Flat Track racing is one of the most popular racing formats in America. Indian Motorcycles, who also claim to be the first motorcycle manufacturers of America, have been tearing up the flat tracks with their FTR 750 flat tracker, a purpose-built championship-winning motorcycle. Indian, decided to get an FTR for the street, as the Indian FTR 1200 and here is our experience of riding it on the streets.
The Indian 1200 FTR has the looks that could kill, especially for people who love naked and raw styling. While the riding experience has been amazing, here are the ride impressions put together for this beast of a motorcycle.
It looks very raw and edgy, clearly replicates the Flat Track racing motorcycles with its aggressive-looking stance, a short tail section and Flat-Track tyres. The overall design is elegant but minimal. A bare trellis frame, fat rubber, golden shocks on both ends. LED lighting shows the way while a fully 4.3-inch digital touchscreen instrument cluster with Bluetooth connectivity makes it very modern.
The engine is a 1203cc, 60-degree V-Twin engine which is liquid-cooled. It makes 120 BHP of power and 120 Nm of torque and is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. The burble from the engine is quite muffled at low revs but throaty when revved hard and the bike feels very lively after around 5000 rpm. Drop the clutch and it very patiently crawls which helps you make it through the city traffic. The engine tends to get very hot in crawling traffic. The suspension setup comes to form SACHS, USD forks on the front and the rear is mounted with a mono-shock, both of which are fully adjustable. Braking power is courtesy of Brembo M4.32 callipers and dual discs on the front and a rear single pot calliper from Brembo shaving speeds instantly when needed.
Three rider modes viz Rain, Road and Sport can be selected via the touchscreen. In the track mode, one can choose to disable the Traction Control and ABS. Cruising on the highway was not an issue as the engine can hold high speeds upwards of 120 km/hr with ease. The safety net includes ABS, Traction Control and an IMU that aids the cornering ABS. The Pro Taper handlebars are wide enough to make you feel like sitting on a flat tracker while the short rear fender with integrated grab rails accentuates the overall appeal. The switchgear quality is very premium and the overall fit and finish of the FTR are superb.
Handling is amazing on the FTR 1200 and it is very nimble even with its 230 kgs of kerb weight. The seat height of 840mm could be a challenge for some shorter riders. The gearshifts are on point with the neutral being the easiest to find. The 12.9-litre tank under the seat actually is small for this gas guzzler that could make long-distance ride have frequent fuel stops. The slipper clutch makes the clutch-pull almost feel like a 150cc commuter.
Well, this Indian, is what not the other Indians are. It gets out of the typical Indian cruiser silhouette and makes a new identity for itself. You will end up spending Rs. 15.99 lakhs (ex-showroom) for this Flat Tracker for the street, but be wary, you will have a wide smile each and every time you ride it.
When you wake up on a Sunday and you have the red hot Porsche Carrera S waiting in the lobby all tanked up, you realise that Life is Good. I could barely finish my breakfast because Saurabh and Harman from my team were all geared up 45 mins in advance of the time we had decided to shoot. Excitement level? Checked! This normally does not happen but when you have the Porsche 911 Carrera, things change.
As we zeroed upon the drive, first we thought of hitting the Pune expressway but we realised that a car which demands a cheque value north of ₹2 crores will most likely be bought by an enthusiast living in the metro cities. For example, in Mumbai, the chances are that you are living between Andheri and Marine Drive. So, I thought why not do a reality check and experience it on the practical front rather than just taking it out on the straights?
Coming to the 911 Carrera S, it’s a 2 door meant for 2 people with two more seats at the back. Practically impossible for an adult to sit, but should be enough for an overtly active skinny 8-year old. But then again if you plan on owning a sports car and that too the ultimate 911, you will mostly have luxury Sedans and SUVs already lying in your garage. So, our backup car or the tracking car was my BMW X5 which was trailing us all the time.
Making your way inside the car, note that you do not have any back problems to slide into the almost ground touching seats, but then that’s a sports car we are talking about. So make sure that even before you earn the money, burn calories too. And as soon as you turn the ignition knob the engine cranks up whose sound can cure you of all your Mental Illness, Schizophrenia, Depression and maybe even the deadly Dengue or viral fever. The moment I took it out of my apartment complex and right over a road bump, it narrowly scraped the bottom and then I realised you have to be super careful as it hurts. If anything it’s exactly like a stone touching the Porsche 911 in your possession. But when you’re out on the roads, all you will get is everyone’s attention (envious) who have been ogling at it either directly or slyly.
Everything inside is top-notch with the usual boot in the front and the engine at the rear. Quite typical of the 911. I wanted to take a peek at the engine but sadly you cannot do that. Copyrights Issue. The overall design from the outside to inside is something which looks like a Picasso painting translated on the roads. Thus, we started driving to Mumbai’s famous, Gateway of India and I thought when you have a car like this, the seat next to you should also be occupied by a beautiful woman, so I dialled Chetna Pande’s number just to check if we can pick her up on the way and in return promised her a nice lunch at Pizza by the Bay in Marine Drive. It took me 15 seconds to convince her and she promptly said that she will be down and ready to go in 15 minutes (it’s unusual of a girl as gorgeous and beautiful as her to get ready so quickly). BUT, she made me take an oath to allow her to drive the 911 Carrera S for 5 minutes and I had to grudgingly agree. For a minute, I am thinking to myself that it’s a bad bargain.
And when we finally met, the first thing Chetna did was that she connected her phone to the Bluetooth and the Bose speakers were extremely capable of a sound blast, but she lowered the volume as the Bose speakers couldn’t compete with the sound of the twin-turbo flat-six engine’s tune. It also has Apple CarPlay, navigation system which is on point and an easy operating user interface. However, these things don’t matter because you would rather not take it to an unknown place but use it to take it out on known roads and drive and come back home and maybe book an Uber for work or take the other cars lying in your garage. As I said earlier, the 911 attracts attention, we had paparazzi shooting us at Worli Sea Link. The Carrera S was getting attention from everywhere, people from tall vogues to runners were all looking at her – I mean the car. And the moment we pulled over at Pizza by the Bay, there were 10 valets who all came running towards the car and as I stepped out, I asked, “Can any of you drive this?” The answer was obvious, “Yes, sir!” As the car stood there craving all attention. That’s the point of me saying, this is exactly why you drive the 911 and come back home or take a backup car or get an Uber because giving it to any valet is a seriously tough decision just like choosing the girl you want to marry. Well, quite literally.
Now I had to live up to my promise and so I had to hand over the keys to Chetna and this was going to be her first sports car experience. As we swapped seats and drove away, she was all smiles, but those 5 minutes were the toughest 5 minutes of my life. That’s when I understood, why cars will always be a Man’s First Love (in any case, a petrolhead’s first love). And, specifically, for me, Ladies and Gentlemen, it was the 8th generation Carrera S with a new 8-speed dual-clutch PDK gearbox with a top speed of 308 km/h that is also capable of flying to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds, is a perfect example of Beauty and the Beast. Therefore, I rest my case.
Many people are hopping onto the electric vehicle bandwagon and conveniently ignoring the fact that for the electric vehicle future to exist, the present needs to be sorted out. Electric vehicles will take a long time and we need some immediate measures to fix our environmental problems. So, what exactly can be the solution? Hybrid vehicles are the solution. Yes, and it is high time that the finance ministry cuts down on the rate of GST on hybrid cars. Reducing the GST on electric vehicles will not encourage people to buy electric vehicles any time soon. There is still a long way to go for electric vehicles. And to justify the importance of hybrid vehicles, we analysed how effective a hybrid vehicle really is. So, we borrowed Toyota’s all-new Camry hybrid and found out why hybrid vehicles are the need of the hour.
How Does The Hybrid Drive?
Having never driven an electric vehicle, hybrid vehicles will help you in that transition from gasoline engines to electric powertrains. And the all-new Camry like its older generation will set you in the right direction for that seamless transition. You switch on the car, and you will have no clue if the car is switched on or not. The Camry will always switch on in the EV mode, its self-charging electric motor is so silent that you would want to cross-check with the Camry’s power steering input before proceeding further. Coming to the Camry’s transmission, it has a CVT gearbox along with paddle shifters, which never came to my use. This was due to the fact that the Camry has omitted the tachometer, so no real data on how long it could hold on to the gear. All you have to do is select from the three driving modes and drive on. Hybrids might seem underpowered but in no way that’s true. In the Camry, there is ample amount of power on offer and the 2.5-litre petrol engine in tandem with the electric motor is sufficient for a car of this size, producing a combined power of 215 PS.
Driving on the roads at lower speeds, you will hear a silent whine from the electric motor and when you put your foot down to overtake, the petrol engine takes over. This is after you cross the 40 km/h speed. Also, the transition is so seamless that you do not feel any jerks. The drive feels more engaging in the Normal and Sport mode, Eco mode is best suitable for peak hour traffic. What surprised me the most was its handling, every time I pushed it around an open bend, it inspired confidence. It comes really close to its German counterparts’ handling abilities. Nevertheless, this car can certainly propel ahead with sheer ease, that’s a proper sign of a highway cruiser. Talking about the hybrid engine’s practicality, the fuel efficiency is phenomenal! Even after constantly driving in Sport mode in the city, the Camry delivered a decent 12 km/l mileage and in Normal mode, the mileage was close to 15 km/l. This was all in Mumbai’s peak-hour city traffic, on the highway, it was even better delivering almost 18 km/l. Its regenerative braking is also one feature that helps in charging up the battery and improving the overall range.
Verdict When you consider buying this extremely practical luxury sedan it surely reflects your sense of responsibility towards the environment. And as far as the environment is concerned, hybrid cars like the Camry is the solution to our immediate present.
Mr Rohit Suri, Managing Director & President, Jaguar Land Rover India Talks About Jlr’s Plans For The Indian Market In An E-conversation With Konark Tyagi.
Q1. JLR has been doing well in the Indian market. What can we expect from JLR in the coming year?
Ans. Jaguar Land Rover India started the year 2017 on a positive note and reported a robust growth of 45% for the first nine months; i.e. January to September 2017. Almost all model lines of Jaguar Land
Rover, including XE, XF, F-PACE, Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque are witnessing increasing
popularity. On the basis of various published figures in the media so far, Jaguar Land Rover India has
become the fastest growing brand in India in the luxury market space during the first nine months of
2017.
Our most recent launch was the All-New Land Rover Discovery, launched at a starting price of ₹71.38
Lakh (ex-showroom) for the 3.0-litre petrol derivative. We also launched the locally manufactured
Jaguar F-PACE, our sixth locally produced vehicle, adding to the current range that includes the Range
Rover Evoque, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Jaguar XE, XF and XJ.
Currently, Jaguar Land Rover vehicles are available in India through 26 authorised dealerships; including
Vijayawada our newest addition, inaugurated on November 23. We propose to add 2-3 new outlets to
our local operations by the end of this year.
Q2. What defines and differentiates JLR in the Indian market especially from the German competition?
Ans. There are a number of ways in which we differentiate ourselves from our competition:
1. Products: Our fabulously designed, engineered and award winning products, the most recent
example being the Jaguar F-PACE that won the 2017 World Car Of The Year and Design Of The Year
awards.
2. Customer Experience: We consistently endeavour to deliver a high level of customer experience
and the following factors have enabled that:
a. Focus on enhanced network capability: To ensure our workforce is ahead of the learning curve,
we focus extensively on providing world-class technical and non-technical skills related training
to our teams on a continuous basis. As a testimony to this, two of our technicians from India
won a global technical contest organized by JLR at a global level.
b. Focus on world-class facilities: Our extensive and most modern Sales, Parts and After-sales
facilities, are spread across India and adhere to high service delivery standards, supported by
the most modern processes, tools and equipment.
3. Iconic brand positioning: Jaguar and Land Rover are recognized as highly coveted luxury brands in
the world with many accolades to their credit
Q3. What major launches can we expect at the 2018 Indian Auto Expo? Any possibility of the new Velar India launch at the Expo?
Ans. We recently launched the All-New Land Rover Discovery at a starting price of Rs 71.38 Lakh (ex-
showroom). The All-New Discovery plugs a very important gap between Discovery Sport and Range
Rover Sport. At a price of Rs 71.38 lakh for the petrol derivative, it is a very important price point.
Additionally, we will launch the New Range Rover Velar in the coming months and will make an
announcement on this shortly.
Range Rover Velar
Q4. Do you think that the Indian market will be fully ready for Electric Vehicles by 2030? What is JLR’s strategy for the same?
Ans. Jaguar Land Rover announced the launch of its first electric car -I- PACE in global markets and there
is nothing to stop it from coming to India. However, our plans will be based on readiness and availability
of infrastructure to support electric vehicles.
Q5. JLR is known to launch products in an eccentric manner. What is the reason for this? Has it helped the brand?
Ans. Jaguar Land Rover’s brand vision is to deliver customer experiences that are memorable. Any event
we do is an opportunity to deliver such experiences, born out of key consumer insights, our events are
meant to deliver on this vision. Rather than being just another event they are targeted at the customer.
Whether it was the F-PACE launch in downtown Mumbai where we created a 60-foot tall beacon to
announce the arrival of the product into India or the launch of the Discovery in a large carnival like
environment at an open-air location, our events are designed to engage and excite our target audience.
The feedback from customers and media on our events has been overwhelming as these events are still
remembered and talked about by them with enormous excitement till date.
Q6. LRE and TAOPT are activities that are helping the brand reach out to potential customers. What are the way forward plans?
Ans. Jaguar and Land Rover are iconic brand with products renowned for their legendary design and all-
terrain capability. Through experiential drive events including the Land Rover Experience and The Art of
Performance Tour, we seek to familiarize our customers with the actual prowess of our vehicles.
The Art of Performance Tour is a series of dynamic events that provide an opportunity to the customer
to experience what it's like to get behind the wheel of a Jaguar under the guidance of expert instructors.
Customers experience Jaguar’s unique offering that combines exhilarating performance in an ambience
of seductive luxury that truly excites the senses. On the other hand, Land Rover Experience involves
getting behind the wheel of a Land Rover to take on an exciting drive experience over different terrains
and challenges.
Encouraged by the response for both these activities, we are conducting multiple dynamic drive
experiences for Jaguar and Land Rover, across the length and breadth of India.
7. You’ve been spotted driving the old (previous gen) Discovery around Mumbai. Any special
story/connect with that particular car? Is that your daily drive?
Ans: Yes it’s my daily drive and the Discovery has always been my first choice on account of it being one
of the most versatile and capable vehicles, both on-road and off-road.
Q8. Your most used mobile app?
Ans: Good Notes.
Q9. The Book you’re currently reading? (Either eBook, paperback)
OUR AUTO EDITOR- KONARK TYAGI THROWS SOME INTERESTING QUESTIONS ABOUT ELECTRIC CARS TO MR. PRATAP BOSE, HEAD OF DESIGN, TATA MOTORS
What do you think about the constantly evolving shift towards electric vehicles? Do you think India is ready to go fully electric by 2030?
Ans- India took a massive leap towards sustainability, with the government’s vision towards complete electrification of vehicles by 2030. The impact of this vision is now being felt in the automotive sector, which is now working towards sustainable vehicles with double the intensity. While it is too premature to comment on India’s readiness on electric mobility, we at Tata Motors understand the need for electric vehicles to meet the fast-changing demands and growing aspirations of the Indian market, which will soon enter the EV era. With increasing focus of automotive industry and government towards electrification of automobiles, Tata Motors has been continuously pushing the boundaries in the electric mobility space.
Our preparations for the EV journey began nearly four years ago. In May 2014, Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC), based at the University of Warwick in Coventry, UK revealed a Manza REEV (range extended electric vehicle) demonstrator vehicle. The sedan incorporated a lot of the learnings from TMETC’s in-house research into high-voltage distribution systems, battery design and vehicle controller development. Over the years, led by the technical capabilities, extensive in-house research and development activities, we have run several innovation projects and demonstrated EV concepts of our products like Vista, Zest, Bolt and recently, Tigor.
Through this process, we have learned about electrification of power trains and most importantly how to actually apply the electric power train solutions on existing platforms. This is going to help us on the way forward to readily provide not just one product, but a range of products which will become available as electric versions to the Indian market. Keeping the growing customer aspirations in mind, there is a latent need for a range of electric vehicle mobility solutions and we will partner with local start-ups or enterprises in order to identify opportunities to localise global technologies meeting the price expectations of our customers – making EVs affordable towards the Government’s vision.
The recent order from the Government of India to deliver 10,000 electric cars to EESL, has provided us an opportunity to leap frog in boosting our presence in the e-mobility space. It will help us accelerate our efforts to offer full range of electric vehicles to the Indian consumers.
How different is it to design an electric car in comparison to normal internal combustion car? Do you have a limited design scope when it comes to electric cars as aerodynamics become even more crucial?
Ans- Electric vehicles are essentially of two types. The first is ‘electrified’, where the usual Internal Combustion (IC) engine car is converted to an electric vehicle by replacing the combustion methodology with that of an electric power train. With the 2030 goal, most of the auto sector is expected to adopt this method to create the first generation of electric cars in short to medium term. The second variety is that of a “born- EV” or ground-up electric vehicle, which is designed from scratch to be powered by an integrated electric powertrain. These will form the next-gen cars that follow a different architecture to allow for newer design elements like a lower front hood, and longer wheel bases to accommodate battery packs.
Additionally, there is expected to be increased focus on aerodynamics and light-weighting in the electric vehicles segment, particularly aimed at the shape and the materials used. Automakers would need to use alternate light-weight materials like aluminium and other composites. Though carbon fibre absorbs energy and makes energy of its own, it is an expensive material used mostly in high-end luxury cars. The trend will witness a surge with automakers finding substitutes for carbon fibre, which absorbs energy and is extremely light, but is expensive to opt for volume-playing automobile companies. Large scale 3D printing is also expected to be widely adopted.
With the advent of electric vehicles, we will also have to think of the location strategy of the batteries. While in an IC car, the engine is in front hood to become a part of the crash absorption system, the front portion of the car is empty in an electric one. Design will play a crucial role to optimise speed level for EVs, while ensuring that the placement of the batteries is done in a manner that ensures impact durability, distributes weight evenly through the car, and creates package efficiency. Car designers will have to mull over the placement of the batteries, especially in the electrified version to ensure impact durability and distribute weight. Given that brakes can also generate electric energy in an EV, design will play a critical role, especially for optimising speed level for an easy ride on the highway.
All of us saw the TaMo RaceMo last year and got really excited, any progress on that and when can we expect a road going version inspired from it anytime soon?
Ans- The TaMo RaceMo is an extremely important and exciting project for us, which made its global premiere at the Geneva Motor Show 2017. We are very eager to bring the car to India however, it is too premature to comment on the timeline for its commercial launch. We will make an announcement at a more appropriate time.
How much of a departure is it in terms of design from a hybrid to a fully electric car?
Ans. There is usually not much of a difference if both cars are designed on an IC car platform. However, if they are designed on a specific platform then there can be significant differences.
Tata’s IMPACT design philosophy has been changing the buyer’s perception towards the brand, what new products can we expect in the coming year with the same design language?
Ans- Design today is being used as a strategic differentiator to draw customers into a brand. Customers are more inclined towards making a decision on an emotional level as opposed to a purely functional or rational approach. Cars that reflect the personality and aspirations of the customer will tend to outsell those which have been designed to only fulfill a functional need. Each brand has to also make a stronger statement in the market place to stand out and be heard. Companies are now investing in ramping up their design capabilities in India. These are at different levels currently, but we foresee an overall high level of competence developing in the next 8-10 years.
The cars manufactured earlier were generic, boxy and mostly uninspired car design as consumers were insisting towards safety and fuel efficiency. With the evolution of market, automotive design became a key consideration of aesthetics during the product development. The last few years saw a strong demand of car design in all shapes, forms, and styles. Our IMPACT design philosophy charted a new course for us in designing compelling products with an added delight quotient. Our renewed focus on design is helping recapture the consumer’s attention and strengthen our brand proposition which is clearly reflecting in our new generations products like TIAGO, HEXA, TIGOR and NEXON. With the NEXON, we decided to challenge the traditional approach. We instructed our designers to combine strength and dynamism without losing practicality by breaking the boxy proportions. The NEXON is creating the perfect noise with its stylish looks and compelling design, the reaction has been phenomenal.
Embarking on the success of the impact design philosophy we are now moving to the next phase with the IMPACT 2.0, a sharper, more contemporary expression of the now recognisable Tata Motors’ Design language. The cars that will be showcased in Auto Expo 2018 will be under this second phase of its exciting design philosophy.
Do Tata and JLR share resources internally to work around the design philosophy of Tata products?
Ans-While the teams are different, we continue to interact with JLR to incorporate the learnings in processes and innovations for appropriate solutions.
Any final words on the future of cars, connected and autonomous cars?
Ans- Globally, the automobile industry is witnessing a rapid change in customer expectations. As the technology and automotive worlds merge, preferences are rapidly shifting from traditional choices towards more advanced and feature centric ones. With the emergence of newer technologies, we expect gradual shift in the operation of automated cars, from Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to fully autonomous. It is very clear that cars featuring autonomous systems will become an increasing part of our mobility experience. However, the proportion of driverless vehicles will increase gradually and around specific applications and locations. For many years to come, there will continue to be a mix of autonomous and conventional vehicles. The major challenge to take forward autonomous vehicle technology in India is the availability of data characterizing the traffic and infrastructure conditions. The data collection is underway but will take some years. Even the creation of relevant driver assistance systems depends on robust data regarding the application conditions. At Tata Motors, we are actively undertaking R&D work on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as well as full vehicle autonomy. As part of our showcase of future ready concepts, Tata Motors’ European Technical Centre (TMETC) hosted a demo of the Tiago Autonomous and Hexa Autonomous in UK.
While riding in an autonomous vehicles, the sense of confidence in the technology builds up quickly to give an enjoyable experience. The demonstration and public experience of safe use of autonomous vehicles over some years will re-assure people that the technology is safe and reliable. One of the key arguments for autonomous control is the expectation that fewer accidents and risks will be faced by people when majority of vehicles are controlled this way. However, the overall safety of autonomous vehicles depends on many external factors to the car – for example what proportion of all vehicles are autonomous and the quality and design of road and traffic infrastructure.”
Do you have a cool elder sibling in your family that steals all the limelight? And how you wish you could get some of their traits. Well, the story is quite similar in the Land Rover family. The cool elder sibling in this story is the Range Rover Velar and the young sibling is the new Range Rover Evoque. Watch the video to know more about the new Evoque.
Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, diesel
Power: 180 hp Torque: 430 Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Starting Price: ₹ 54.94 lakh (ex-showroom, India)
Car in frame: Range Rover Evoque Reviewer: Saurabh Gamare Cinematography: Harmanpreet Singh Video Editing: Sam Phillips Location: Mumbai, India
The year 2019 has been pretty exciting for the Italian motorcycle brand Benelli as they have been on a launching spree in India. After the Benelli TRK 502 and 502X, the brand was not too late to introduce the Benelli Leoncino 500 and a Leoncino 250 which use the same engine from the TRK 502 and the TNT 250 respectively.
Benelli sure wants to get a stronghold of the Indian automotive market and this is why they have now launched the Benelli Imperiale 400, a modern-retro motorcycle from the house of the Italian two-wheeler maker.
The Benelli Imperiale 400 comes as a modern interpretation of the MotoBi models which Benelli used to produce in the 1950s. A first look at the motorcycle and you are sure to find many similarities with a few motorcycles in this segment. There are several chrome elements on the motorcycle which definitely lend it a character to it. The Imperiale 400 sports a round headlamp as well as round indicators and an oval-shaped taillamp. Like on most of the motorcycles we see these days, you do not get any LED lighting on offer. The twin-pod analogue-digital instrument cluster displays all information, tell-tale lights and also gets small digital panels for the trip, time, odometer, gear and fuel-level display.
The motorcycle looks quite impressive given the 12-litre teardrop-shaped tank. It gets a lot of black treatment as well on the engine as well as the side panels, silencer as well as the front and rear mudguards with black split seats with colour contrast stitching. Overall, it is a handsome looking motorcycle which reflects the retro out loud.
Powering the Imperiale 400 is an air-cooled, 374cc, fuel-injected SOHC engine which makes about 21 PS of peak power and 29 Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a 5-speed gearbox. Now coming to the ride quality, the Imperiale 400 offers a good rideability both on and off the pavement, thanks to the relaxed seating position and the 19-inch 100 section front and 18-inch 130 section rear tyres shod on spoke wheels. The suspension duties are taken care of by 41mm telescopic forks at the front and twin shock absorbers at the rear with preload-adjustability. Braking department gets a 300mm disc at the front and a 240mm disc at the rear along with dual-channel ABS as a standard offering.
Coming to the ride quality, the rear suspension feels a bit stiff, especially at slow speeds but surprisingly handles Indian road conditions quite well. It is happy to cruise all-day at speeds up to 100km/hr without even breaking a sweat. Heating on the motorcycle is not really evident. At 205 kgs, it is slightly heavy, but you would feel the weight only when parking or in traffic doing dead speeds. Take it off the pavement and you will be surprised how well it holds on to the off-road patches despite having less ground clearance. The TVS tyres seemed to offer a firm grip even when being pushed.
The Benelli Imperiale 400 rivals the likes of the Royal Enfield Classic 350, the Jawa variants. Priced at Rs. 1.69 lakhs (ex-showroom), the Imperiale 400 is a strong contender in this segment for the price it is being offered for. What you get are solid build quality and a 3-year unlimited-kilometre warranty. The company is also offering free services for the first two years which makes it an even more interesting proposition for someone who is looking to buy a retro-themed motorcycle which can do touring as well as occasional rough terrains.
Ever since it was revealed last month, the Revolt RV400 has been one of the most eagerly anticipated motorcycles in the country. That’s because it isn’t any ordinary motorcycle, its India’s first AI-enabled all-electric motorcycle. Recently, we got a chance to have a go on the RV400 at a go-kart track and here’s our first ride review of it.
Performance:
The track was fairly short but had a series of engaging corners and straights. For starters, it’s important to remember that the all-electric motorcycle has three riding modes. These three modes (Eco, City and Sports) determine the degree of acceleration, similar to a gearbox.
Eco mode is more suited for a calm and traffic oriented form of riding, while City and Sports aren’t very different from each other, in the mid-range at least. The Sports mode, however, did have that ever-so-slight amount of extra kick.
Interestingly, the RV400 comes fitted with an external speaker near where the engine would’ve been located had this been a conventional internal combustion motorcycle. The function of this speaker is to simulate a sound we’re used to hearing on a petrol-powered two-wheeler.
Overall, the power delivery is good but there is a slight jerk at the beginning of the rev band since the power suddenly comes in all at once. This can be felt more in the most in Sports mode but is much more relaxed in the Eco mode.
At first, it is a little confusing because the RV400 looks like a normal motorcycle but it doesn’t have an exhaust pipe, brake pedal, clutch or gear shifter. It feels like a motorcycle, but the controls are similar to a scooter. This took a bit of getting used to but after a few laps, I found myself trying to outdo myself, pushing its electric heart a little harder every time.
Since the battery sits where the fuel tank and engine would’ve been, the RV400 feels well balanced, given that it has a ground clearance of 220m. The seat height is at a comfortable 814mm, making it accessible to riders of varying heights. The RV400 tips the scale at 108 kg (approximately) which makes it nippy around the corners.
We’re happy to report that after quite a number of laps around the track, the battery had drained only very slightly, even though we’d been mostly riding in Sports mode.
Ride & Handling:
First impressions are good, the RV400 feels easy to handle around the corners and has ample grip going into a corner, fast. The only worrying thing at first was the braking set up. Since both the brakes are controlled from the levers are front, I found myself looking for the foot brake under intense braking, which can be just a little nerve-racking.
The RV400 gets upside-down forks at the front and an adjustable mono-shock at the back. At slower speeds, the RV400 feels fairly composed and there isn’t really any cause for concern.
Braking is handled by two 240mm disc brakes at the front and back with a Combined Braking System (CBS) which works well. The RV400 is driven by a belt and not a chain, as is the case with most mass-market motorcycles in the world.
Looks:
Even with just a glance, the RV400 looks rebellious. It gets all-LED treatment for the front and tail lamps; even the turn indicators are LED! We then move onto the digital instrument cluster. It displays the range, speed, time and much more.
Revolt RV 400. (Image: Revolt Motors)
However, it wasn’t really working since the speed it was displaying was hard to read. We felt that the Revolt RV400 looks funky, cool and modern. But it still maintains the look of a conventional motorcycle, which is definitely a positive aspect. All in all, it’s bound to catch your attention.
Range, Charging & Features:
We now have to address the elephant in the room, which in this case is the lithium-ion battery. That’s not quite a metaphor since the battery pack in the RV400 is quite heavy (15kgs, approximately).
Folks at Revolt Intellicorp plan to setup swap stations in major cities. This will allow riders to swap out their depleting or depleted battery for a fresh one. Alternatively, customers will also be able to charge the batteries at home or office with the help of a charger which requires a 15-ampere socket. A full charge is expected to take 4.5 hours.
Another interesting feature on the RV400 is that of a Start/Stop button. That’s right, the RV400 doesn’t need for you to insert the key in order to start. However, there will be key for other purposes. Revolt Intellicorp has stated an ARAI certified range of 156 kilometres.
Verdict:
The Revolt RV400 looks to be a step in the right direction. Given the state of our environment and the price of petrol; a simple to use and purposeful all-electric motorcycle could be the need of the hour. In our opinion, the RV400 is a good looking, light, nimble and fairly powerful motorcycle.
Mercedes Benz India today introduced the much anticipated AMG C43 Coupe for enthusiasts in the country. With an additional 23bhp under the hood, Mercedes Benz AMG C43 Coupe is a facelift version to the outgoing generation and is priced at ₹ 75 lakh India. Imported as a complete CBU, the two-door coupe is based on Mercedes C-Class platform however in this avatar, it adorns an aggressive exterior look, interiors are sporty and the performance is certainly something one should take note off.
Up against the likes of Audi S5 Coupe and BMW M2 Competition, 2019 Mercedes Benz AMG C43 Coupe gets a new AMG radiator grille in comparison to the outgoing version. Its coupe-like silhouette is the striking point out here and so is the sharp overall exterior design. While the rear stands to provide a pair of circular tailpipes having a gloss chrome finish with a boot lip spoiler coming in the same body colour as the vehicle itself. To give it more substance, the AMG C43 Coupe comes equipped with 19-inch AMG inspired alloy wheels. Plus the customer has the choice of opting for the AMG styling package that provides an aggressive front splitter, side skirt inserts and flics in the rear bumper.
As for the interiors, the updated 2019 Mercedes AMG C43 comes with an all-black cabin. Finely crafted, the seats, door panels and dashboard bear Dinamica microfibre finished in black leather with red stitching on top. Then, of course, there are AMG inspired seats alongside the steering wheel that comes wrapped in Nappa leather with touch control buttons and a heads up display. Plus it is provided with a 12.3-inch full digital display that offers threedifferent moods of style Classic, Sport and Supersport.
Now to the most important part, Mercedes AMG C43 Coupe can do a standstill 0-100kmph in just 4.7 seconds. With a restricted top-speed of 250kmph, AMG C43 Coupe comes fitted with a 3.0-litre V6 engine under the skin that produces a maximum power output of 385bhp. This, when compared to the 2018 Mercedes Benz AMG C43 Coupe, produces 23bhp more and now has an improved torque figure of 520Nm. Propelling the wheels of this performance coupe is a 9G automatic transmission that comes matted to AMG Performance 4MATIC All-Wheel Drive System.
It was the 24th December and I had already planned to go to Aamby Valley for an overnight stay when my team informed me that the all-new Jaguar XE in red colour had just made its way to our Garage. And that it was red in colour on Xmas eve, that was the closest I could have brushed with Santa. The first look of it was fresh, the slimmer LED headlights and taillights fitted very well with the larger front grille and the sculpted bonnet. Ok, it’s a facelift, and we won’t use the word again and neither compares the new XE with its previous generation. For me, it is a complete new XE which has parked itself right in between the A4, the 3 Series and maybe the A6.
t’s become a habit now to slide your phone to the wireless tray and the XE has it, although it charges slowly, it may be because of the low Amp, wish they could have been higher, but does the job. Also, the rotary knob gear selector has been replaced with the gear shifter as seen in the F-Type. I was driving it on the Pune expressway, and let me admit I had touched 180 km/h and mostly was cruising at 140. Sssh! Please don’t tell this to anyone as I don’t want this to reach the Mumbai traffic cops. At speeds like this when you are on the dynamic mode the sound of the engine seeps in easily through the windowpane, maybe the insulation is not that great, it’s a confusing engine sound which you will expect from a sportscar like the F-Type but not exactly the same engine sound, which is the disappointing part.
The pick up had a quick rush of gasoline hitting the chambers at times giving you jerks, and you could feel the charge. It was the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine that I was driving with the Santa. The Touchscreen was smooth and the connected navigation with Interactive Driver Display using high-definition, graphics showing 3D maps were spot on and I particularly loved the Red graphics on the Dynamic mode. Another unimportant thing to note is that it lets you connect with your Bluetooth while on the move, and we had two connected while the other one being the Santa. It has an Ice mode, still wondering where can we drive this in India, but with rising global warming just in case, it’s future-proof.
The speakers and the sound quality is not something which will appeal to the audiophile and you will always be reminded of the engine noise even when the volume is above conversation levels. What I loved was the almost bucket seats which are rather comfortable and holds your back and the firm steering wheel and premium interiors, it also has Torque Vectoring by Braking technology which means on tight turns, it applies the brake to the inside wheel and directs more rotating force from the engine to the wheel with the most grip.
We had arrived and Santa had a smile, and jaguar has got something which will take away buyers from the 3 Series and the A4, but would you buy one? It’s a Jag!
Love it –
The design, exteriors, seats, touchscreen, and the way a streak of light passes through head and taillights every time you lock or unlock.
The pick-up, power, ride quality and the tech.
What’s not that great –
The Insulation letting the engine noise seep in.
The music system & the rather cramped rear seats, if you’re a 6 footer then the legs might have to be amputated after a long drive.
Specifications:
Jaguar XE
Engine: 2.0-litre Ingenium Turbocharged Petrol Power: 250 hp Torque: 365 Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting Price: Rs 44.98 lakh (ex-showroom)
For Comparison:
Audi A4 35 TFSI S tronic
Engine: 1.4-litre Turbocharged Petrol Power: 150 hp Torque: 250 Nm Transmission: 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission Starting Price: Rs 41.49 lakh (ex-showroom)
