Car India July 2020

AS THE COUNTRY AND THE world limp back to a normal life, we have begun testing and reviewing cars for our readers. The automobile industry is facing a tough time and there is no help from the government to tide over the difficult times. The restrictions on the number of people at a workplace make it very difficult for the component manufacturers to manufacture themselves and for the dealer principals. The automobile industry is a long chain and if even one link is not able to function properly, the whole industry suffers. The government speaks about an economic boost but there has been no reduction either in the GST or in the personal income-tax for the middle class. With the social distancing norms in place the demand for cars should have…

UNLIKE OTHER AUTOMOBILE magazines, Car India is devoted cent per cent to CARs, SUVs and MUVs. There are no bikes or commercial vehicles to be found in Car India. Therefore, we have a very focused readership and also give our advertisers better bang for their buck! Our editorial team is passionate about cars. They live, drink, eat and breathe cars. This lends the crucial extra touch to their editorial efforts. Our editorial team is bound by a strict code of conduct. In an industry where foreign junkets and gifts are rampant in order to win over editorial staff, we strive hard to maintain our editorial integrity and balance. Our emphasis is on bringing out a quality, information-packed issue that does not rely on mere filling up of pages. We are not in competition…

THE NEXT-GENERATION BMW 4 Series has broken cover and it packs a striking new design language that strikes differently to some from the front and looks a lot sportier from the side while widening the rear profile. It’s designed to be sportier than ever and be a proper sports coupé from the outset with a focus squarely on delivering dynamic driving pleasure and a clear differentiation from the new 3 Series. In its previous generation, it was a proper two-door 3 Series with the “3” actually having four doors. It replaced the 3 Series Coupé model. A four-door 4 Series Gran Coupé arrived later, but never mind... The new 4 Series Coupé has a sharper character with a specifically optimized structure and chassis technology to ensure maximum dynamic performance. A bespoke…

THE NEW HYUNDAI SANTA FE HAS BEEN developed to offer a premium experience while meeting all the needs of a modern family. The new Santa Fe has a dominant front grille and elements that accentuate its wide stance. The patterned grille integrates the headlamps, with LED daytime lights cutting through it. The side-profile has a seamless line from the daytime lights to the tail-cluster, with wider wheel-arches and 20-inch wheels. Engine-wise, there’s a new Smartstream 2.2 turbo-diesel engine with 202 hp and 440 Nm paired to a new 8DCT wet dual-clutch automatic and all-wheel drive. A new 1.6 T-GDi hybrid model pairs the turbo-petrol engine with a 44.2-kW (60-hp) e-motor and 1.5-kWh battery pack for a combined 230 hp and 350 Nm. A plug-in hybrid will also be offered with a larger…

THE MIGHTY 6.75-LITRE BENTLEY V8 L-series engine has been the longest serving V8 design in continuous production and it has now reached the end of its handcrafted run, having been in production for more than 60 years. The last L-series engine will power the 30th and last of the Mulsanne 6.75 Edition by Mulliner. The Bentley V8 was designed by a team of engineers in the 1950s to replace the straight six. The L-Series V8 was in the 1959 Bentley S2 with around 180 hp; deemed “adequate” by Bentley. Since then it evolved into something truly extraordinary. In the Mulsanne Speed, the V8 developed 537 hp and 1,100 Nm. The low-revving engine delivered a unique character that defined the widely recognised “wave of torque” that all Bentleys now ride. The Mulsanne will…

Lamborghini SCV12 The SCV12, designed by Centro Stile Lamborghini and assembled entirely within their factory in the heart of Italy, will be the most intense Sant’Agata V12 super sports car yet. Lamborghini don’t do ordinary and everyday. They do jaw-dropping and exceptional. The new hypercar is set to hit the track for its world premiere scheduled for the European summer of 2020 with 830 hp; the most powerful naturally aspirated V12 engine to date. New Bentley Bentayga The all-new Bentley Bentayga has arrived and is the first model under the Bentley Beyond100 strategy. The Bentayga has received substantial styling changes ― equipment updates as well as subtle tweaks ― such as matrix LED headlamps, a 20-mm wider rear track to improve handling, and a 22-jet windscreen wiper. The V8 models come first with…