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    Magnetic Attraction

    Hyundai wants to change the hatchback market with the state-of- the-art new i20. Will the buyers shy away from its premium pricing or is this exactly what the doctor ordered? We find out.

    The premium hatchback class can be quite a tricky place as it’s sandwiched between the sub-4-meter sedan and the very popular compact SUV segments, especially when the prices overlap each other. Now, competition within a brand is not something many would say is the recipe for success, but with a healthy 27% of the market…

    WORDS:
    ARUP DAS
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    Duel

    It’s time to put on your game face as the all-new Honda City CVT gears up to stamp its authority, but will the Hyundai Verna DCT play spoilsport? We find out if the City is still the benchmark in its segment.

    Ever since Honda launched the City in 1998, not only was it a runaway success, but it was also the most coveted sedan, especially the VTEC trim which has now evolved into i-VTEC. The Hyundai Verna, on the other hand, didn’t get off to a flying start when it made its India debut in 2006. It…

    WORDS:
    ARUP DAS
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    Jeeves and Gloster

    MG Gloster will get the job done.

    MG Motor India has had a good run so far with the Hector, the ZS EV, and the Hector Plus. After giving Indians a taste of their “Internet Inside” SUVs, with the Hector and Hector Plus, as well as their Electric Vehicle, the ZS, MG, is now looking at further strengthening their brand, with the…

    WORDS:
    RACHNA TYAGI
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    Thar Adventure

    The all new Mahindra Thar is a different beast altogether and we just can’t wait to engage its 4WD.

    Raw, bold and powerful is what the new Mahindra Thar is, and once you get behind its wheel, you will be loath to climb back into your own car, because frankly, few urban cars of today offer the thrill that can match what the Thar is capable of. Yes, the Thar whose legacy harks back…

    WORDS:
    RACHNA TYAGI
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    Absolute Altroz

    The Tata Altroz is much more than just a nippy little runabout

    Albatross. Glittering Eye. Mariner. Coleridge. Sounds like a load of gobbledygook? Not really. When Tata Motors christened their 45X Concept, they decided to call it the Altroz, a word inspired by the large seabird, the Albatross, found in the Antartic and the Pacific oceans, and mythologically celebrated for bringing good luck to sailors. In fact, many…

    WORDS:
    RACHNA TYAGI
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    Modern Sonet

    With the Sonet, Kia’s most important launch in India, it will enter the most competitive sub-4-metre segment. Does this head-turner have what it takes to get to the top? We find out.

    One has to accept some inalienable truths. Despite the global pandemic, India’s love affair with SUVs continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Last month’s sales figures show that of the top 20 best sellers, five are SUVs, of which three are from the most coveted class – the compact segment. Competition will only intensify…

    WORDS:
    ARUP DAS
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    Jekyll and Hyde

    The Skoda Rapid TSI is so Jekyll and Hyde that even Robert Louis Stevenson wouldn’t disagree.

    Who would look at the Skoda Rapid TSI and think that this sedate looking car is in fact capable of unleashing such exhilarating fun and that too with what seems like a feeble engine, at least on paper. So very Jeckyll and Hyde.  Boy, was I in for a delightful surprise! On the outside, not much…

    WORDS:
    RACHNA TYAGI
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    Safe Bet

    It’s been a long and challenging journey for the S-Cross since its launch in 2015 but now Maruti Suzuki is hoping that a switch in the engine from diesel to petrol will swing its fortunes. Is it too late in the day or can it make up lost ground?

    There is a famous quote by Jack Nicholson in the film, A Few Good Men, which is apt for Maruti Suzuki’s efforts to resurrect the S-Cross, ‘Roll the dice and take your chances’. This could very well be the last straw for this crossover. Going by the current trend, the country’s most successful automobile manufacturer has…

    WORDS:
    ARUP DAS
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    City City Bang Bang

    “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” No other mid-sized sedan epitomizes it better than the fifth generation Honda City.

    Reams have been written about Honda City’s runaway success since its debut back in 1998 in India. Not one to rest on its laurels, Honda, continued to acquire feedback from its customers, toiled hard to better the City, and in every successive car that it introduced over the decades, it never ceased to amaze. No…

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    RACHNA TYAGI
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    Crowning Glory

    With the burden of great expectations and success, will the new Hyundai Creta thrive under pressure and become a segment leader like its predecessor or will the others also be making a mad dash for the crown?

    The judgement was passed, obituaries were written, and the guillotine was readied for the first-generation Hyundai Creta as its crown was quickly passed on to a new rival without realizing that the second-generation avatar was on the horizon. As expected, the 2020 Creta took the market by storm, but no one could have scripted a…

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    ARUP DAS

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