New Cars coming in 2010

Ford Figo

Ford India has big plans for the Indian market. The auto giant will launch its premium hatchback Ford Figo by early 2010. The small car will be available in both petrol and diesel models. From its modern headlamps, grille shapes and sculpted bonnet of its distinctive face to the subtle integrated spoiler and chamfered window shape at the rear, Ford Figo is filled with kinetic design touches. The name Figo was inspired from its Italian design. In Italian ‘Figo’ colloquially means ‘cool’.

Nissan’s Micra

Nissan India, which is setting up a Rs 4,500 crore car manufacturing facility with Renault in Chennai, will launch its first car before summer 2010. The Nissan Micra is a premium hatchback and will be available in both petrol and diesel versions. Nearly two-third of its production is likely to be exported. Nissan also plans to launch a sedan version of the Micra hatchback in 2011.

Chevrolet Beat

General Motors India is expected to launch its small car ‘Beat’ at the Auto Show in January. The hatchback will compete with Maruti’s Swift and Hyundai’s i10. The diesel version is expected to hit the road by 2010 year-end. For now, buyers have to be satisfied with the petrol version. Industry experts say that the Chevy’s small car would be priced around Rs 3-5 lakh and will be powered with 1.2L, 1199cc petrol engine.

Volkswagen Polo

European auto manufacturer Volkswagen plans to launch its most popular hatchback model Polo in the Indian market by Jan 2010. Volkswagen Polo is set to compete with the other hatchback cars in its segment like Maruti Swift, Maruti Ritz, Fiat Punto, Hyundai i10, Hyundai i20. Consumers can expect both the petrol and diesel engine options. The fifth generation Polo will be officially launched in India at the 2010 Auto Expo in New Delhi.

Hyundai i30

After the huge success of the i10 and i20, Hyundai mulls to launch its premium hatchback i30 in 2010. i30, designed by Hyundai’s German team will add to the C segment lineup. Hyundai India said that the car will be available in both diesel and petrol versions. The new Hyundai i30 has promised some unique safety features and is expected to be more spacious in its segement.

Maruti Kizashi

Maruti Suzuki India is all geared to launch its first car in the luxury segment. Christened Maruti Kizashi, it has a sporty look and will hit the showrooms in the first half of 2010 at around Rs 10 lakh. Maruti Kizashi will be powered by the 2.4L petrol engine. The diesel version will follow shortly.

Toyota Prius

Japanese auto major Toyota plans to launch its first hybrid car, Toyota Prius in the Indian market by Jan 2010.Toyota Prius is a C-segment hybrid sedan model which can run on petrol and an electric engine. Prius is the world’s first mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid passenger car. The car is likely to be imported as completely built units from Japan.

Hamara Bajaj!

2010 is going to be an interesting time for the auto industry. With Bajaj having stopped production of their iconic scooter. I have many memories of singing the song ‘Hamara Bajaj’ every time the jingle came on tv. And I have more intensely fond memories of riding pillion with my Dad when he used to drop me at Kindergarten. It was that very same scooter on which my dad used to take me out for my two wheeler driving lessons. How I wish those times were back.

Well Bajaj’s take is that they solely want to concentrate on making mo’bikes. They have the target to become the world’s largest bike manufacturer company. Now that is like a moral boost injection right into the soul of every patriotic Indian. Hell I feel good, that a homegrown company is making the mark on the world map. Have they defeated or have they defeated Hero Honda at home ground.

Within the last decade Bajaj have reinvented themselves. Bajaj’s products are reputed highly in auto markets as the most economical, the most fuel efficient, and the most pocket friendly. This Bajaj has managed to back up well with a very efficient service network. What Maruti is in 4 wheelers, Bajaj is to the two wheeler market. The company riding an all time high on Pulsar’s success. They will be venturing into the 4 wheeler market as well. So watch out all you Maruti’s, Hyundai’s and Nano’s out there.

The newly showcased concept bikes from KTM stable are Stunt 125 and Race 125 which have been built exhaustively in India by Bajaj. The styling though is very much European. They will be introduced in the Indian market somewhere late 2010. The pricing should be around 70 to 80k.

And here is what Bajaj started this all with, the good ol’ Chetak

Current offers from Auto Industries

These are the present offers from different manufacturers in Bangalore as of now:

Discount on Maruti vehicles (@ Pratham Motors):

M800 (petrol and duo) : 10k

Omni : 10k

Alto: 17k

WagonR (petrol and duo) : 27k

Ritz (petrol and diesel) : 25k

SX4 : 25k

AStar : 15k

Discounts on Hyundai vehicles (@ Advaith Motors) :

1. Santro GL @ 2.99 lacs (including exchange)

2. First year insurance free (15k) + Music system (5k).  So e.g. i10 Magna 1.2 which otherwise costs 4.68 lacs on road in b’ore will now cost around 4.5 lacs.

Second Hand Car Buying Tips

Here are some tips you can use to buy second hand cars. Collected over the years from my experience of buying second hand cars for me and my buddies which include cars like: M800, Zen, Santro, Wagon R, Indica, Esteem, Accent, Swift, Scorpio, Optra, Corolla

1. Check the manufacturing date of all the tyres. If they are near the model of the year of manufacture of your vehicle (ex. the car model is 2001 and the tyres are also 2001) then the odometer is correct. However if the tyres are like say 2005 and it has considerable wear….it means the car is driven a lot.

2. Demand to see the service history or service record. If the car has been properly serviced (and i am sure you wish it was), the invoice’s will have the odo readings. Demand to see the bill of last service done. Or just get the emission certificate.

3. If the odometer has been tampered, usually the numbers don’t align correctly.

4. Look for dust or any other foreign particle on the numbers odo inside the glass pane.

5. All the tyres manufacture date should be same.

6. In specific case of Corolla see if the gear knob leather cover has been worn out. Also look out if the seat cover’s stitch lining is coming out from anywhere.

7. Try to get the info of the original seller and try to meet him.

8. Check the insurance if he has any NCB (no claim bonus)

9. The front bonnet panel usually has lines on it. If the car has been accidented from front, however you try to correct, this this line would not be perfect. try to catch this when you buy a car. The same goes for the straight body line on the side and rear also.

10. Before buying a car, try to test drive the same vehicle (should be in a good condition) from somewhere else. Better ask a friend to let you drive his set of wheels. Other option would be to head to the showroom and take a test drive there. The idea is to get the hang of a couple of things like: how is the engine sound in various gears, how does a maintained car handles around bends and how does it handle in traffic, you get to know the extra rattles, check the pickup, check the interior. Then compare these to the vehicle you have zeroed in on.

11. Try to see the car in noon time under direct sunlight. Verify that the car has a uniform shade of paint all over. If you see a difference in shade ask if the car has been repainted and why.

12. Open the bonnet and see the bottom of the hood you just lifted. There should be no spray paint job done there. Check if the paint is uniform.

13. Check for rust under hood, in and around engine housing. Check the condition of the screws used to tighten the battery in place. Also check for the misalignment of the screws where the suspension is attached. This would generally be at the two extremes once you pop open the hood.

14. Check for a white powder like substance near all the gaskets. Especially check this near the front and rear windshields and also on the inside of door glasses. Pull the gaskets on doors and see for any unusual marks.

15. Inspect the boot. Check for the condition of the spare tyre and the compartment. This may give a fair idea on how much the car has been used.

Hope this helps in your making a better decision when you are looking for a used set of wheels.

Time to buy a new car

I have been delaying this from since i don’t know when. Most people come to me for advice on which vehicle they should be buying. And so I have developed a reputation of a mr know it all in case of cars. And the funnily ironic part here is that when it came to buy a car myself I am confused. It’s not that I dont know my cars. I pretty damn do. Have the experience of scanning umpteen number of second hand cars as well. So second hand car mart is not greek to me. The problem here is the number of possibilities that have boggled my mind. Well here I just want to share with you all some of the research I have done. Might help some confused soul out there as well. Here are the car prices, on road, B’lore as of October 2009.

 

PETROL CARS

Company	Model	Price(in lakhs)	Disp (cc)	Airbag	ABS	P.Win/P.Steering	Mileage
Maruti
	Alto LX	3.07	796	N	N	N/N	14.5
	Alto LXi	3.27	796	N	N	N/Y	14.5
	A-Star Lxi	4.1	998	N	N	N/Y	14.6
	A-Star Vxi	4.4	998	N	N	Y/Y	14.6
	A-Star Zxi	4.8	998	Y	Y	Y/Y	14.6
	Estilo Lxi	3.9	1061	N	N	Y/Y	13.6
	Estilo Vxi	4.17	1061	Y	N	Y/Y	13.6
	Estilo Vxi ABS	4.5	1061	Y	Y	Y/Y	13.6
	WagonR Lxi	3.9	1061	N	N	N/Y	12.9
	WagonR Lxi DUO	4.17	1061	N	N	N/Y	12.9
	WagonR Vxi	4.22	1061	N	N	Y/Y	12.9
	WagonR Vxi ABS	4.5	1061	Y	Y	Y/Y	12.9
	Swift Lxi	4.77	1298	N	N	N/Y	12.4
	Swift Vxi	5.12	1298	N	N	Y/Y	12.4
	Swift Vxi ABS	5.34	1298	N	Y	Y/Y	12.4
	Swift Zxi	6.1	1298	Y	Y	Y/Y	12.4
	Ritz Lxi	4.57	1197	N	N	N/Y	12.8
	Ritz Vxi	4.93	1197	N	N	Y/Y	12.8
	Ritz Vxi ABS	5.22	1197	N	Y	Y/Y	12.8
	Ritz Zxi	5.64	1197	Y	Y	Y/Y	12.8
Hyundai
	Santro GL	3.92	1086	N	N	N/Y	12.8
	Santro GLS	4.13	1086	N	N	Y/Y	12.8
	i10 1.1 Era	4.37	1086	N	N	Y/Y	13.2
	i10 1.2 Magna	4.67	1197	N	N	Y/Y	12.8
	i10 1.2 Asta	5.66	1197	Y	Y	Y/Y	12.8
Chevrolet
	Spark PS	3.5	995	N	N	N/Y	13.1
	Spark LS	3.7	995	N	N	Y/Y	13.1
	Spark LS Music	3.96	995	N	N	Y/Y	13.1
	Spark LT	4.05	995	N	N	Y/Y	13.1
	Spark LT OP	4.56	995	Y	Y	Y/Y	13.1
Tata
	Vista – Safire Terra	4	1172	N	N	N/Y	11.72
	Vista – Safire Aqua	4.26	1172	N	N	Y/Y	11.72
	Vista – Safire Aura	4.54	1172	N	N	Y/Y	11.72

 

DIESEL CARS

Company	Model	Price	Disp (cc)	Airbag	ABS	P.Win/P.Steering	Mileage
Maruti
	Ritz Ldi	5.45	1248	N	N	N/Y	14.4
	Ritz Vdi	5.8	1248	N	N	Y/Y	14.4
	Ritz Vdi ABS	6.11	1248	N	Y	Y/Y	14.4
	Swift Ldi	5.48	1248	N	N	N/Y	14.7
	Swift Vdi	5.83	1248	N	N	Y/Y	14.7
	Swift Vdi ABS	6.14	1248	N	Y	Y/Y	14.7
Hyundai
	Getz CRDi	6.48	1493	N	N	Y/Y	14
Fiat
	Punto Active	5.76	1248	N	N	Y/Y	?
	Punto Dynamic	6.18	1248	N	N	Y/Y	?
	Punto Emotion	6.65	1248	N	Y	Y/Y	?
	Punto Emotion Pack	7.29	1248	Y	Y	Y/Y	?
	Palio SD	5.1	1248	N	N	N/Y	14
	Palio SDE	5.35	1248	N	N	Y/Y	14
	Palio SDX	5.5	1248	N	N	Y/Y	14
Tata
	Vista Terra	5		N	N	N/Y	13.9
	Vista Aqua	5.22		N	N	Y/Y	13.9
	Vista Aura	5.56		N	N	Y/Y	13.9
	Vista Aqua TDI	4.7		N	N	Y/Y	12.8
	Vista Terra TDI	4.5		N	N	N/Y	12.8

 

By the way did I mention that the number one reason I hate bangalore is  the road tax these guys charge. Can you imagine paying 60 – 70 k extra as road tax! I mean I can buy a decent 150 cc bike in that much money. And what are those government idiot &%^$!% babus doing. I don’t see any road developments happening around me that can justify the amount of tax being collected. Ok lets consider a hypothetical scenario. Assume a Maruti dealership sells 60 Swift’s a month. To average out on the variants lets assume they are all VXi’s. The road tax on a VXi is roughly around 60k. So the road tax collected by one dealership is Rs. 36 lakhs. And I have only considered tax collected on one variant by one dealership. Imagine what the actual figures would look like. Now just see around you and find any good driveable roads in Bangalore. Yup, now you get the hang of what I am trying to put across.

Well the confusion began as my ideal car would be a Swift Vdi, but it costs 6 lakhs in b’luru, which is kinda out of my budget as of now. But Diesel is at the back of my mind. So I began to explore my options from

1. New car or old car. A sub 3 lakh old car will have to be disposed off before leaving from Bangalore. A 3+ lakh car makes sense to be taken back to my hometown in Delhi. (Assuming I move back to Delhi in around 2 years).

2. Should I buy an Alto and drive it for 2 years and then sell it off when I move back to Delhi? I can drive a new car, but would have to shell out the road tax and the depreciation at the time i sell it off.

3. Should I go in for a second hand Alto which would come in around 1.5 lakhs. And then when I sell it off I would not face so much depreciation also.

4. Instead of going in for a brand new Alto, should I spend 50 k more and go in for Spark PS, which offers almost similar features and has better space than Alto and is 200c more than Alto. But then the resale value and Maruti service network are better than that of Chevy.

5. Should I go in for Swift petrol. This would initially cost more and mileage wise bump up my budget if I plan any long drives or highway excursions, as Swift petrol will at best give a mileage of 11 to 12 kmpl in city. But at least I get the sturdy and roomy Swift feel (well lets limit the comparison to Spark and Alto ) and also I can fall back on the trusty CNG when I move back to Delhi. Yes I would have to part away with the boot space in that case.

6. Here comes the competition, should I go in for an i10. I test drove the car and the handling is nice. It has a nice peppy engine. The new 1.2 is an added advantage. The 1.2 Magna has equivalent features of Swift Vxi and is priced by approx 50k less. But I need to take the car on highways to satiate my spirit of holidays and exploration. If I can wait for another 4-5 months may be i10 diesel also will be available. This according to me would be priced somewhere around 5.3 Lakhs on road in b’lore.

7. Ok the thought that blurs this division between Swift and i10 further is that: Should I go in for i10 Magna or should I put 30k extra and settle for a Swift Lxi. At least I get the big car and sturdy feel of Swift this way. Swift would be a good highway performer as well.

8. Should I buy Swift Diesel from Delhi, as there the road tax is less, and vdi should cost you around 5.3 L on road and then spend extra 10k to bring it in b’lore and then drive in the constant fear of the traffic cops.

9. Buy the Swift diesel in Delhi, and get the zen i have at home here. This way even if i get caught by cops and in the worst possible case end up paying road tax, it would not be as much i would pay on a new Swift.

10. Stick with the current old M800 for 2 years, and then think of another vehicle when I finally move back to Delhi. Till then I pray that my company gives me enough money so I can afford a VDi.

Company	Model	Price	Disp (cc)	Airbag	ABS	P.Win/P.Steering	Mileage
Maruti
	Alto LX	3.07	796	N	N	N/N	14.5
	Alto LXi	3.27	796	N	N	N/Y	14.5
	A-Star Lxi	4.1	998	N	N	N/Y	14.6
	A-Star Vxi	4.4	998	N	N	Y/Y	14.6
	A-Star Zxi	4.8	998	Y	Y	Y/Y	14.6
	Estilo Lxi	3.9	1061	N	N	Y/Y	13.6
	Estilo Vxi	4.17	1061	Y	N	Y/Y	13.6
	Estilo Vxi ABS	4.5	1061	Y	Y	Y/Y	13.6
	WagonR Lxi	3.9	1061	N	N	N/Y	12.9
	WagonR Lxi DUO	4.17	1061	N	N	N/Y	12.9
	WagonR Vxi	4.22	1061	N	N	Y/Y	12.9
	WagonR Vxi ABS	4.5	1061	Y	Y	Y/Y	12.9
	Swift Lxi	4.77	1298	N	N	N/Y	12.4
	Swift Vxi	5.12	1298	N	N	Y/Y	12.4
	Swift Vxi ABS	5.34	1298	N	Y	Y/Y	12.4
	Swift Zxi	6.1	1298	Y	Y	Y/Y	12.4
	Ritz Lxi	4.57	1197	N	N	N/Y	12.8
	Ritz Vxi	4.93	1197	N	N	Y/Y	12.8
	Ritz Vxi ABS	5.22	1197	N	Y	Y/Y	12.8
	Ritz Zxi	5.64	1197	Y	Y	Y/Y	12.8
Hyundai
	Santro GL	3.92	1086	N	N	N/Y	12.8
	Santro GLS	4.13	1086	N	N	Y/Y	12.8
	i10 1.1 Era	4.37	1086	N	N	Y/Y	13.2
	i10 1.2 Magna	4.67	1197	N	N	Y/Y	12.8
	i10 1.2 Asta	5.66	1197	Y	Y	Y/Y	12.8
Chevrolet
	Spark PS	3.5	995	N	N	N/Y	13.1
	Spark LS	3.7	995	N	N	Y/Y	13.1
	Spark LS Music	3.96	995	N	N	Y/Y	13.1
	Spark LT	4.05	995	N	N	Y/Y	13.1
	Spark LT OP	4.56	995	Y	Y	Y/Y	13.1
Tata
	Vista – Safire Terra	4	1172	N	N	N/Y	11.72
	Vista – Safire Aqua	4.26	1172	N	N	Y/Y	11.72
	Vista – Safire Aura	4.54	1172	N	N	Y/Y	11.72

Chevrolet Spark

 

At last I got some time off from my hectic schedule. Wanted to write this post so badly since two months, when I had freshly taken Spark for a test ride. First thing I loved was the Chevy executive who rode with me in the car. He asked me to take the car to the limit. I being habitual to driving in Delhi (Delhi drivers are by far the best I have ever seen), was more than happy to oblige. I remember there were two more guys in the back seat who were waiting for their turn to take that car for a spin next. I could see the poor chaps holding each others hands in the rear view mirror when I was negotiating a small round about on a size zero back road while dodging an oncoming Innova from right and overtaking a 407. I remember the Maruti guy telling me not to go over 60 kmph in the test vehicle. And I had a sudden urge to punch him in the face.

 

 

 

 

Okay enuff of the boasting stuff. Lets get down to more serious business here. Time for facts. Spark is the cheapest 1000 cc (995 cc to be precise) car around (PS @ 3.5 L and LS @ 3.7 L on road Bangalore). The only decent car you get in a budget lower than that is an Alto.  Spark delivers 63 bhp and 9 kgm torque, which is absolutely sweet for a car in this class. The suspension was superb. Spark comes standard with tube less tyres and gas filled shock absorbers. The car seemed pretty nice to swerve and cut across in heavy traffic. Changing lanes and fitting the car in gaps was not an issue. Also I have not heard of any major issues with the engine of this car. The engine is peppy and responsive. The AC was also average, nothing too great but not too bad either. Spark delivers an average of 13 – 14 under city conditions with AC on, which are good numbers. But here ends all the good part. Let’s see the other side of the coin too.

From outside the car does look a lot like Matiz. The front looks nice, but the rear is just horrendous and cheap. Interior is comfortable for 4 adults. But again depends on which car you are comparing this with. Compared to 800 and Alto yes it’s more roomier.  The two spoke steering is also not that impressive for hand grip. But the response of power steering is decent enough. Gear shift quality is just about ok. The dash in grey is ok. The plastics are ok, but then isn’t it the same with Santro and Wagon R also. The practically placed central console gives more room for the driver to get in and out of the car easily. The boot space is almost the same as you get on other hatchbacks.

The Spark is strictly a city car only. Do not dare to venture out on the highway. The build quality is not upto the mark. You can feel that the doors are so light you can compare it to plastic. Just knock on a door panel or a body panel to believe what I mean.

If you are looking for a car which is not too taxing on your pockets and don’t want to go for an 800 cc car, go for Chevy. Wagon R and Santro are both old stallions which sooner or later would be phased out. Both these cars are continuing because a. They do not have a worthy successor as of yet. and b. The company wants to have a model for this price bracket.

My pick Spark LS.

Lyrics HikkNaal – Dev D

I don’t even know why I am posting this, but I guess it’s the fact that I have listened to this song over 50 times in 2 days. I wanted to understand the lyrics and so googled it. But alas could not find the correct lyrics anywhere…. saareyaan ne punjabi  di maan bhen keeti hoi see….. so here’s the correct version… may be I also have managed to goof up some words… do correct me if I am wrong somewhere…

 

Hik naal Lake Jind Tere Utte Var Di

Nain aa Dunali Tere Thaan Goli Maar Ti

Hik naal Lake Jind Tere Utte Var Di

Nain aa Dunali Tere Thaan Goli Maar Ti

 

Mileya Malook Jeya

Vekheya Salook Tera

Paata Puhwara Hun Jehra

 

Ke Muteyaraan Ton Bachna

Ae Husna De Naga Ne Dasna

Ke Muteyaraan Ton Bachna

Ae Husna De Naga Ne Dasna

 

Roop Tera Haye Ni Tu Fiza Hai Chenab Di

Balle Teri Taur Ni Tu Shaan Hai Punjab Di

Roop Tera Haye Ni Tu Fiza Hai Chenab Di

Balle Teri Taur Ni Tu Shaan Hai Punjab Di

 

Paake Yaariaan Kitta Haye Tu Kharab Ni

Bulliyaan De Haseyaan Ne Ditta Haye Maar Ni

 

Lak Jad Lachke

Jhanjhar Chanke

Paata Puhwara Nawa Tera

 

Ke Muteyaraan Ton Bachna

Ae Husna De Naga Ne Dasna

Ke Muteyaraan Ton Bachna

Ae Husna De Naga Ne Dasna

 

Haye Tera Jalwa Tera Hai Shabab Ni

Aashe Aashe Aashke Kudi Lajawab Ni

Haye Tera Jalwa Tera Hai Shabab Ni

Aashe Aashe Aashke Kudi Lajawab Ni

 

Tera Ni Khumar Ditta Ghar Di Sharaab Ni

Patte Gaye Munde Pind De Behisaab Ni

 

Heer Sanu Lag Di

Sohniye Tu Phab Di

Har Paase Charcha Hai Tera

 

Ke Muteyaraan Ton Bachna

Ae Husna De Naga Ne Dasna

Ke Muteyaraan Ton Bachna

Ae Husna De Naga Ne Dasna

 

Hikanaal Lake Jind Tere Utte Var Di

Naina Dunali Tere Thaan Goli Maar Di

Hikanaal Lake Jind Tere Utte Var Di

Naina Dunali Tere Thaan Goli Maar Di

 

Mileya Malook Jeya

Vekheya Salook Tera

Paata Puhwara Hun Tera

 

Ke Muteyaraan Ton Bachna

Ae Husna De Naga Ne Dasna

Ke Muteyaraan Ton Bachna

Ae Husna De Naga Ne Dasna

 

Ke Muteyaraan Ton Bachna

Ae Husna De Naga Ne Dasna

Ke Muteyaraan Ton Bachna

Ae Husna De Naga Ne Dasna

 

Kudos to Labh Janjua, for singing this beautifully.

You can download this song from http://www.cooltoad.com

Chevrolet Cruze

Spotted these beauties parked right next to where I live in Bangalore. Seems the Chevy guys had taken a halt for dinner. I could have missed it so easily. They looked so innocent, in white, parked next to each other. Thanks to my keen eye… I spotted the new Chevy Cruze, which is due to be release next month in September. It was  a shocker, as this car looks so strikingly similar to a Honda Civic from rear, that most people would miss spotting this. I felt awkward, but ultimately my curiosity got the best of me. “Bhaiya, ye safed gaadi kiska parked hai?” I asked the Paan waallah. He pointed to the restaurant and said “Kuch log andar aaye hain khana khane unki gaadi hai”. I couldn’t believe what I did next, but again, being an auto buff, my feet started moving towards the restro. I asked the restro owner and he told me a crew of 4 guys had come and they are having dinner.

One half told me to just foolishly barge onto their dinner table and to confirm whether this was indeed Chevy Cruze or not. But thank god for my parents had put some decency in me. I went outside and began clicking away. I had just taken 4 pics when the guys finished their dinner and came out and stopped me from taking pics. I asked them candidly if I could just sit inside and feel the interiors, but as expected the guys were either very rude or very tight lipped, they didn’t let me. On pestering them they told me that both of them were Diesel versions. One with a manual gearbox and other with an automatic. The expected price was somewhere around 15-17 lakhs. They said this was positioned to take on Skoda Laura, Honda Civic and Honda Accord. I asked them that was Chevy planning to exit the Optra, but they said no. On asking when was Chevy planning to come out with their small car, they said it would be late next year.

I had one more look at the damsels and continued my way back.

Maruti Suzuki Ritz (Splash) First Glance

First of all here’s the price comparison (On-Road Bangalore, if you are not from Bangalore reduce around 50-60k from the prices given below) :

Ritz Petrol:                                      Swift Petrol:

Lxi – 457968                                     Lxi – 477652

Vxi – 493097                                    Vxi – 512689

Vxi ABS – 522090                           Vxi ABS – 534743

Zxi – 564636                                      Zxi – 611126

Ritz Diesel:                                      Swift Diesel:

Ldi – 545578                                     Ldi – 548967

Vdi – 580265                                    Vdi – 583232

Zdi – 611553                                      Vdi ABS – 614866

I know your reaction.  Yes, if you look closely e.g. pick the Vxi versions of both the cars, there is hardly a difference of 20K between the two cars. The Ritz has, as the company claims the all new K12 engine with new technology. And due to this the company is claiming a mileage of 17 kmpl in Ritz petrol versions. The front and rear leg room space is almost the same in both the cars. But as the Swift is the widest car in its range, it gives an impression of being more spacious. The Ritz has a better feature offering a 60:40 foldable ratio for the rear seats. The boot space is also comparatively a little more in Swift. This is due to the shape of the car. From the top view the Swift would be something like this:

swifts shape

while the Ritz’ rear would look something like this from top:

ritz shape

So you get marginally lesser boot space in the Ritz. Looks wise Ritz is dashing from the front, but the rear end might not appeal to everybody. The rear glass pane is seemingly …. tiny, so I thought the rear visibility would be an issue with Ritz. Though reversing the car was not a problem when I drove it. There is comparatively lesser cabin noise in Ritz than Swift. The diesel engine is the same so you get the same zippiness as in Swift. I wanted to test drive the petrol version but their petrol test vehicle was unavailable. The turning radius is less so swerving into bends and taking u-turns is easier. The gear is very convenient to operate, thanks to the raised height, which I think Maruti picked from Hyundai i10. But the negative is that the whole panel encasing the gear, what Maruti calls the Waterfall dashboard, eats a chunk out of the leg room space of driver. The dash has also been rendered useless due to the downward tilt. In Swift the dash is straight so you can keep a thing or two. The cup holes and spaces to keep your stuff are also more in Swift. To substitute this Ritz has a really lousy low grade plastic cup holder provided under the front left seat.

Maruti is using a new ploy to make sure Ritz is successful. The waiting period on Swift Vxi is around 1 month and on Vxi ABS is a whopping 4-5 months. Whereas you can get the delivery of Ritz in your choice of colour in a flash. I think after the dismal response for A-star they want to ensure by all means that Ritz gets the fair market share, till Maruti comes out with the new version of Swift. By the way this is the Canadian version of Swift, looks strikingly similar to the Chevy U-Va ain’t it?

Cookbook – Working Bachelor’s survival guide

Saturdays and Sundays are the most toughest part. You have a day off after a busy week. The heat outside is scorching and you don’t want to step out. You woke late due to last night’s movie session on your  laptop. There is a Maggi lying in the kitchen but already have had enough of that. Then my friend it’s the time to for a quick recipe, which hopefully would not turn out to be a disaster. Tell your self “Men are better cooks that women” and tread into the unforbidden territory. But beware the truth about the accidents that happen in kitchen is that you usually have to eat them . Here are some of the things I cook for survival purposes only

Matar Pulao / Veg Biryani:

First of all both of them seem the same to me at the root level.

Utensils required: Cooker, Pan, something to stir with, knife, plate.

Ingredients: Rice, Ginger & Garlic paste (readily available in market, and a must keep for bachelors specially), salt, chilly powder, cumin, coriander powder (not essential, can do without it too), peas (+ any other veggies you want to add…. it’s really Your choice), green chillies, edible oil.

1. Take about a glass full rice and put it in a deep pan. Pour water in the pan and let the rice soak for about 15-20 minutes. After that drain out  the water.

2. If you are planning to add potatoes also, put unpeeled potatoes in the cooker, pour water, till the potatoes are covered in water. Close the cooker and let it heat until you hear about 2 whistles. Take out the potatoes and peel them when they cool down a bit. Chop them into chunky eatable pieces. Drain the water from the cooker and clean it.

3. Chop one onion with long slices, chop green chillies, chop some veggies whichever are available and keep them separate in a plate. I have used capsicum, potatoes, cauliflower, peas and baby corn. Do remember to wash the veggies beforehand.

4. Put the cooker on with medium flame. Add oil and cumin (jeera) and onions. And keep stirring until the onions turn brown.

5. Add Ginger & Garlic Paste. Add all the chopped veggies and/or peas. Keep stirring.

6. Add salt (about 1.5 teaspoon), red chilly powder (half teaspoon), turmeric (1 teaspoon), coriander seed (dhaniya)  powder. And keep stirring.

7. After the spices have mixed up with veggies, add the rice and mix till the spices mix up evenly. Let it fry it for around 5 minutes or so.

8. Add water in the cooker till everything is fully immersed in water. And cover the cooker.

9. After about 2-3 whistles turn off the flame and wait for about 10 minutes before removing the lid.

Voila… if everything went right you would be able to impress even yourself