle which resemble the scales of a reptile and is to be used to communicate with the outside world and with the driver.

You are actually 1:1 with the car, it’s like a symbiotic relationship between the machine (car) and the environment (eg-humans). There is no steering wheel but a biometric system which merges with the driver and you drive by the placing your hand on the centre console, the interior comes to life and the vehicle recognises the driver by his breathing. Also, the infotainment system is projected onto your hand! The VISION AVTR thus establishes a biometric connection with the driver and increases his awareness of the environment. How cool is that! Does the car drive normally though? Oh no, the AVTR’s front and rear axles can be driven in the same or opposite direction. This enables the car to perform a crab-like movement and move sideways by 30 degrees (approx.)

At the keynote Mercedes-Benz chief design officer Gordon Wagener quoted, “We created a futuristic vehicle that had to authentically look like it came out of this amazing sustainable (Avatar) world. He also said, “It is a vehicle that is able to enhance the capabilities of your own body – like the idea of an Avatar in the movie.” So Mercedes has achieved what it was wanting to achieve according to Mr. Gordon.

In an effort to create a sustainable car, the battery technology is based on graphene-based organic cell chemistry and thus completely eliminates rare, toxic and expensive earths such as metals. Vegan materials are used throughout the cabin to continue the theme of the car while keeping luxury at its highest. The AVTR has a combined engine power of more than 350 kW and sets a new benchmark for EQ Power without any emissions!

At first, I was going to rant at Mercedes for going over the board with the design. But then I realised that the very purpose of a concept car is to go haywire on everything from the design to the tech because that car is to never hit production, not in the near future. Ideas are taken from the concept car to form a future product for the company 10-15 years later! A concept car is created to present the engineering skills of a company to the general public. Also, the AVTR was created to represent a symbiotic relationship between the living and non-living and to some extent advertise the upcoming movie. Hence, I stopped to gaze at this beauty and admire the wonders of tech.

What are your thoughts on this wonderful concept car? Let me know in the comments down below.

Hummer returning – “crazy specs”

Since I wrote an article on the Hummer being resurrected which was was just based on rumors (You can read it by clicking here) since then new information has surfaced. So, I decided to give a short news update.

GM – the Detroit automaker confirmed the plans for resurrecting the Hummer and teased us with 4 videos (linked below) for the “GMC Hummer EV pickup”. They have also scheduled a 30-second Super Bowl ad for the vehicle featuring NBA star LeBron James. The spot is scheduled to air during the second quarter of Sunday’s game.

The Hummer EV pickup (acc. to GM) will feature 1,000 horsepower and 11,500-pound-feet of torque. It would take just a blink of an eye for the Hummer to reach 60 mph from a standstill (0-60 mph takes just 3 seconds!) No price has been announced yet. Phil Brook, GMC vice president of marketing said, “It’s a combination of an incredibly capable truck and a supercar. Those sorts of times are in that ballpark.” He also went on to term the EV has an “all-electric super truck”. “It is very different from anything we’ve ever done before,” Brook said. “This is the start of big things in the electric space. This is GMC and how we’re moving into that space in a big way.” GM has no plans to build a gas-powered Hummer with an internal combustion engine, according to Brook which is actually a very sensible decision. GMC plans to release 20 new vehicles globally by 2023 and using the Hummer EV as a pivot in the all-electric vehicles market.

The Hummer EV pickup is expected to go into production in the fall of 2021 at a plant in Detroit, followed by sales starting toward the end of the year. There is no news for a Hummer EV SUV counterpart though. Moving on to discuss the teaser videos, they have details regarding the specifications and a preview of the front of pickup. The front features a new iteration oh Hummer’s well known slotted grille with the branding “HUMMER” being backlit. It looks futuristic with some pinches and hints of the old-school off-roader. The teasers also include a tagline on which GM is branding their new product. It is taglined as “A Quiet Revolution” “All-Electric. Zero emissions. Zero limits.”

People seemed to be very optimistic about the launch of the new Hummer as the poll on my previous article showed positive feedback. The YouTube comments section for the teaser videos was no different. Everything seems to be going for the Hummer. It has got public recognition, nostalgia, great advertisement, great specifications and most importantly a great start with a lot of positive feedback. The only let down could be the pricing which has not yet been decided. The Hummer needs to be priced effectively because it is wanting to enter a pre-established market with gasoline trucks as well as new EV pickup trucks like the Rivian, Cybertruck, electric F-150, etc.

Let me know your opinions down in the comments below. Remember to follow me on Instagram for future updates! @revv_reviews

Video links –

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz S launched

Maruti Suzuki has launched the BS6 Ciaz along with a new sport model named the Ciaz S. The prices start at ₹ 8.31 lakh and go up to ₹ 11.09 lakh. There is no Diesel engine on offer as Maruti Suzuki is phasing out its Fiat-sourced 1.3-liter unit and the in-house developed 1.5-liter engine as neither will be upgraded to meet BS6 norms. The Ciaz S is priced at ₹ 10.08 lakh. On the heart of the matter, the Ciaz is powered by a 1.5-liter petrol engine with Suzuki’s Smart Hybrid tech churning out 105hp.

Now moving on to the changes that Maruti has to offer with the new Ciaz S over the normal Ciaz. The Ciaz S is based on the top trim Alpha with a manual transmission. It is available in three colors- Sangria Red, Premium Silver, and Pearl Snow White. On the exteriors, the Ciaz S gets a body kit with signature dual-tone sporty exteriors and intense black accentuations on the side & rear underbody, trunk lid spoiler, ORVM cover, and front fog lamp garnish. All this is perked up by multi-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels which are also in dark finish. All this sport appeal doesn’t end there but also continues on the inside with black interiors adorned with silver accents on the door trim and instrument panel.

My opinions/rant

Some of you may consider this as a rant but the terms – “RS”, “S” etc. don’t have any sort of meaning in Maruti’s world where they are just terms attached as a suffix or a prefix to an existing car name to make them sell even more. Sportiness doesn’t come from slapping on a body kit along with the color black all over the car. Sport has a certain feel to it. Car enthusiasts such as myself will hate to even put an eye on these cars. I am having my exams next week and haven’t been very active since the last few days to post but I had to bring this in the limelight because adding an ‘S’ and applying cosmetic mods doesn’t make a car sporty! Tata has done great with its JTP versions. Fiat had changed the Indian hot hatch game back in 2015 with the release of its Abarth Punto in India. Volkswagen has proven how performance can strike a balance with practicality and value for money with its Polo. All this yet the general public is still blind enough to go buy a Baleno RS with a puny 1-liter 3-cylinder 100hp producing motor. Ask yourself enthusiasts – ‘Is that a true hot-hatch?’ And if any part of your body says yes to that car being a hot-hatch then you are sadly no longer a person who sees cars as an emotion and more than just a machine taking us from point A to point B. I completely understand the fact that Maruti has to create mass-market cars and has to keep them affordable but why use the term such as ‘sport’ to market them. They couldn’t have done any engine modifications as that would have increased the price by a lakh or two. We all are aware of the fact that car enthusiast centered brands have always failed in our market.

Lastly, I would like to say – “All that glitters isn’t gold and all that’s black isn’t sporty”.

Do let me know your opinions on the pseudo sport sedan in comments below, it would be great to have a discussion on this topic.

GM to resurrect the Hummer!

News and rumors suggest that one of the most iconic cars of the century might be coming back. The Hummer is a brand in itself, you will hardly find someone not knowing about it. An army vehicle that was urbanized and found space in people’s hearts was discontinued a decade back when GM (General Motors) was in bankruptcy and the demand for the Hummer had fallen. The lack of demand was because the Hummer represented gaudiness at a time where the economy was starting to slow and gas prices were at an all-time high. The hummer was a gas-hog and the conditions didn’t do it well. The Hummer is set to come back in 2023 as an electric pickup truck and not an SUV. As the new Hummer is to rival Rivian and Tesla, the question emerges ‘How would the range be affected as the hummer was known to be bulky and a very capable off-roader back in the day?’. Only time will tell whether the Electric Hummer would be successful or will it meet the same fate that it had 10 years ago! No specifications or data is available which tells us anything about the Hummer but it sure is coming and is expected to hit the markets by 2023. *happy Arnold Schwarzenegger noises*

Did you like the idea of resurrecting a legendary truck? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Feel free to ask any questions.

Also, follow me on Drive Tribe and Instagram to never miss my future blogs!

Instagram Profile – https://www.instagram.com/revv_reviews/

Sony Reveals its first EV – Sony Vision S

Surprise! Surprise! Sony has revealed its first electric car this CES 2020 and no one was expecting that from a brand that makes TVs, PlayStations and other tech. Once all of you have let that unforeseen news sink in, I am going to give you my opinions and an overview of the car.

First coming to the design of the car, It looks very Tesla-like and also reminds me of the Porsche Taycan due to those headlights and certain design elements. On the inside, Sony has taken a very subtle approach which is good considering the fact that at least it doesn’t look like a car from 2050 which continues to remain in development as a prototype. This gives me hope that we might actually see one running on roads in a few years time. The dash feels well laid out with a panoramic display, Sony might have just nailed it by striking a great balance between a futuristic yet basic and airy looking cabin.

On the heart of the matter, Sony says that the car is powered by a pair of 272hp electric motors and could reach 0-60 mph (0-100 kph) in just 4.8 secs with a top speed of 149 mph (239.79 ~ 240 kph). Sony being a tech giant has fiddled about with the autonomous driving part as well with 33 sensors of varying types; these can identify people and objects both inside and outside the car as part of a ‘safety cocoon’.

The car’s autonomous driving skills are Level 2, at this stage. The car is equipped with lidars (Light Detection and Ranging) and camera sensors made by Sony itself. This leads to an oval system (as Sony likes to call it) i.e. high sensitivity, high resolution, high dynamic range(HDR), LED flicker mitigation (LFM); this is achievable due to the CMOS image sensors. Sensor fusion as the name suggests uses raw data from the Radar, Camera and Lidar and processes it to achieve high dynamic range(HDR) and better object recognition in any condition.

Also 360-degree audio made an appearance in the Vision S. The future of in-car entertainment has been one of the big talking points of CES 2020 so far, with the Sony news following on from an earlier announcement that Sennheiser and Continental have joined forces to create a speakerless in-car audio system.

Sony isn’t the first tech firm to show interest in the automotive world. Apple has previously evaluated its own autonomous car project, while Samsung has an automotive division working on advanced autonomous systems.

That’s all we know for now. Now the questions remain that how much will it cost? What is the vehicles range? And will it be able to compete against the EV giant-‘Tesla’? Let’s see how things take a turn and does Sony manage to find a space in the EV market whilst changing the game. Also, can we drive this in Sony’s racing simulation video game-‘Gran Turismo’? Let me know your views in the comments section below.

Automobile(EV) Future – ‘BEVs or FCEVs’

With the global fossil fuel reserve to run out in a stubby 55 years (estimated) the question is drawn – ‘What will be the future fuel for cars and other vehicles?’ The first thing which comes to our mind is electric-vehicles. There is no doubt about the fact that EVs (Electric Vehicles) would be the future but the dilemma is whether to produce electricity on the go or store electricity in lithium batteries and recharge them. More to that in a bit.

We tend to draw a parallel between Teslas and electric vehicles because of the massive head-start Tesla has had in the EV industry but other manufacturers have started to catch, investing millions and billions of dollars in the research and development of EVs. Tesla has been controlling a chunky 60% of the US zero-emissions electric car market but that accounts for only 2% of the entire US car market. Tesla is like the Maruti Suzuki (India) of the US electric car market.

Now we know that EVs are the future but as always there is further division in the group i.e. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs). Tesla has gone the BEV path yet many other manufacturers such as Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, etc. have gone the FCEV way. Elon Musk (CEO of Tesla) has openly condemned the FCEV technology in the past and has gone to calling them ‘Fool Cell’ instead ‘Fuel Cell’.

It is important to know the basic difference between the two. In a BEV the electricity is stored in lithium-ion packs which make a battery, This battery could then be charged at a charging station by plugging the car just like plugging in your phone to charge its lithium-ion battery before it exhausts. A Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle uses hydrogen to generate electricity on demand to run the electric motors and hence the car. A FCEV is filled up with pressurized hydrogen gas from a hydrogen station just as one would fill up his/her gasoline car. This hydrogen from the storage tank is made to react with oxygen for the air, this produces electricity which powers the electric motor while the only emission being water vapors. The electricity isn’t stored in FCEVs like BEVs but is produced on demand.

Hydrogen + Oxygen = Electricity + Water Vapours (emission)

Seems quite magical and great doesn’t it, you must be pondering about why isn’t this actually being used instead. Well, that is because of its disadvantages such as lack of required infrastructure, etc.

Why doesn’t a daily commuter want to try out a BEV?

1) He/she is so used to the 2 min pitstop to get refueled that waiting for the car to charge for an hour doesn’t seem feasible to them.With a gas car, one can always get it filled up in minutes from any of the nearest gas stations but this is not the case with BEVs as range anxiety is always an issue. Even if you do have plenty of charging stations nearby, waiting for the car to charge in the middle of a commute is sort of inconvenient as an easy 5 to 6 hour trip by a gas car could become a 7 to 8 hour trip with a BEV including the charge time.

2) The average BEV has a range of 240 miles. For example, Chevy Bolt (259 miles), Kia Niro EV (239 miles), Nissan Leaf (226 miles). Even the best of Teslas have a range of 300-370 miles which is a lot but that comes with a price bringing us to our third point.

3) The average cost of an Electric is way more than that of a gas car with the Nissan Leaf starting at $30,000, the Tesla Model 3 and Chevrolet Bolt starting at $36,000 and $37,000 respectively.

The FCEVs tackle most of these problems such as reducing the fill-up time to 3 mins, the same as an ordinary gas fill-up. The range anxiety is gone as fill-ups are quick and the FCEVs have an average range of 300-380 miles. Such as, The Toyota Mirai (312 miles), Honda Clarity (360 miles)and Hyundai Nexo (380 Miles).

FCEVs too have their disadvantages and limitations-

1) The infrastructure isn’t yet ready for Hydrogen Fuel Cell. For comparison, there are 1600+ Tesla Chargers in the US but only a weak 44 in number Hydrogen stations for Fuel Cell owners.

2) Even the pricing for a FCEV is much more than that of a BEV with all the 3 FCEVs cars mentioned above starting at about $59,000. This exuberant cost is due to the lack of production and market for these cars which is a result of the lack of infrastructure. Where only a few 100 FCEVs are produced every year.

3) Another disadvantage to the FCEVs is the efficiency i.e. the cost to run per mile which is way more than that of a BEV.

4) Also, Hydrogen is highly inflammable and very risky to handle but also Lithium batteries are highly inflammable so that debate ends there and the need is to improve infrastructure to handle such a potential rich fuel.

Elon Musk gave his reasoning for not considering FCEVs feasible as – “Hydrogen does not occur naturally on Earth, so it is *not* itself an energy source. Energy is required to make hydrogen, and then even more energy is needed to compress it to very high pressures or liquefy it.” He also said, “except for the upper stage of a rocket, hydrogen makes no sense.”

According to me, FCEVs hold great potential in becoming our future fuel assuming the infrastructure has been developed until then. While BEVs are limited in their range, it is just a numbers game for FCEVs. To get more range out of a BEV a bigger battery is needed which adds more weight as well. After a point adding a bigger battery doesn’t yield more range due to the law of diminishing returns as the bigger battery keeps on adding more weight to the vehicle. FCEVs don’t have this limitation and having more hydrogen stations equal more FCEVs and that equals more affordable Fuel Cell vehicles. This is an experiment to see which type comes out on top overcoming its limitations. Only time can answer this question yet Hydrogen does have a greater potential, unlike Musk claims it to be absolutely stupid.

***An Electric Charging Station in India***

News is there that Hyundai might be launching its Fuel Cell vehicle, the Hyundai Nexo in India. While the Kona has failed it won’t be a surprise to see the Nexo fail in the Indian market as well because of the unavailability of hydrogen stations. India needs to up its EV game and install charging stations creating a good network for EVs, only then can the automobile industry move ahead. Hydrogen Stations in India is a very far-fetched dream.

The EV industry might get serious next year with the launch of Tata’s EVs which include the Nexon, Tiago and Tigor EV and many more. Many EVs can be spotted running as taxis such as the Mahindra Verito EVs etc.

***Mahindra e Verito (Used as cabs usually)***

Tesla Cybertruck – ‘Minecraft taken too seriously?’

Tesla, an American automotive company specializing in electric car manufacturing has just revealed its electric pick-up truck line up. The electric vehicles which are a brainchild of Elon Musk have revolutionized the automotive industry with electric sedans, roadsters, and semi-trucks being much better and faster than their gas-counterparts.

Elon Musk (CEO,Founder of Tesla) has literally been referred to as Tony Stark in real life as many of his ideas have helped change and form the world we now live in! Even ‘PayPal – the online payment system’ was his invention. It doesn’t end there but now let’s talk about the new truck from the future which has taken the automotive as well as the tech media by storm. It is none other than the Cybertruck. I would be coming to the prominent bit that is styling in a bit but first about the pricing (value for money) and the variants.

Tesla’s vehicles have always put up a good value proposition like the Model 3 which on paper is a BMW M5 for the price of a mid-range BMW M3. The Cybertruck just doesn’t live up to the value-for-money concept as it has been priced exorbitantly. It competes with the Ford F150, Silverado 1500 and other pickup trucks in specs but is priced as a super-heavy-duty pickup truck such as a Ford F250, Chevy Silverado 2500D and 3500D. For a much better view on the topic let’s compare the base price range of the 3 trucks – Silverado 1500, Cybertruck, Silverado 2500D.

-Silverado 1500: $30,000 – $58,000

-Silverado 2500D: $37000 – $73,000

–Cybertruck: $40,000 – $70,000

The 3 Cybertruck Models are as follows-

1)Base Model (single motor) – price $40,000 / 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds / 250 miles range / 7,500-pounds towing capacity.

2)Mid Model (dual motor) – price $50,000 / 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds / 300 miles range / 10,000-pounds towing capacity.

3)Top Model (triple motor) – price $70,000 / 0 to 60 in 2.9 seconds / 500 miles range / 14,000-pounds towing capacity.

For comparison, the base Silverado 2500D has a towing capacity of 14,500-pounds which is almost double than that of the base-model Cybertruck.

Although towing capacity isn’t the only thing, Tesla has failed to understand the mentality of a pick-up truck owner because having an EV isn’t gonna be a USP for selling pick-up trucks. The 0-60 times are crazy for a truck yet these numbers sell cars not trucks. The truck would be launched in late 2021 until then many other companies would be able to catch up to Tesla. Ford has an all-electric F-150 on the way, General Motors confirmed it will put an electric pickup on the market in 2021, and EV start-up Rivian — which is now backed by both Ford and Amazon — is scheduled to release its electric pickup in late 2020. These are potential threats for the cool new truck.

The autonomous driving feature may help it sell but to an average (pick-up truck) customer , the so-called bullet-proof glass and door would just remain a gimmick. During the launch event, Elon wanted to show this bullet-proof glass and door to the public but it ended in a rather uncanny manner as the door did withstand a sledgehammer without breaking a sweat but the same can’t be said for the bullet-proof window which cracked by the metal ball thrown at it.

Reacting to this Tesla’s stock did take a hit of about 6% (just like the time Apple’s stock took a hit when the Face ID didn’t work at the launch of the new iPhone), The stock did go back up though. The tug-of-war stunt with the Ford F-150 was completely pointless due to the pricing issue.

Even the sales figures are a let-down as compared to other Tesla launches wherein they would get 200,000 bookings on the first day. The Cybertruck got 200,000 bookings in 4 days, the number is great but there is a trick behind it. Earlier bookings took a $1,000 and still the bookings reached 200,000 on the first day but this time a $100 was needed to pre-book the truck. Many of these people may back out because chances are that they booked the truck just to show-off to their friends and family.

Coming to the styling of the vehicle, it is simply out of this world and looks like a future Mars rover to me. There are only 2 extremes for this sort of design i.e. either you like it or you don’t like it. I do like it because it stands-out in the crowd where all the other trucks look almost the same. It is ugly but in a unique way. The product design may change a bit till the launch as per Tesla. The design is the only reason that the Cybertruck is all over the place from memes to the tech and automotive news. This is a clever marketing strategy according to me because you get free advertisement, Elon even tweeted this out. Tesla would be offering a built-in solar panel at the rear as an option which will add 15 miles of range daily.

Well, these were my thoughts on the Cybertruck and let’s see how this thing plays out for Tesla as these aren’t the only problems the Cybertruck might face. One such problem could be range depletion due to load carrying. My suggestion is to decrease the price of the truck so that it competes in the Ford F-150 price segment instead of the super-heavy duty one.

Škoda Rapid – “Solid Build”

Overview

The Škoda Rapid was launched in India in 2011 and got a facelift at the end of 2016. Škoda is a Czech automobile manufacturer. The Škoda Rapid sedan is essentially based on the Skoda Fabia hatchback vehicle. The Rapid is offered in both diesel and petrol variants with a choice of a manual or an automatic gearbox, there are a total of 18 variants to choose from! The prices start at 8.81 lakhs and go up to 14.26 lakhs (ex-showroom). 2 limited edition variants were also launched in 2017 and 2018, The Skoda Rapid Onyx and the Monte Carlo, the latter was rebadged 3 months after its initial launch as Edition X due to a trademark dispute with the clothing brand ‘Monte Carlo’. Although things were settled later on.

The diesel Rapid gets the updated 1.5L TDI engine which was debuted in the VW Ameo. The new motor gets a larger turbocharger which is locally sourced. It produces 110 bhp and 250 Nm of torque, 5 bhp more than the previous engine. The diesel comes with a 5-speed manual or a 7-speed DSG gearbox. The petrol motor is a naturally aspirated 1.6L MPI unit which produces 105 bhp and 153 Nm of torque. It comes with the option of a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic (torque converter) gearbox.

First Impressions

The facelift brought new features and exterior changes making the Rapid look more truculent than ever before. Upfront, the rapid gets the single piece grill that is similar to the Skoda family of cars. The headlamps get a blackened finish and a new quartz-cut projector along with LED DRLs. At the rear, you now get the new C-shaped smoked taillights and an integrated spoiler. I just love the crease on the hood which tappers towards the Skoda logo, adding to the aggressive look.

The car still looks very modern on the outside despite its age. It is when you enter the cabin, the car starts to show its age. The steering feels premium but we can’t say so for the rest of the dash. There are hard-plastics almost everywhere in this vehicle and not to mention the cabin design which looks outdated. Don’t get me wrong here, The Rapid is a solidly built car and the hard plastics used are of good quality yet their overuse in the interior has let down the premium feel that the competition has to offer. The instrument cluster is iconic but could have been better with the use of silver indents or something to give it a more big-ticket feel.

The seats are comfortable and offer good under-thigh support with good headroom as well. The front-seat passengers might resent the wide storage bin (center console) as it will brush against your leg while driving. Rear leg-room is good but the middle passenger won’t be comfortable with the center hump and the protruding rear AC vent placement. The doors shut with a thud and over-all quality is good. The boot has a storage space of 460L and the engine-bay is well packed.

The car packs in a number of features as well – a 6.5-inch touchscreen unit which is very slick to use and supports Android Auto and Apple Car play connectivity, the DSG gearbox (Dual-clutch gearbox) is a boon, rain-sensing wipers, the steering wheel is adjustable for height and reach, the glovebox is cooled, climate control along with rear aircon vents, cruise control, rear parking camera, auto-dimming IRVM, all windows are one-touch up-down, electrically adjustable ORVMs. Safety features include – 2 airbags with ABS standard across all variants, Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Hill Hold Control, Traction Control button. Skoda has also looked into the warranty aspect and is now the only manufacturer offering a standard four-year warranty along with four years of Skoda Roadside Assistance and Skoda maintenance Package.

The Ride

I was able to get my hands on the diesel top model with the DSG gearbox. The Skoda Rapid offers good ride quality but the kick in the pants feel comes only in the mid-range and continues till the redline. Turbo-lag isn’t well contained as the low-end is very lacking. NVH levels (Noise, vibration, and harshness) are poor because the TDI motor isn’t well-refined and does get pretty vocal at times. That may be music to my ears but not to a customer who sees the car as just a vehicle to go from point A to B. In sport mode the throttle response sharpens and the shifts are quick, keeping the Rapid in its powerband. The choice of a dual-clutch gearbox was the right one because they provide the best performance out of the bunch. The suspension is good and provides a comfortable ride although big bumps aren’t absorbed that well. The steering’s feel and feedback is apt and weighs up nicely at higher speeds.

Verdict

Overall, the car offers a good balance between ride quality and a punchy feel. The turbo-lag in the low-end needs to be worked on, NVH levels could have been better and the lack of a rear parking camera is not helping the sales either. The car needs an update soon which might be coming 2021 and will make the Rapid a strong competitor in the C-segment sedan again. The DSG gearbox is a USP for the vehicle. Those who love how the Rapid drives and love a strongly built and well put together car will never fell disappointed flooring one. Skoda has looked into sales and services, providing warranty as well other assistance. Although you may find the Rapid feel a lot like its cousin that is the VW Vento, the Skoda Rapid does deliver in performance. It does put a smile across your face after the mid-range and nowadays very few cars in the Indian market are capable enough to do that.

BMW X5 30d (2017/18 model) – “SUV Dynamics at their best”

Overview

So, I am going to review the BMW X5 which was launched 2 decades back. BMW likes to call the X5 an SAV i.e. Sports Activity Vehicle instead of an SUV i.e. Sports Utility Vehicle. BMW has just nailed the ‘S’ in the word SAV completely! The car comes in 3 variants – 2 Diesel variants and 1 Petrol variant.

The 3L twin-turbocharged straight-six produces 262 bhp and 629 Nm of torque in the diesel variants while it produces a whopping 335 bhp and 450 Nm of torque in the petrol 40i M-Sport variant. The car comes with an 8-speed automatic Dual-Clutch gearbox and a 4WD and AWD (xDrive) drivetrain option. The X5 also comes with a load of optional extras to choose from. The X5 is priced between 73.3 to 82.9 Lakhs (Ex-Showroom).

First Impressions

The exterior of the car is just surreal and true to the BMW style of vehicles. The car is just shy of 5 meters in length and 2 meters wide which just gives the car so much of road presence. The kidney-shaped grill is a 2-piece unit on this model instead of a single piece one like on the newer X5 and other BMWs. The X5 looks stunning from almost any angle and the massive 20-inch wheels add to this with 275 / 45 R20 at the front and 305 / 40 R20 at the rear. The size of that rear tire is almost identical to that of the Lamborghini Huracan i.e. 305 30 R20!

As we swing the door open, we enter into a world of luxury and perfection. The doors shut with a thud and are beautifully finished with an array of different materials. The leather-wrapped steering and gear-knob feel very premium, just as you would expect from a car of this segment. The center console is massive and that’s a good thing, the textured interior wood trim gives dashes of an even more upmarket look. The infotainment system is a touch-screen unit (can also be controlled with a ceramic controller) which comes with Apple Car Play but no android auto connectivity.

The cluster is a digital twin-circle BMW unit (6 WB) which I like the most and feels the closest digital thing to an analog cluster, while the 2019 X5 gets BMWs new digital cluster of which I am not a big fan of. The car gets 4 basic drive modes – Eco Pro, Comfort, Adaptive(custom) and Sport and Sport+. The digital cluster changes depending on the mode you are driving in. The car saves fuel and drives more economically in Eco Pro, Comfort is the standard setting, Adaptive is custom as you may configure it or let the car configure the settings for you based on your driving style. In Sport mode the suspension stiffens up, the steering weighs up and throttle response is sharpened. The main difference between Sport and Sport+ is that Traction control is ON in Sport mode and OFF in Sport+.

The seats feel good and plush, under-thigh support is good in the front as well as the rear, headroom is almost no problem in this car. Rear seat comfort is also good while the rear AC vents compartment might protrude in the rear, the floor is almost flat and 3 people and comfortably sit in the back.

The car is very practical, has a lot of cubbyholes and spaces to keep stuff, all 4 doors could fit a 1L bottle easily, the front center armrest is very deep and spacious, the boot space in the X5 is 645L which just adds to the practicality. The mileage is 13.38 kmpl (ARAI) which is good for an SUV. The 2019 X5 comes with air suspension at both the front and the rear which allows the ride height to drop or to be raised on command, this wasn’t possible in the 2018 X5 as it had adaptive air suspension only at the rear. The panoramic sunroof just adds to the airy feel inside the cabin. The soft-close doors feature acts like icing on an already perfect cake.

Features/Optional-Extras

The BMW X5 comes feature loaded with a dozen of optional-extras. The main features are – a 4-zone climate control system, front and rear parking sensors with a rear camera (360° camera in 2019 model), 12-way electronically adjustable front seats, steering electric adjust, PESS (passive entry and keyless start/stop), auto-dimming IRVM, Front seats with memory function, all 4- one-touch up-down windows, cooled glovebox, electronic boot release, LED headlamps with DRLs (Laser as an option), led tail lamps, panoramic sunroof, automatic headlamps and wipers, cornering headlights, ambient lighting, touchscreen infotainment system with a 18 speaker setup by Harman-Kardon, digital cluster, paddle shifters, steering mounted controls, cruise control, 8 airbags, TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system), ABS with EBD and ESP, traction control, brake assist, hill-hold control, hill descent control, BMW’s xDrive system and many more features.

Some of the optional-extras in this car are –

1. 19 Inch Lightweight Alloy Wheels W-Spoke style 447

2. Textured interior wood trim

3. BMW Intelligent Adaptive QUAD LED headlights with high beam assistance, cornering function and anti-glare beam

4. Digital Multi-Information Display Cluster

5. 18 Speaker 850W Harman-Kardon surround sound system

6. Space saver spare wheel

7. 12 Way Electronically Adjustable Seat with Memory package

8. Dynamic Air Damper Control

9. Adaptive Suspension with ‘Comfort’ and ‘Sport’

10. Soft-close function for doors

11. Trapezoidal Exhaust Exit Pipes

The X5 is just slewed with features. Even I might have missed out on some, so please do excuse me.

The Ride

This is the surprising part as you may think that a car that ways 2 tons and is so huge in dimensions would lack that BMW feel but you are wrong. The X5 is able to escape the limits bound by its dimensions and deliver above expectations. The ride is comfortable and the car just evens out all the bumps. The X5 is a car to be driven as well as driven around in. The rear seats offer great ride quality just like in the front seats. Even with the traction control OFF the car’s xDrive system will prevent a wheelspin during launch and would be whispering past 100 kmph in no time. Put the car into sport mode and you unleash the beast that it is. The steering weighs up beautifully in sport and the suspension stiffens up as well, the car is ready to be thrown into a corner. For an SUV that weighs about 2 tons, the X5 does an amazing job in the handling department and feels just like a road-hugging sedan.

The X5 does a 0-100 kmph sprint in 6.7 seconds, the quick and smooth shifts add to the frugal acceleration. The car revs till 5,500 rpm (diesel) and is very refined but past the mid-range, it gets a bit vocal. Even past the mid-range, the engine produces a melody to a gearhead’s ears (a sporty note). Turbo-lag is very well contained and the power is just a tap away. The X5 has a punchy low-end and mid-range but the high end is a bit empty. Although it’s no worry cause the automatic gear-box would be shifting at 4200 rpm keeping the car in its power band (when in auto not in manual). The car would not upshift automatically if in manual mode, which is good if you want to hold onto a gear. The only issue with the X5 is that it is a little bit too wide and can be a hassle to park.

Verdict

Who says big things can’t come in big packages, the BMW X5 is a perfect example. The X5 has got a good and catchy exterior as well as interior. There isn’t much to nit-pick about the X5. The car is feature-loaded and the ride is comfortable. In sport mode, the car surprises the driver as it just doesn’t feel its weight and handles like a dream for a large SUV. The X5 is a soft-roader but wouldn’t mind a splash of mud off-road and is capable both off-road and on-road. The linear power delivery along with the wide tires and xDrive system does put a smile on your face and each time you put your foot down a surge of confidence can be felt which urges you to go beyond the limits each time. If you want an SUV in this budget and size, the X5 is no doubt the one to go for until now. Although one may peer into the Porsche side of SUVs with the new Macan.