Category: Reviews

Best Windows Alternatives for MacBook.

It’s just been a few days since Apple have unveiled their new products and applications meant for their existing and upcoming devices as well. The most interesting product unveiled at the WWDC has to be the new Mac Pro, the most expensive offering starting at $5,999. Not only this, but Apple also launched the Pro Display XDR which starts at $4,999. The Mac Pro is by far the most powerful computer that Apple is offering now and it is purely meant for high-end processing and content creation for creators. For the ease of mobility, people prefer laptops as they are now smaller, thinner, lighter and more powerful. Apple has its MacBook lineup and since its inception, it has been a choice of millions of users all over the globe. Not too long ago when Apple went ahead and redesigned the MacBook Pro with an added touch bar, which also took its prices higher up. This calls for real alternatives which can be used if you are not looking to go into the Apple bandwagon or simply do not want to break a bank for the purchase of an Apple product. Any alternative to the Mac OS will definitely be Windows. And with the arrival of the Microsoft Windows 10, the overall computing experience on windows has increased several folds. We look at some of the best windows laptops which could be better alternatives than the Macbook.

Dell Xps

The Dell XPS is available in two different screen sizes, 13-inch and 15-inch. The Dell XPS is a very able MacBook alternative for those who want a powerful able laptop for their heavy usage. The Dell XPS looks amazing, is very compact and lightweight, with a long lasting battery increasing your productivity. There is an affordable entry-level XPS 13 which you can opt for and the price is something which is lower than Apple’s entry-level MacBook. You will get the latest Intel 8th generation of Intel processors and a display that looks amazing. The bezels are super thin and also have the option of a 4K display.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 2

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 is one of the best offerings from Microsoft. This is the reason it becomes a great alternative for a MacBook. The Surface Laptop is in its second generation and it has been very well received by users from its initial days. The Microsoft Surface 2 laptop is a well-designed piece of technology with very sharp looks. It comes in a few colour options as well and is affordable when you compare it with the latest generations of the MacBook It’s a well designed, sharp-looking laptop that’s available in a lot of colours and it’s incredibly affordable compared to a MacBook Pro. Not only this Microsoft also offers several discounts, especially for students which makes it one affordable option for students, but especially those who create content and media. You get the latest 8th generation of Intel processors and RAM up to 16GB and up to 1TB of SSD storage. Additionally, the display looks great and the laptop has a whopping 14.5 hours of battery life. Asus Zenbook Pro 15 The Asus Zenbook Pro is what we can call very close to the MacBook and its most interesting piece of hardware is actually the screen which is a 100 per cent Adobe RGB 4K display with amazing colour accuracy. The screen also has a higher pixel density than the Retina display on the MacBook and also gets dedicated graphics support. The performance of the Zenbook Pro 15 is nothing short of amazing, it is better not to compare it directly with a MacBook. However, the battery life on the Zenbook Pro 15 is a bit of concern. The touchpad is replaced with a working screen which also allows several functions.

Lenovo Thinkpad X1

Carbon Lenovo has had the Thinkpad series for a few years now but if there is one Thinkpad which could be one of the best alternates for a MacBook. The Thinkpad X1 Carbon comes with a very tactile and amazing keyboard and is designed to be loaded work. The laptop is very thin and light and comes in a stealth black colour. The screen is great and there is plenty of power for all the tasks most users would need. Along with a 13-inch form factor, the screen supports HDR adding to the viewing experience. Lenovo has included all necessary ports for connectivity and also comes with Alexa controls built-in.

Hp Spectre X360

The HP Spectre X360 comes with a screen which swivels 360 degrees and also supports a stylus. There is an option of a 4K touchscreen display too. It is offered with both Core i5 and i7 8thprocessors. Its design is something unique with chamfered edges which look neat and add to the overall appeal. The Spectre X360 comes with an assurance of 13.5 hours of battery life. What makes this laptop even more desirable is the attractive entry-level price point considering you do not want to invest buying a MacBook. Furthermore, you get a lot of customisation options if you need to extract more out of the X360. The X360 is accompanied by a stylus.

Realme 5 Pro – Review | Big On Performance Small On Price

The Smartphone industry in India is booming, especially in the budget segment, specifically in the sub Rs. 20,000/- price bracket. This space has been constantly witnessing a lot of contenders and Realme with its competitive products and pricing is making a huge mark in the Indian smartphone market.

The Realme 5-Series are very worthy successors to the Realme 3 Pro and the Realme 3. They offer better hardware and Quad camera setup. I have been using the Realme 5 Pro for a significant amount of time now and in fact, I took it along with me to use it as a primary snapper during my recent motorcycle ride to Ladakh. So how is the Realme 5 Pro in real life and is it worth it to place your money on it? Read on to find out.

First things first, the Realme 5 Pro is aimed truly at the budget buyers who do not wish to spend more than Rs. 20,000/- on buying a smartphone It comes in three variants and prices start from Rs. 13,999 to up to Rs. Rs. 16,999.

Looks, Design and Hardware

Crack the box open and it is all the regular things inside. Of course, you get the Realme 5 Pro smartphone, a TPU case, sim ejector tool, manuals, a 20W VOOC charger and USB Type-C cable. Coming to the phone, it looks very good and the Sparkling Blue colour theme with patterns on the back of the phone makes it look quite premium. Realme calls the back as Holographic Gradient back and whatever the name could be, I am pretty impressed by the design in the back.

The phone is made out of polycarbonate and has a smooth glass finish. The overall footprint of the phone isn’t too large which makes it easy to hold in the hands. The side of the Realme 5 Pro is made of plastic and you can see the ride side which has the power button and the left side houses the volume rocker buttons and the sim-card tray. The buttons are firm and offer good tactile feedback.

The four-camera setup at the back has a slight bump but nothing to worry about as you can use a case which will not allow the camera hump to rub against any surface when placed on its back. The capacitive fingerprint scanner is placed right beside the camera setup making it easier to operate when holding the phone. On the bottom, you get a Type-C charging port, the headphone jack and the single speaker grille. The phone pretty solid in hands and the front is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. There is no IP certification for the Realme 5 Pro but Realme claims splash resistivity.

Now coming to the display, it is a 6.3-inch FHD+ screen with 19:9 screen ratio and over 90 per cent of the screen to body ratio. The phone does have bezels but they are thinner on the sides and slightly bigger at the chin area. The screen is an IPS LCD panel which might seem a bit dull. Turning it on to full brightness shows its vivid nature and warm colours. Reading the screen outdoors is a bit of an issue but Realme had to cut some corners and the display is one of them.

To back the nice physical appearance, the heart of the matter for the Realme 5 Pro is the Snapdragon 712 which is clocked at higher core speed. Paired with it, you get the option of 4GB, 6GB and 8GB of RAM and 64GB or 128 GB of internal storage. What makes the LPDDR4X RAM better is the pairing with the UFS 2.1 storage for faster read-write.

Performance and Camera Quality

During the time I have used the Realme 5 Pro, it was a very good performer with most of the applications and multitasking. It did not face any lags or stutters as it is the case with some budget-oriented smartphones. The ample amount of RAM on the 8GB 128 GB variant made it easy to multitask with most of the things thrown at it. Gaming was a breeze on the Realme 5 Pro and the Game Boost is present to optimize the performance. Titles like PUBG and Asphalt 9 – Legends had no issues or frame drops while playing.

On the OS front, it runs ColorOS 6 which comes with several features just like any other Android-based operating system. However, I would prefer a much cleaner user experience with minimal changes to the original android. I hope smartphone makers think about giving a true android experience or at least optimize their OS to the finest levels to allow a much better experience of using their phones.

Now the most important of the bit is the Quad camera setup. The combination consists of a 48 MP Sony IMX56 sensor, 8-MP ultra-wide, 2 MP Macro camera and 2 MP portrait sensor. On the front is a 16 MP selfie snapper housed within the display notch. The 48 MP primary sensor comes with f/1.8 aperture and uses Pixel binning to produce sharp and vivid 12MP images. The colours seem to be quite accurate and the camera attains focus in very less time. HDR will sort of boost the images, especially the ones in tricky lighting situation. The images are slightly warm and have plenty of details and the quality is up to the mark. The edge detection of the portrait mode is quite accurate as it is able to mask out the background from the subject quite effectively. The 16 Mp front camera does the job it has been hired for and the selfie images and videos seem quite nice out of the camera.

Finally, it is time to look into the power source of the Realme 5 Pro which is a 4035 mAh battery. It is able to deliver a day’s worth of power with all the regular multimedia and app browsing. The cherry on the top is actually the bundled 20W VOOC 3.0 fast charger which charges the phone from zero to full in little more than an hour. At this price point, you have nothing much to nitpick.

Verdict

So, here comes the final question of whether you should buy the Realme 5 Pro or not? Well for this price, it is a good buy, especially the 8 GB RAM variant which is quite snappy with the performance bit. Gaming too is a charm on the Realme 5 Pro but I wish, Realme would have chosen a better display for this one. In case you think you are not convinced, you can always spend some more and get the Realme X or the even better Realme XT.

Lenovo K10 Note – Review | Good Buy For The Budget

Are you planning to buy a new smartphone within a specific budget? Lenovo has recently launched three new smartphones which cover a wide spectrum of the price. The Z6 Pro, K10 Note and the A6 Note. However, the K10 Note is placed in a mid-range budget segment. But how does the K10 Note perform in the real world? We have used the K10 Note for more than 10 days now and this is the review of the Lenovo K10 Note.

Look, Design and Hardware

The Lenovo K10 Note comes with a simple and minimalistic design. But do not be fooled as it looks quite elegant and has a great build quality. The body has been constructed from plastic which makes it even more lightweight. Even with a lot of usage, it never felt heavy to hold. The plastic back is prone to getting fingerprints which I personally feel is a tradeoff all smartphone makers so to use the back area for incorporating designs and patterns. You can wipe the back clean with a soft cloth and it should not be a problem. The rear is also the home for the triple camera setup and an LED flash. The fingerprint scanner is placed at the back as we have seen with most of the phones. On the right side, you have the power and the volume rocker keys while the left side houses the sim-card try. The bottom houses the USB Type-C port and the speaker grille and the still beloved 3.5mm headphone port. On the top, you can notice the small port for the secondary microphone. The overall design is simple and it looks quite stylish, especially if you consider its budget tag.

Now turn over the phone to the front, you will come to see the 6.3-inch Full-HD+ LCD display which gets a water drop-shaped notch on the top. It has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The bezels are quite thin except for the chin area at the bottom. Lenovo has skipped on Corning’s Gorilla Glass to use Panda Class for protection. The screen is quite bright and vibrant and is quite consistent at different viewing angles. Not only this, but the legibility of the screen in bright sunlight was also very good as I had no difficulty in reading whatever was on the screen.

Hardware specifications of the K10 Note include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 SoC which is paired with up to 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The phone draws its power from a 4050mAh battery which also has support for 18W fast charging. The camera trio consists of a 16 MP primary camera, an 8MP secondary lens which gets 2X optical zoom and a 5 MP depth sensor. The front-facing camera is a 16 MP unit for selfies and video calling.

Now coming to the software of the smartphone, it runs Android 9.0 Pie out of the box. One noticeable factor is that you only have a very little level of customisation leaving with you a pure Android experience. Even with a high amount of multitasking, the phone did not face too many lags or stutters. You can enable gestures on this K10 Note via the 4D U-Touch in the settings menu. The K10 comes with a few additional applications installed but not all of them can be removed.

Performance and Camera Quality

Now moving towards the performance department of the Lenovo K10 Note, it appeared to run very smoothly for the entire duration of use. There was no lag observed while launching multiple applications or while switching between tabs. If you like playing games, you might encounter a bit of heating on continuous gameplay. However games like Asphalt 9: Legends on long session got the phone warm only slightly. The beautiful surprise is the battery life. The 4050mAh battery easily lasts a day of usage including a lot of multimedia content consumption and browsing social media applications, maps etc. The fast charger in the box means the phone could be fully charged in around two hours. Talking about multimedia, the sound output on the K10 Note is pretty impressive considering the fact it features Dolby Atmos and even with a single speaker, the sound output felt adequate. The fingerprint scanner of the K10 is fast and sometimes even faster than the facial recognition.

Now it is time we talk about the camera. The images from the K10 Note produced accurate colours and were evenly exposed with good amount of details. Focusing is not an issue when pointing at faraway objects but when going too close to the subject, it takes a moment to lock focus. In low lighting conditions, the images were decent. Turning the night mode on slightly enhances the images taken in dimly lit situations. The shots taken in the portrait mode worked well however, you cannot adjust adjust the level of blur like you can in some of the other smartphone portraits. The 16 MP selfie camera does a good job of taking selfies.

Final Verdict

For a price of Rs. 13,999/- the Lenovo K10 Note ticks all the boxes for a budget smartphone user. It comes with a bright display, smooth performance and a good battery life. The cameras could have been better but that is me, nitpicking on a budget device. If you are looking to not spend more than 15 thousand on a smartphone and a good software experience, then the Lenovo K10 Note is a very good contender waiting to be picked up.

Samsung Galaxy A50s Review: A Modest Attempt

HOW DOES IT FEEL?

First of all, the Galaxy A50s looks similar to the existing Samsung’s mid-range design lineup. The Galaxy A50s also features a glossy and reflective coating that produce hues of different colours. It is even tweaked to include a prism-like design which only accentuates the reflective colours. But due to the glass back, it also attracts fingerprint and we recommend a back case as the phone is a bit slippery. Holding it in hands, the 166 grams Galaxy A50s doesn’t feel heavy and you can easily get used to it. On the front, the 6.4-inch full HD+ display is just amazing, thanks to Samsung’s Super AMOLED panel which produce crisp images. The display is visible under direct sunlight and sAMOLED display are good for power management. There is a tiny notch which Samsung calls it Infinity-U that where the front camera is placed.

HOW DOES IT PERFORM?

The Galaxy A50s is powered by Exynos 9611 processor along with 6GB of RAM and 128GB internal storage. Using this device for a few weeks, we didn’t notice any lag and stutters even for a single time, but it does get warm while playing games like Asphalt 9 and PUBG at high-graphic settings. Samsung runs it’s own One UI based on Android 9 Pie operating system. The One UI features a lot of additional functionalities like themes, UI customization and many more. The Galaxy A50s also comes with an on-screen optical fingerprint sensor. However, the Galaxy A50s fingerprint sensor was the slowest smartphones I ever encountered.

HOW IS THE CAMERA?

The Galaxy A50s feature triple camera setup. The main camera sensor is a 48-megapixel that comes along with an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor and 5-megapixel depth sensor. The main sensor captures in 12-megapixel mode, where four adjoining pixels are clubbed as one, but you may also shoot in full 48-megapixel resolution using the pro mode or changing camera settings. The 48MP shots aren’t as crisp though, so you’d be better off with 12MP images. There is a depth sensor which helps in capturing pro mode. The ultra-wide camera offers wide coverage of the 120-degree field of view. It does capture some good shots, but the lens doesn’t support tap to focus. On the front, it features 32-megapixel camera sensor. It takes decent pictures in a bright environment but struggles in low light.

VERDICT

Samsung Galaxy A50s is a fairly good effort by smartphone manufacturer in a segment that is highly competitive. The performance is flawless including gaming. However, we weren’t impressed with the slow fingerprint sensor. Those who love shooting pictures, they are likely to find the device valuable.

SPECIFICATIONS:

  • 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display
  • Exynos 9611 SoC
  • 6GB RAM
  • 128GB internal memory
  • 48MP + 8MP + 5MP Rear camera
  • 32MP Front camera
  • Android 9 Pie
  • 4000 mAh batter

Pair it up with Boult Audio SPIRE X

Suzuki GSX S750 – Review | At Home With The Apex Predator

I am a big fan of motorcycles, especially multi-cylinder engines. A parallel-twin with a 270-degree crank, Oh yes. But then I had the chance to try out an inline four-cylinder engine and it was Japanese. Well, this motorcycles I am talking about seems to have no clear introduction, let me begin with one.Suzuki launched its first middle-weight motorcycle in India in 2018 and they had planned it well as it was the second motorcycle to follow the CKD route after the legendary Hayabusa, which is now assembled in India. Yes, I am talking about the Suzuki GSX S750 which is a street naked middle-weight offering from Suzuki in India. Also known as the ‘Apex Predator’ I am sure for those who have ridden it on a track, can swear by its performance. But how is it to live with it and bring it home and ride it like my daily motorcycle?

Interestingly, Suzuki was quick enough to launch the 2019 edition of the GSX S750 which now gets two more colour scheme options. It was a very brief meeting with the guys in the dealership and I was soon handed the keys of the S750. The blue-black paint job looks stunning I must admit and now, I was about to ride this beauty home. It borrows its looks from its elder sibling the GSX S1000 albeit in a bit more compact manner. Do not be mistaken as it still is a mean-looking big muscular motorcycle with a well-defined front leading up to the tank.

As soon as I swing my leg over it, I immediately felt the 215 kg of kerb weight and feels quite heavy for a naked style motorcycle. Press the starter button and the 749cc inline-four mill comes alive with a hum and I bet I could not get enough of the engine singing. A slight twist of the throttle and I could not believe how smooth the engine is. It has been at the heart of the GSX R750 and makes 114 PS at 10,500rpm and 81 Nm of torque at 9,500rpm and is mated to a slick-shifting 6-speed gearbox. What amazed me is the very linear power delivery and the which is welcome for new riders or those who have upgraded. So I began riding the S750 on a regular basis, 50 percent of city riding and 50 percent of the highway. It allowed me to have a better perspective of what this motorcycle is all about.

What comes into my mind now is the perfectly smooth engine which sings as it idles, pushes it upwards and see the hum turning into a loud wail. What adds to this is the intake howl which certainly makes riding the S750 a more pleasurable thing to do. On highways, you can twist the throttle and the three-level traction control will watch your back if you do not choose to turn it off. ABS will make braking at high speeds a safer deal with the 310mm twin-disc rotors on the front and the single rotor in the rear with Nissin callipers. The console is a small all-digital unit which gives you all the information you need and is clearly readable in all scenarios. The front brake lever is adjustable but the clutch-lever is not, which again brings me to the fact that the clutch pull is slightly heavy, the slipper clutch is missing and you feel it when riding in traffic.

Moving on, the motorcycle is very flickable and all that weight and heft seems to disappear when it gets going. You might feel the weight while moving side to side when around corners but the S750 is sure-footed and very quick to change direction as well. It is very clever of Suzuki to include this ‘Low RPM Assist’ feature which makes the clutch operation smooth, especially in city traffic where the clutch operation is maximum and also avoids stalling of the engine. You can cruise around the speeds of 120-130 and the engine would not be even bothered. Twisting the throttle will soon take you north of 150 km/hr and the lines soon begin to blur. If you switch the traction control off, you can pull off wheelies pretty easily, but on public roads? Not a good idea.

The engine sits between a twin-spar frame and everything is suspended off the ground with 41mm USD KYB forks and a link-type mono-shock at the rear, all of which come with preload adjustability. The build quality on this motorcycle is very good and the fit and finish levels are impressive. The switchgear on both sides feels very premium and sturdy. Coming to the point of efficiency, it gets a 16-litre fuel tank and in the time I was riding it, I got a consistent mileage of 16 km/l in the city and around 18km/l on the highway rides. It does heat in the traffic but the heat didn’t bother me much. Overall, the Apex Predator is a good motorcycle to live with on a daily basis and those weekend highway blasts.

Now ask me if this an affordable deal? Yes, I believe it is. It has an ex-showroom price starting at Rs. 7.45 lakhs. Sure you do not get a host of electronics, LED lighting and more of those bells and whistles. What it gives you though is a very agile motorcycle, a super-refined engine and pure riding pleasure without much intervention. Overall, it is a well-balanced naked motorcycle which follows Suzuki’s GSX line and keeps the agile DNA intact. I cannot wait to ride it again.

Porsche 911 Carrera S | Review | Beauty and the Beast

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.

Specifications:
Engine: 3.0-litre, twin-turbo, flat six
Power: 450 hp
Torque: 530 Nm
Transmission: 8-speed DCT (PDK)

2019 Toyota Camry Hybrid – Review | The Immediate Present

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.

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.

 

Specifications:

Engine: 2.5-litre 4 Cylinder Gasoline-Hybrid
Power: 215 PS
Torque: 202 Nm
Transmission: CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) Sequential Shift with Paddles

Price: ₹37.5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)

Range Rover Evoque | First Drive

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

Benelli Imperiale 400 – Review | A Classic Motorcycle With A Modern Heart

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.

SPECS

Engine – 374cc,Four-stroke, Fuel-injected, SOHC, Air-cooled

Power – 21 PS @ 5500 rpm

Torque – 29 Nm @4500 rpm

Transmission – 5-Speed

Revolt RV 400 | First Ride Review | Electric Storm on the Horizon?

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.

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