revolution? car of the...
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HOT HATCH COMPARO Polo GT TSI v Polo GT TDI v Punto Sport v EcoSport v Liva v Liva Sportivo v Brio v Swift
CAR OF THE YEARThe ultimate test for 2013's best drivers' car
OT HATCH COMPARO o GT TSI v Polo GT TDI v Punto Sport v
oSport v Liva v Liva Sportivo v Brio v Swift
HOPoloEco
EVOLUTION OR REVOLUTION?
New Honda City driven
RIDDEN: CONTINENTAL GTDrop-dead gorgeous but is it as good to ride?
DRIFTING SPECIALWe burn rubber with Gautam Singhania
Aston V12 Vantage S vSLS AMG Black
Porsche Cayman S v Alfa Romeo 4C
Porsche 911 GT3 v Ferrari F12
Mini JCW GP v Audi R8
ONE WINNER…
RRD
4 evo India | January 2013
CONTENTSISSUE 04 JANUARY 2014
116 ERASE AND REWIND
“The swinging Sixties was a halcyon age for British motorcycling, a golden era of pure performance which gave
birth to a new breed of racers”
January 2014 | evo India 5
ISSUE 04 JANUARY 2014
Features038
evo CAR OF THE YEAR 3700bhp, eight of the world’s
fastest most exhilarating cars. Which wins the coveted crown?
064
MEGA HATCHBACK COMPARO
Eight of the best hatchbacks in the country, one winner. Any
guesses?
078
530d v A6 TDI v XF 3.0d S
Three oil burning luxury saloons in a tussle for top honours
088THE ART OF DRIFTING
Getting acquainted with the art of going sideways in purpose built
machines
096COLIN MCRAE
One of the most revered names in rallying, a glimpse of McRae’s career through some amazing
pictures
106RAGE BUGGY
Our very own champ Gaurav Gill in off track mode - some fun in a
recreational vehicle
Regulars006
NEWS Lots of action - the fourth-gen
C-Class breaks cover, the LC Prado gets an update, the SLK 55 AMG is launched, Hyundai’s WRC i20 is set to debut at Monte Carlo
032 COLUMNS
Gautam talks about his love for drifting; Bijoy rambles about his (mis)adventures; Gaurav is on
top of the world as he is crowned APRC champion
036 LETTERS
Our readers tell it like it is - and it’s music to our ears! There’s a lot
of chatter about the new Royal Enfield Continental GT
130 MOTORSPORT
The stage is set for the first electric racing series, the action from the MRF Challenge and the JK Racing Series, Audi’s new Le Mans challenger and a lot more
140LONG-TERM TESTS Mitsubishis lord it in our garages
and our hearts - six awesome cars and two mental Lancer Evos
145EVO KNOWLEDGE
Tips on buying an Audi RS5. Check out some brand new equipment
and gear
162 ART OF SPEED
The Lexus LFA’s clocks are no less than a technological marvel
110 NEWS116
ROYAL ENFIELD
CONTINENTAL GT124
KAWASAKI ZX-14R
014ALL-NEW HONDA CITY
018 VOLVO S60
022 BMW Z4026
VOLVO XC60028
AUDI Q3 S
RiddenDriven
088
014
064
6 evo India | January 2014
2014 Merc C-Class breaks cover
First Look The lowdown on a star car of the future
Sportier, feature-rich and with S-Class written all over it
THE FOURTH generation C-Class is slated to debut officially at the Detroit Motor Show
as a 2014 model, but Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the car (codenamed W205) online already. The C-Class has been Merc’s best-selling car, with more than 2.4 million on the road across the globe, and the new generation is only expected to take the game forward. For the fourth generation, the compact luxury sedan gets a complete makeover with it now bearing a strong visual resemblance to the recently launched S-Class. All-new styling, a weight reduction of about 100kg and better, more efficient engines underline the new C-Class.
The headlights look a lot like those on the S-Class, while based on the
information released by Mercedes-Benz it appears the C-Class will be available with two differently styled grilles. One design will look identical to the updated E-Class, bold and youthful with the three-pointed star sitting in the centre, while the other harks back to the old gun sight design where the Merc emblem sits on the hood, while the grille is an all-chrome unit. The hood is a longer affair, while the swooping roof looks similar to the CLA, making the car look like most new generation Mercs.
Mercedes claims the new styling is ‘a bold departure from its predecessor’, a bid to give the car a more upmarket feel. This feel is enhanced by the increased dimensions, as the new C-Class is 95mm longer and 40mm wider, while the wheelbase is longer by 80mm,
freeing up considerable space on the inside compared to the outgoing version. It’s because Mercedes wants the CLA to take charge of the entry-level luxury segment, while the C-Class is now designated to take care of the upper compact luxury segment.
One of the highlights of the new C-Class is the optional AirMatic air suspension, a segment first. It will allow drivers to choose from four modes, ranging from Comfort to Sport+. The steering system is a speed-sensitive electro-mechanical unit, aimed at offering good feedback at all times. It also gets a lighter,
sportier chassis with large scale use of aluminium (almost 50 per cent of the structure is now aluminium). The car is based on the new MRA (Mercedes Rear-drive Architecture) platform that will be the basis of the estate, coupé and AMG variants of the car as well as a new cabriolet version and 4Matic all-wheel drive models.
The next-gen C-Class will be available with a range of four-cylinder engines that are Euro 6 compliant, get start-stop as standard and offer up to 20 per cent more efficiency without a drop in power. The engines at launch will include a 2.1-litre BlueTEC diesel
T Mercedes claims the new styling is ‘a bold departure from its predecessor’
News, new metal, investigations, interviews, technology and more…
Radar p 14 SLK55 AMG LAUNCHEDThe SLK55 AMG is the newest addition to Mercedes-Benz India's AMG line-up
This month
January 2014 | evo India 7
churning out 168bhp, a 1.6-litre petrol producing 154bhp and a 2.0-litre petrol delivering 181bhp. Soon after the launch the range will expand with more engines on offer, including a new 1.6-litre diesel developed with Renault that will produce 113bhp and 134bhp in two different states of tune.
Amongst others a V6 petrol is also on the cards, which should be the range topper. Petrol and diesel hybrids are also in the works, but these will come in only later. Transmissions will include a six-speed manual and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The interiors will sport an optional 8.4-inch colour monitor and an optional head-up display (another
segment first), while the HMI (Human Machine Interface) will offer far better control through its rotary dial and a new touchpad. Reports reveal that most of the technological marvels the car is equipped with have been borrowed from the S-Class. Other highlights include two types of LED headlights and collision-sensing autonomous braking that springs into action at speeds between 8kmph and 200kmph. The new C-Class will be go on sale internationally in June 2014 and expect it to come to India by the latter half of 2014 by which time the CLA and GLA both should be well entrenched and raking in the volumes for M-B India. L
Left: The rotary selector for controlling the HMI now gets a touchpad too. Below: Cabin gets a classier and roomier feel thanks to a plush degin with the clever use of aluminium, wood and leather
Far left: Driver’s cockpit looks snug and sportier given the design of the clocks and the steering wheel. Left: Optional 8.4-inch display looks futuristic with its new interface
p 12 HYUNDAI'S WRC ASSAULTHyundai returns to the WRC after a long break. It has unveiled the final version of its rally-spec i20 along with the driver line-up
p16 NEW CVs Volvo Eicher Commercial Vehicles (VECV) has launched a slew of medium and heavy duty commercial vehicles that will compete with Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland offerings
p18 UPDATED DUSTER COMINGRenault will showcase the updated Duster at the Auto Expo. Launch expected later with the addition of a new turbocharged petrol engine
28 evo India | January 2014
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Volvo XC60 D5Volvo’s most popular model in India, the XC60 gets a comprehensive update. Will we
now see more Volvos on the road?
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Test location: Gurgaon, Haryana